BATON ROUGE — The LSU soccer team made history for the second time in three days on Tuesday, as the Tigers were ranked 10th in the highly competitive Central Region rankings put out by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
“Being ranked in this region is such a great honor,” said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos. “It is a great accomplishment for our team, but the only ranking that really matters for us is the ranking that we have at the end of the year.”
Just two days removed from knocking off its first top-15 opponent in school history, LSU earned its first-ever regional ranking by being placed in a tie for 10th place with both Kansas and Baylor. Until Tuesday, the Tiger Soccer team had never been ranked in its seven years of existence.
Texas heads the NSCAA Central Region ranking and is the No. 4-ranked team in the nation. The Longhorns are closely followed by three of the nation’s top-25 programs in Texas A&M, Nebraska and Southern Methodist. Texas A&M is No. 8, Nebraska is No. 15 and SMU is currently the 22nd-ranked team in the country.
LSU owns a 2-1 overall record and is coming off of a 2-1 victory over No. 15 Florida State on Sunday. The Tigers defeated Florida State on the road in Tallahassee, Fla., in the final game of the 2002 Seminole Classic. On Friday, LSU was narrowly defeated by 23rd-ranked Miami, 1-0, in the 84th minute of the hard-fought contest.
The LSU soccer team will open its 2002 home schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 11, as the Tigers host the Loyola (N.O.) Wolfpack at 7 p.m. at the newly renovated LSU Soccer Complex. The home-opening event will be recognized Stars and Stripes Patriotic Night and LSU will wear specially made red, white and blue uniforms as a tribute.
2002 NSCAA/adidas Rankings
NCAA Division I Women – Central Region
School
Record
1. Texas
3-1
2. Texas A&M
2-2
3. Nebraska
2-1-1
4. Southern Methodist
3-1
5. Missouri
2-1-1
6. Tennessee
3-1
7. Denver
1-0-2
8. Mississippi
4-0
9. Oklahoma
4-0
10. LSU
2-1
10. Baylor
4-0
10. Kansas
2-1-1