AUSTIN, Texas — The LSU soccer team closed out its 2001 season on Sunday, as the Tigers fell to the seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns, 4-0, in a hard-fought battle at the Mike A. Myers Soccer Stadium in Austin, Texas.
“We showed a lot of heart out there today,? said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos. “Playing the No. 7 team in the nation on their home field is a tough task, and we fought them tooth and nail. I?m proud of how our team competed for 90 minutes and proved that we can play with the best.?
The deciding goal came at the 62:26 mark in the non-conference match-up when Texas? Kati McBain converted a penalty kick to stretch the Longhorns? lead to 2-0. Texas was awarded its second penalty kick of the season when Tiger freshman, Suzanne Drake, fouled Kelly McDonald in the box. The goal was McBain?s second of the season.
With the loss, LSU ended the 2001 campaign with an overall record of 7-8-3. Texas rebounded from its 6-0 drubbing by 15th-ranked Texas A&M on Friday and picked up its 12th win of the season. The Longhorns finished their regular season schedule with a 12-4 overall record and will begin play in the Big 12 tournament on Thursday, Nov. 8.
Texas jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in Sunday?s contest as the Tigers allowed an early first-half goal for the fifth-straight game. The Longhorns? Kylee Wosnuk gathered a pass from Kelly Wilson and hooked it into the upper-left corner of the net at the 6:34 mark of the game. The score was Wosnuk?s sixth of the season and LSU?s 10th first-half goal allowed in its previous five contests.
“For some reason, we?ve been starting off our games very slowly on the defensive side of the ball and it?s been hurting us,? Fotopoulos said. “It?s a trend that we need to improve on for next season, because without a lot of those early goals, we?re in the hunt at the end of the game.?
Despite giving up the early first-half goal, the Tigers regrouped and played strenuous defense for the remainder of the period to head into halftime trailing, 1-0. The Longhorns had several scoring opportunities in the first half, but their attempts were thwarted by outstanding defensive efforts from LSU?s Ashley Mitnick, Leigh McGovern and goalkeeper Robyn Desormeaux.
Desormeaux, the Tigers? red-shirt freshman from Carencro, La., recorded two saves in the opening half of play and faced five Texas shots in the period. Sunday?s start was only the third of Desormeaux?s collegiate career and she finished the game with a career-high seven saves.
The Longhorns tacked on their third goal of the game at the 70:03 mark in the contest. Wilson, Texas? highly-touted freshman from Odessa, Texas, took a crossing pass from Wosnuk and scored her 12th goal of the season. On the play, she set the single-season record for goals by passing former Longhorn great Carol Finch.
Sunday?s contest versus the seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns was LSU?s final game of the 2001 season, but there is still plenty of soccer action to be played in Baton Rouge this season.
The LSU Soccer Complex is hosting the 2001 Southeastern Conference tournament beginning on Thursday, Nov. 8, and running through Sunday, Nov. 11. The three-day event will feature the top eight teams in the conference including 11th-ranked Florida and No. 18 Tennessee. Admission is $5 per day for an adult, $3 for children under 12 and free for infants younger than two years of age.
#7 Texas (12-4) def. LSU (7-8-3), 4-0.
LSU 0 0 – 0
#7 Texas 1 3 – 4
Scoring: Texas, Wosnuk (6) 6:34 (assist Wilson), McBain (2) 62:26 (penalty kick), Wilson (12) 70:03 (assist Wosnuk), Field (1) 89:55 (unassisted).
Yellow Cards: Texas, McDonald 62:26.