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South Carolina Snaps Soccer's 10-Match Unbeaten Streak

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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South Carolina Snaps Soccer's 10-Match Unbeaten Streak

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The LSU soccer team lost its first game in well over a month on Sunday, as the Tigers dropped a defensive struggle against the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks, 2-0, at the Eugene E. Stone III Stadium here in Columbia, S.C.

“We just got outplayed today,” said LSU head coach George Fotopoulos. “South Carolina is a very talented team and they were able to capitalize on their opportunities and we weren’t. Our team was playing very good defense for most of the game, but when they scored their first goal, we just couldn’t recover.”

With the loss, LSU (10-2-1, 2-1-1) dropped its first game since Sept. 6, and snapped its 10-game unbeaten streak. The Tigers’ previous defeat was a 1-0 loss to 23rd-ranked Miami at the Seminole Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla.

The loss also marked LSU’s first road defeat of the 2002 campaign.

The Gamecocks’ improved its overall record on the season to 10-4 and upped its conference mark to 3-2. With the win, South Carolina bounced back from its disappointing loss to Arkansas on Friday and upped its record at home to 4-2.

South Carolina’s Jessica Julin scored the opening goal of Sunday’s Southeastern Conference contest at the 68:44 mark in the match. The senior midfielder gave the Lady Gamecocks’ a decisive 1-0 lead as she headed a corner kick from Katherine Stokes into the top-right corner of the net. The game-winning goal proved to be Julin’s second of the season and her fourth overall.

“I have to give a lot of credit to South Carolina,” Fotopoulos said. “Their coaching staff did a wonderful job getting its team ready and they came out and played hard today. We just need to make sure that we bounce back from this game and get ready to play two tough matches at home next week.”

The Lady Gamecocks tacked on their second goal of the match at the 71:22 point as sophomore Ashley Williams one-timed a crossing pass from Melinda Carter passed LSU’s goalkeeper Robyn DesOrmeaux. The score was Williams’ sixth of the season and increased South Carolina’s lead to the final count of 2-0.

LSU and South Carolina spent the first half of play testing each others’ defense as the SEC rivals only registered three shots apiece. Each team recorded one shot on goal and the squads were called for five fouls. South Carolina earned the only advantage of the first half in that the Lady Gamecocks notched two cornerkicks to the Tigers’ one.

The LSU soccer team will next be in action on Friday, Oct. 18, as the Tigers return home to face the Alabama Crimson Tide at 7 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Complex. The vital Western Division matchup is being tabbed as the LSU Gumbo Greek Tailgate Extravaganza. The LSU student media will sponsor a tailgate with a gumbo cook-off and giveaways.

South Carolina (10-4, 3-2) def. LSU (10-2-1, 2-1-1), 2-0

LSU 0 0 – 0
USC 0 2 – 2

Scoring:USC, Julin (4) 68:44 (assist Stokes), Williams (6) 71:22 (assist Carter).
Yellow Cards: USC, McIntyre (1) 79:58.