FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Senior forward Stacie McDougall scored a pair of goals in the second half to lead the LSU soccer team to a 4-3 victory over Arkansas on Friday at Lady Back Field as the Tigers earn a berth in the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the first time since 2002.
The Tigers (7-9-2, 3-7-1 SEC) snap a five-game losing streak in SEC play and even the series at 5-5-1 all-time against the Lady Razorbacks (6-12, 3-8 SEC). This marks the first time LSU has defeated Arkansas at Lady Back Field in its history.
“We were nervous and edgy for the first 45 minutes,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “We got relaxed and composed at halftime and really came out and started great in the second half. The kids were able to score some nice goals to put us up and we held on for a good victory.”
Senior forward Kate Ripple put the Tigers up 1-0 at the 49:34 mark when she took a pass from freshman midfielder Melissa Clarke and ripped a shot into the back of the net from 20 yards out at the top of the box for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.
McDougall followed with her first goal of the match in the 55th minute of play by scoring from the top of the box unassisted after battling for possession of the ball with an Arkansas defender. She scored her second goal of the match and third of the season in the 62nd minute on a header from 10 yards out on an indirect kick by senior defender Tara Mitnick.
“Those were some nice goals, and really none of them were cheap,” Lee said. “On the play where Kate scored, we had about seven passes without losing possession of the ball. That’s just great execution. Stacie scored a couple of really great goals, and that’s the kind of contribution we expect out of our seniors.”
Clarke finished the scoring for the Tigers with her first career goal at the 73:11 mark when she put a shot just inside the left post from 12 yards out. Sophomore midfielder Caroline Vanderpool was credited with the assist as she leads the team in that category with six.
After Clarke pushed the LSU lead to 4-1, Arkansas midfielder Christina Burger scored a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes of the game, but the Lady Razorbacks were unable to overcome the deficit and the Tigers held on to win the match, 4-3.
LSU finished the match with 13 shots, including seven shots on goal, and three corner kicks, while Arkansas attempted 16 shots with 10 shots on goal and seven corner kicks. The Lady Razorbacks committed 13 fouls to 11 for the Tigers, and a total of six yellow cards and one red card was issued in a match that was physical from the start.
“Once there was the red card, the soccer game went away and it was just whack the ball forward for both teams,” Lee said. “That’s the fun of it as well. There was a lot at stake, and neither team wanted to lose the game, obviously. Give credit to Arkansas for making it tight at the end because they never gave up. We were just able to hold on and win in the end.”
The Tigers enter the SEC Tournament as the No. 8 seed and will play the top-seeded Tennessee Lady Volunteers in the first round on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Orange Beach Soccer Complex in Orange Beach, Ala. LSU was shut out by the Lady Vols, 2-0, at home on Oct. 9.
“I’m proud of this team for what they’ve accomplished,” Lee said. “Reaching the SEC Tournament is a great accomplishment, and it’s something we’ve worked hard for all season long. We’re going to have a tough game on Thursday and we’ve got to get ready to compete against a great Tennessee team.”