TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The LSU soccer team recorded its first-ever victory over a top-15 ranked opponent on Sunday, as the Tigers knocked off the 15th-ranked Florida State Seminoles, 2-1, in the finale of the Seminole Invitational.
“I know it’s still early in the season, but this is the first time that an LSU team has beaten an opponent ranked in the top-15 ever in history,” said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos. “Today and for the next 24 hours is the greatest day in LSU soccer history. These girls worked so hard and each and every one of them left everything they had out here on the field.”
LSU’s Mandy Heintz earned her second game-winning goal of the season on Sunday, as she gave the Tigers an early lead with 30:57 remaining in the second half. LSU’s standout junior from San Antonio, Texas, showed off her jumping prowess by heading an Elizabeth Marschall corner kick into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. The key assist was Marschall’s first of the season.
“It felt really good (to score the game-winning goal),” said Heintz. “I think that we had the momentum in the game at that time and it just kind of added to it, so it felt really good. I think that with this win we made a statement that we are a totally different team and that when we come together as a team, we can do anything.”
With the win, LSU improved to an overall record of 2-1 on the season and finished with a 1-1 mark in the Seminole Invitational. The Tigers fell in a close 1-0 contest against 23rd-ranked Miami on Friday.
“I’m extremely pleased with how we played this entire weekend,” Fotopoulos said. “We took No. 23-ranked Miami to the wire and we beat No. 15 and we’re not saying that we’re anywhere, but we just feel that we’ve taken a step for our program. It’s a little step, but it’s a definite step forward and I’m just so proud of the girls.”
Florida State (1-1-2) lost its first game of the season and ended the Seminole Invitational with an 0-1-1 record. With the historic first loss to LSU, the Seminole soccer team snapped its 20-game winning streak against non-Atlantic Coast Conference opponents at home in the Seminole Soccer Complex. The Tigers also snapped Florida State’s 12-game home unbeaten streak.
Shortly after the Tigers earned the 1-0 lead, Florida State rebounded and mounted an offensive drive that ended when freshman phenom Leah Gallegos sailed a shot just over the crossbar and out of bounds. Prior to the miss, Gallegos shook a pair of LSU defenders to find herself wide open.
At the 73:50 point in the game, the Tigers stopped another good scoring chance for the homestanding Seminoles, as LSU goalkeeper Robyn DesOrmeaux made a diving save on a free kick from Gallegos. The Florida State attempt was from slightly outside of the box and was nicely aimed around the Tigers’ four-person wall.
“The play of Robyn DesOrmeaux was just phenomenal today,” said Fotopoulos. “To come in here and play one of the best teams in the ACC and beat them when it wasn’t a fluke is saying something. We dominated the game at times and we did the right things defensively. I just can’t say enough about this team and we’re going to enjoy it for the next 24 hours.”
LSU’s Stephanie Keating scored the Tigers’ second goal of the contest with 14:18 remaining in the game. Keating caught the Seminole defense off-guard as she hooked a free kick into top-left corner of the net from 30 yards out.
The goal proved to be Keating’s first of the season and took some of the pressure off of the Tigers’ defense
Florida State’s lone goal of the afternoon came with 40 seconds remaining in the second half, as Summer Corem gathered an assist by Camie Bybee and rifled a shot into the net from 15 yards out. The goal was Corem’s first of the season.
The first half proved to be a physical contest on both sides of the ball as the teams combined to commit 16 fouls and played 45 minutes of scoreless soccer. LSU was called for 10 fouls in the opening half, while the Seminoles were called for six offenses.
The Tigers outshot Florida State, 5-3, in the first half of the grueling non-conference matchup. Despite trailing in overall shots, the Seminoles had better scoring chances and recorded two shots on goal compared to LSU’s one.
The LSU soccer team will next be in action on Wednesday, Sept. 11, as the Tigers face the Loyola (N.O.) Wolfpack in their home opener at the LSU Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. The contest is being promoted as Stars and Stripes Patriotic Night and LSU will wear specialized red, white and blue jerseys.
LSU (2-1-0) def. #15 Florida State (1-1-2), 2-1
LSU 0 2 – 2
#15 FSU 0 1 – 1
Scoring: LSU, Heintz (2) 59:03 (assist Marschall), Keating (1) 75:42 (unassisted); FSU, Corum (1) 89:19 (assist Bybee).
Yellow Cards: LSU, Shelton (1) 89:11.