ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The LSU soccer team could not find the net despite five chances on goal late in the second half and fell to the regionally-ranked Navy Midshipmen by the score of 2-0 on Friday at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
The Tigers fall to 3-2 on the season and dropped their first ever match against the Midshipmen (5-0), who entered the game ranked No. 10 in the Mid-Atlantic region according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
“Hopefully this is a good learning experience for our young team,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “You have to give full credit to Navy for playing very well in the game, sticking to their plan and defending well. They took advantage of the chances that they had.”
Navy took a 1-0 lead two minutes into the second half when forward Cassie Barbaresi ripped a shot over the wall from 12 yards out on an indirect kick from midfielder Molly Burd after it was ruled that the Tigers fouled a Navy attacker inside the box on a pass back to the goalkeeper.
The Midshipmen added their second goal in the 70th minute on a blast from midfielder Katie Traster near the top of the box with an assist from forward Meggie Curran.
Freshman midfielder Michelle Makasini had a pair of chances to tie the score for LSU in the last 10 minutes of the match as she was denied by a diving goalkeeper on a shot from 12 yards out in the 80th minute and hit the crossbar on a free kick from the top of the box in the 82nd minute.
“We attacked with some urgency late but we’ve got to open the game with the same intensity,” Lee said. “We had some great chances to cut into the lead and even tie the score but were not able to convert. It’s a testament to Navy’s defense. They played very well in the game and stuck to the plan that they had coming in.”
The first half proved to be a defensive battle as both teams entered the locker room in a scoreless tie while attempting just three shots apiece. The Tigers turned on the offensive pressure in the second half and outshot Navy in the match, 15-5, and finished with five shots on goal and five corner kicks to just three shots on goal and one corner kick for the Midshipmen.
The Tigers return to action Sunday when they take on undefeated Villanova at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in a match scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CDT. The Wildcats are 6-0 on the season and enter the match ranked No. 6 in the Mid-Atlantic region according to Soccer Buzz Magazine.
“Villanova is a quality team that will be organized defensively and poses a big challenge for our young team,” Lee said. “They’re obviously very highly thought of by their ranking, but we look forward to getting back on the field and improving from tonight.”