BATON ROUGE — The LSU soccer team looks to remain undefeated against in-state opponents for its 11th-straight game on Friday, as the Tigers host the Louisiana-Monroe Indians at 7 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Complex.
“This is a big game for our team,” said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos. “UL-Monroe is one of our fiercest in-state rivals and it’s always a competitive game when we play them. Last season, they played us pretty tough at their place and we finished the game tied, 2-2. Tomorrow they play us at our place and hopefully we’ll have a good crowd behind us.”
LSU heads into Friday’s non-conference matchup with an overall record of 3-1 on the season and a two-game winning streak. The Tigers knocked off No. 15 Florida State on Sunday before throttling Loyola (N.O.), 7-0, in Wednesday’s home opener.
The Indians own an 0-4 overall record after losing three-straight, one-goal contests versus Weber State, 1-0, Indiana-Purdue, 2-1, and Arkansas-Little Rock, 2-1. Louisiana-Monroe’s first loss of the season came on the road against Alabama, 4-0. Three of the Indians’ four matches this season have been on the road, while their fourth was played at a neutral site.
Since the beginning of the 2000 season, LSU’s only blemish in 11 contests against in-state opponents came in the form of a 2-2 tie versus Louisiana-Monroe last season. The draw marked the first time that the Tigers did not defeat an opponent from Louisiana since Sept. 22, 1999.
“I guess you can say that we have a pretty heated rivalry with UL-Monroe,” Fotopoulos said. “Both teams are very physical and very competitive and that typically makes for a good soccer match. We feel that we should have won the game last season, but they played well and deserved the tie. We’re just looking to get a victory.”
LSU is undefeated against the Indians at home and holds a 2-0-1 all-time record against Louisiana-Monroe. The Tigers earned a 5-0 victory at the LSU Soccer Complex in 1999 and then recorded a 4-2 win in Monroe, La., in 2000.
The Tigers have a seven-game winning streak against Louisiana opponents at home. LSU has not been defeated by an in-state rival since Sept. 22, 1999, against Tulane. The Green Wave won the contest, 3-0.
Friday’s game against Louisiana-Monroe will begin at 7 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Complex. The matchup is being promoted as “Soccer Rocks Night” and will be presented by KLSU. The promotion will feature music before the game and the LSU marketing team will give away “Soccer Rocks” bumper stickers.