STARKVILLE, Miss. — The LSU soccer team used goals by Ashley Mintick and Kara Dean to take a 2-0 shutout of Mississippi State for its seventh shutout of the season on Sunday afternoon in Starkville, Miss.?
With the win, the Tigers picked up their 10th victory of the year for the first winning season since 1996, improving to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference. ? The Bulldogs fall to 4-7 overall and 0-2 in the SEC.
“I am very proud of this team,” said head coach George Fotopoulos. ? “They were able to rebound.? This was a great victory for us today. ? I think the thing that I am most happy about is that this is going to be the first non-losing season in three years.? It is a great tribute to these girls.? It shows that these girls put the work in.? We could not have done it without hard work. ? This is a stepping stone for us to go from a good team this year to a very good team next year.”
With three minutes left in the frist half, sophomore Ashley Mitnick scored the game-winning goal by converting a corner kick into the net to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead.? Mitnick now has five goals this season, matching her total for 1999.
Sophomore Kara Dean became third-leading single-season scorer in school history with her 10th goal of the season in the 52nd minute.? Dean was assisted by Mitnick and went one-on-one with the goalie and shot into an empty net.
The Tigers controlled the game offensively, outshooting the Bulldogs 19-6.? Sophomore goalie Bonnie Otillio picked up her fifth shutout of the season with two saves for the afternoon.? Bulldog goalie Stephanie Lyon had five saves and Kirston Olson had two. ?
With its seventh of the season, LSU matched the school’s single season shutout record with the win against Mississippi State.?
The Tigers return home next weekend for two SEC games against Georgia and Tennessee. ? Georgia comes to the LSU Soccer Complex on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. and Tennessee rolls into town on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.