BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach Brian Lee and the LSU soccer team invites fans to “Cram the Complex” on Friday as the Tigers battle Southeastern Conference rival Ole Miss at the LSU Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.
This marks the third-straight year in which the LSU Marketing and Promotions Department has attempted to “Cram the Complex” in an effort to set an all-time attendance record for LSU soccer. A school record 1,421 fans were in attendance to witness the Tigers shutout Ole Miss, 2-0, on Sept. 8, 1995.
“We’re looking forward to a big crowd and having the soccer community of Baton Rouge here to support us,” Lee said. “We’ve got lots of prizes, giveaways and contests for the fans, and we hope it will be a great environment for our players and fans alike.”
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free LSU soccer t-shirt, while all fans have the opportunity to win such prizes as an iPod shuffle, a DVD Player, a mini DVD Player, a five-disc stereo system and a soccer ball autographed by the team. In addition, Friday’s match will serve as a “Student Point Game” in which LSU students can earn a point to improve their chance of receiving football away game and bowl tickets this season.
The Tigers (4-3-2, 0-1-1 SEC) are 5-4 all-time against Ole Miss (7-3, 1-1 SEC), including a 2-1 victory over the Rebels in the last meeting between the two teams on Oct. 1, 2004 at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium in Oxford, Miss.
The forward tandem of senior Kate Ripple and junior Joleen Phillips leads the Tigers into this weekend’s action, and the two have combined to score nine of the team’s 12 goals this season. Ripple holds the team lead and is tied for third in the SEC with five goals, while Phillips follows closely behind with four. Both players lead the team and are tied for ninth in the conference with 10 points on the season.
“Our forward duo of Joleen Phillips and Kate Ripple is really rounding into form,” Lee said. “We’re looking forward to see just how many chances they create for our team this weekend.”
After facing Ole Miss on Friday, the Tigers return to action at home against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
“The team is progressing nicely. We expect a stiff challenge from both Ole Miss and Mississippi State this weekend, and it should be a lot of fun,” Lee said. “Our goal is to finish at the top of the SEC West at the end of the year, and this is a very important weekend for us to achieve that.”