BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach Brian Lee put his soccer squad through its first two-a-day practice of fall camp Thursday with conditioning exercises at 7 a.m. in the Indoor Football Facility and its first full-length practice session at 3 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Complex.
The Tigers are scheduled for 14 practice sessions in the next two weeks and three more two-a-day practices as they prepare for the season opener against SMU on Aug. 25.
“We’ve spent the first couple of days sharpening our technical play on the field by doing some small group work, speed-of-play drills and working on defensive fundamentals,” Lee said. “The girls are starting to get acquainted with one another on the field and are coming together nicely as a team. Team chemistry is going to play a major role in our success in the fall.”
Lee points to the youth of his squad for the need to build strong team chemistry and develop leadership among the upperclassmen to set an example for this year’s crop of 12 freshmen that comprise more than half of the roster for fall camp.
“Our upperclassmen and returning sophomores have done what we expected of them and have set a great example for the younger players to follow,” Lee said. “They’re showing the freshmen how we play and how to conduct themselves on and off the field as an LSU student-athlete.
“The fact that the team has reported in such great physical condition is a testament to the commitment shown by our returning players and newcomers alike. We’re anticipating an exciting season in Baton Rouge, and it all starts with the commitment shown by our players during the off-season.”
Sophomore All-SEC midfielder Melissa Clarke agrees with Lee that the Tigers will have to develop a tight bond with one another to find success in 2006.
“We’re leaning on the upperclassmen more right now because we are so young, but we’re growing accustomed to each other on the field and how to play together as a team,” Clarke said. “It’s important that we develop strong team chemistry during camp because that’s what’s going to carry us, especially early in the season.”
Clarke added that she understands why LSU’s freshman class received a No. 7 national ranking by Soccer Buzz Magazine in the spring as the Tiger newcomers have displayed their unlimited potential after only their second day of camp.
“They’re giving us some great competition right now and seem to be picking things up quickly,” Clarke said. “They will only make us a better team. We have a great pool of players who are very technically sound and come from great competitive backgrounds. We are a more diverse team, and I’m excited about the overall talent that we have this year.”
The Tigers are scheduled for another two-a-day practice Friday followed by a single session on Saturday before taking part in Football Fan Day festivities on Sunday. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the team beginning at 2 p.m. on the South Lawn outside Tiger Stadium.