BATON ROUGE — In cold and windy conditions, the LSU soccer team dropped a Southeastern Conference match, 4-2, to the Lady Volunteers of Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at the LSU Soccer Complex.
LSU falls to 10-4 overall and 2-3 in the SEC.? Tennessee improves to 7-6 overall and 3-1 in the SEC.
“I commend Tennessee,” said head coach George Fotopoulos. “They are the best team I have seen in the SEC so far.? They have a great coaching staff that has turned the program around.? We were very lucky to keep the score as close as we did.? It is a learning experience for us.”
LSU sophomore Kara Dean scored her 12th goal of the season, tying her with Jackie Cooper for second overall most goals scored in a season.
Kelly Berrall scored the first goal of the game for Tennessee unassisted from a free kick in the 10th minute of play.
Marie-Eve Nault came up next with two goals for the Lady Vols, both assisted by Rhian Wilkinson.? The first goal by Nault was from 20 yards out in the 30th minute and the second was from five yards into an empty net in the 56th minute.
Kara Dean then came up with the first LSU goal in the 67th minute of play from a rebound off a corner kick.
The fourth Tennessee goal was scored in the 69th minute by Wilkinson and assisted by Berrall from a free kick.
Tiger Melissa Shelton then scored the second goal for the Tigers in the 79th minute for her fourth goal of the season.
The Vols outshot the Tigers 23-6 for the afternoon.? Tiger goalie Bonnie Otillio had 10 saves, and Tennessee goalie Kim Sgarlata had one.
LSU remains at home next weekend with a pair of key SEC matches with Alabama on Friday at 7 p.m. and Auburn on Sunday at 2 p.m.