RICHARDSON, Texas — The LSU soccer team dropped a hard fought match to the SMU Mustangs to open the 2006 season by the score of 2-0 on Friday at the UTD Soccer Complex on the campus of UT-Dallas in Richardson, Texas.
“We played well against a very good SMU team,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “It was a great opener for the young kids to see a seasoned and experienced team like SMU. They did a really good job of capitalizing on the mistakes we made, and that’s what good teams do. Overall, it was a good first step for this team.”
The Mustangs took an early lead when midfielder Marisa Schieda scored an unassisted goal in the eighth minute of the contest to put her team on top, 1-0. SMU added its second goal of the match in the 52nd minute of the second half on a penalty kick by defender Carley Philips.
The Tigers were unable to capitalize on their opportunities to cut into the deficit but finished the match with a total of 14 shots, including seven shots on goal, and two corner kicks. Lee said he believes his team has the ability to correct its mistakes and convert those opportunities into goals as the season progresses.
“Like I said, we played well in the game,” Lee said. “I thought our back four was super. Jackie Moseley was great in goal. The midfield corrected their mistakes and played well in the second half, and our forwards worked hard throughout the game. We created chances without really having a great chance on goal.
“We probably had 10 to 15 services that played right into the goalkeeper without making the most of it. There were some little things that we can do so much better that will help us improve really quick.”
The Tigers return to Baton Rouge and the LSU Soccer Complex for their home opener against in-state rival UL-Lafayette on Tuesday at 7 p.m. followed by their first home weekend of the season with matches against Sam Houston State on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. and Houston on Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.
“We’re itching to get back on the field and improve against a quality team like UL-Lafayette,” Lee said. “It should be a great home opener for our kids. We’re looking forward to playing in front of a great crowd and the fans coming out to support the team. This was a great first start, and we’ll only improve as the season progresses.”