by Shelley Dykes
LSU Sports Information
(11/14/00)
The 2000 LSU soccer team entered the season hoping to make a new name for itself. First-year head coach George Fotopoulos had the task of turning around three straight losing seasons with 17 newcomers and only 10 veterans.
Led mostly by underclassmen, this Tiger team charted the best season in school history and the first winning season in four years with a 15-6 record. To put into perspective what the Tigers accomplished, they combined for only 12 wins in the three years prior to the 2000 season. LSU showed the competition early in the season that its youth and inexperience was not a major factor in their ability to win. The Tigers started the season with three quick wins, the best start in school history.
Moving into the postseason, the Tigers had their best record ever, the most shutouts in a season with 10 and made it to the SEC Tournament for the first only the third time in history.
A 4-0 shutout over Troy State to start the season proved LSU could be a tough team. However, the future did not look as bright at Louisiana-Monroe for the Tigers just two days later. LSU trailed the Indians 2-1 at the half, with the Tigers’ only first half goal coming from the senior track All-American Somalia Lindsay. But the team pulled together behind sophomore captain Kara Dean whose three second half goals made her the fourth Tigers in school history to have a hat trick and put the Tigers over the Indians 4-2.
It was the start of what turned out to be a tremendous year for Dean, as she would lead the Tigers with 14 goals on the year, the second-highest total in LSU history.
The Tigers’ confidence was boosted even more when they defeated Texas Tech, 2-1, in the LSU Invitational. After suffering their first loss to Oklahoma, 2-0, in the tournament, the Tigers went on a six game winning streak, the second longest in school history.
LSU took two games 2-0 on the road from opponents Stetson University and Embry-Riddle before returning home to defeat Alabama A&M 10-1 and in-state opponent Northwestern State 3-0.
The Tigers continued their winning streak when they opened Southeastern
Conference play at home against Arkansas with a 7-1 season record. LSU freshman defender Elizabeth Marschall booted the only goal to help LSU beat the Lady ‘Backs 1-0 for the first time since 1998.
Before taking to the road to face the Mississippi teams, the team picked up a 4-0 victory over first year in-state opponent Louisiana-Lafayette. Tiger goalies Bonnie Otillio and Bryna Warnock combined in goal for the LSU’s sixth shutout of the season. Lafayette-native Rachel Cohen picked up a goal for the Tigers in front of her home crowd.
LSU then split two SEC matches in Mississippi, dropping a close game to rival Ole Miss, 2-1, to end the six game winning streak. The loss was the Tigers only loss to a SEC Western Division opponent. Sophomore Melissa Shelton had the Tiger’s lone goal of the contest, and Otillio had 10 saves in goal for the Tigers.
Two days later, the Tigers shutout the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 2-0, in Starkville. Sophomore Ashley Mitnick scored the Tigers’ game-winning goal and assisted Kara Dean’s goal.
After returning home to the LSU Soccer Complex, the Tigers dropped two close SEC matches to Eastern Division opponents Georgia and Tennessee. Dean and Mitnick each scored for the Tigers in the 3-2 loss to the Lady Bulldogs. Otillio had a season high 11 saves in the loss. LSU dropped a match 4-2 to the Tennessee Volunteers. Otillio gave a tremendous effort 10 saves for the Tigers with LSU goals from Dean and Shelton.
But LSU returned to its winning ways five days later with two important wins over SEC Western Division opponents Alabama and Auburn. The Tigers 2-1 victory over Alabama marked the first time ever LSU had beaten the Crimson Tide. Alabama took the lead early in the second half, but was matched by a pair of quick goals by the Tigers later in the half. Mitnick scored the tying goal for LSU on a penalty kick and was followed by a goal from Rachel Cohen just 14 seconds later, the fastest two goals in Tiger history.
Two days later the Tigers picked up their third SEC shutout and team record eighth shutout with a 1-0 victory over the Auburn Tigers. The win put the Tigers at 12-4 for the season, breaking the school record for wins in a season. Dean’s goal in the win put her at second all-time for most goals scored in a season. She scored a total of 15 goals for the season.
LSU went next to Thibodaux, La. for a in-state match against Nicholls State. The Tigers picked up yet another shutout with a 4-0 victory over the Lady Colonels. Freshman Elizabeth Marschall had the game-winning goal. She was supported with goals by Laura Klatter and Dean, while Tiger freshman Katie Jones scored her first collegiate goal.
The Tigers hit the road again to end the SEC regular season. The Tigers traveled first to Lexington, Kent., to face the Wildcats. Lindsay scored for the Tigers to tie the score going into halftime. LSU held on for a short time in the second, but Kentucky managed to score two additional goals in the second half, one of which came with one second left in regulation time.
In the final regular season SEC match the Tigers were in Nashville, Tenn., for a suspense-filled game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Tigers were out-shot 25-3, but after a stellar performance by Otillio in goal with nine saves, Cohen scored an unassisted goal with only two minutes left to play in regulation time to put the Tigers on top. The win ended a 19 game losing streak to Eastern Division opponents for the Tigers dating back to 1995 and sealed a spot in the SEC Tournament for LSU.
The Tigers closed the regular season with a 2-1 win over in-state rival Tulane in a game some termed the “Louisiana State Championship.” Cohen assisted both Tigers goals in the match by Shelton and Dean.
LSU appeared in the SEC Tournament for the first time since 1998 but unfortunately were unable to pick up its first SEC Tournament win, losing 2-0 to Kentucky.
The 2000 season is what the Tigers needed to start a tradition in Baton Rouge, a tradition of a winning LSU soccer program.