STARKVILLE, Miss. — The LSU soccer team looks to extend its winning streak to nine-consecutive games on Sunday as the Tigers face the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 1 p.m. here in Starkville, Miss.
“We have to be able to maintain our positive momentum despite suffering some injuries against Ole Miss on Friday,” said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos.
“We will be without two of our starters tomorrow, but if we can continue to play the way that we have been, we should be fine. Mississippi State is a very good team and it’s going to be a competitive game tomorrow.”
Both Southeastern Conference rivals head into Sunday’s Western Division matchup with identical 1-0 conference records.
LSU knocked off an undefeated Ole Miss team, 2-1, on Friday, while Mississippi State blanked Arkansas, 3-0. The Tigers head into Sunday’s contest with an eight game winning streak and an overall record of 9-1 on the season. LSU has not been defeated since a 1-0 loss to 23rd-ranked Miami on Sept. 6.
Mississippi State, the defending Western Division champion, enters its matchup against LSU with a 4-7 overall record. The Bulldogs own a 2-3 mark at home this season and have recorded victories against Northwestern State, 3-1, and Arkansas, 3-0. Mississippi State’s 2002 losses at the MSU Soccer Field have come against non-conference foes in Southern Miss, 3-2, Kansas, 2-1, and Samford, 2-1.
“Even though they (Mississippi State) haven’t had their best season so far, they have a very talented team and they have everybody back from last year,” Fotopoulos said. “I mean, they won the Western Division last season and most of their players carried over. We know that they have some tremendous talent and that they are a dangerous team.”
Last season, Mississippi State shutout the Tigers, 2-0, at the LSU Soccer Complex in Baton Rouge. Despite the loss, LSU maintains a 5-2 lead in the all-time series and has been victorious in three out of the four previous contests. The Tigers have outscored Mississippi State, 9-4, in the seven contests between the two schools.
The LSU soccer team will attempt to complete a weekend sweep over Mississippi rivals on Sunday, as the Tigers challenge Mississippi State at 1 p.m. here in Starkville, Miss.