TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The LSU soccer team is prepared to begin a vital Southeastern Conference road trip this weekend, as the Tigers head north to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Friday and Auburn on Sunday.
“There’s no doubt about the fact that this is a huge weekend for us,” said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos. “Both Alabama and Auburn are playing good soccer right now and they are both extremely talented teams. We were able to beat them both last season, but they are going to be ready for us this year.”
LSU travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., with an overall record of 7-3-2 and a 1-2-1 mark against conference opponents. The Tigers are currently the eighth-place team in the SEC and the third-place squad in the Western Division. Last Sunday, the Tigers ended in a 4-4 draw against South Carolina. The stalemate was LSU’s first versus an SEC opponent.
The Crimson Tide heads into Friday’s Western Division match-up with a 9-4 overall record and a 1-3 mark against SEC opponents. Alabama’s lone conference victory of the season came in the team’s previous contest against Mississippi State. The Tide defeated Mississippi State, 2-1, on the road in Starkville, Miss.
Prior to beating Mississippi State, Alabama was winless in the conference and in the midst of a three-match losing streak. The Crimson Tide recorded tough losses to Georgia (2-1), 16th-ranked Tennessee (4-0) and Ole Miss (1-0) during the slide.
“It’s always pretty hard to play on the road, but I think that this road trip will actually be good for our team,” Fotopoulos said. “Our players will be able to take their minds away from the everyday aspects of life and concentrate on soccer. There can be a lot of distractions when playing at home.”
The Tigers own a 2-1-1 record on the road this season and have yet to play a road conference game. LSU’s wins on the road came against Alabama A&M (1-0) and Northwestern State (1-0), while the Tigers’ only defeat was a 2-1 loss versus South Alabama.
Alabama is perennially one of the best teams in the SEC while playing at home, and this season is no exception. The Crimson Tide is 6-2 at the Alabama Soccer Complex in 2001 and its only losses were against Georgia and Tennessee.
LSU recorded its first win against the Crimson Tide last season at home in the LSU Soccer Complex. In the Tigers’ 2-1 come-from-behind victory, LSU scored two goals in 14 seconds to pull off the remarkable upset. Alabama leads the all-time series, 5-1, and has never lost to the Tigers at home.
The LSU soccer team looks to win its second-straight game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Friday as the two SEC Western Division rivals battle at 7 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Complex.