BATON ROUGE — The LSU soccer team looks to extend its winning streak to three straight games when it opens Southeastern Conference play Friday against the Vanderbilt Commodores in a match scheduled for 7 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Complex.
The Tigers (5-4), who earned victories over South Alabama on Friday by the score of 3-0 and Southern Miss on Sunday by the score of 2-1, are looking to set the program’s all-time attendance record as Friday’s match is the focus of this season’s “Cram the Complex” campaign.
“Vanderbilt will be a great challenge for us as we start conference play this weekend,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “Traditionally they’re a very well-organized team defensively and will be tough for us to break down. They have a lot of experience and have always been very well-coached. Coach (Ronnie) Coveleskie does a great job with their program.”
The Commodores (4-1-3) enter the weekend on a five-game unbeaten streak and are coming off of a thrilling 4-3 overtime win against Middle Tennessee State on Sunday. They are currently ranked No. 6 in the Central Region according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and No. 12 according to Soccer Buzz Magazine.
Junior forward Sarah Dennis was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday for scoring the game-winning goal against the Blue Raiders, while senior midfielder Susan McAleavey ranks among the SEC’s top scorers and leads the team with four goals and 10 points on the season.
“They’re coming in with a lot of confidence after a great year last year and winning some big games early on this season,” Lee said. “They return almost everybody from last year’s team and bring a lot of experience with them. They’ll be a great challenge for us as we look to get off to a fast start in the SEC.”
LSU continues to be led by the play of freshman midfielder Michelle Makasini, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday for the second time this year after scoring four goals and recording a pair of assists in three matches last week. Makasini is currently the SEC’s leading scorer with eight goals and 19 points on the season.
The Tigers follow their match against Vanderbilt with a match against another team from the SEC Eastern Division as they welcome the Kentucky Wildcats to Baton Rouge on Sunday in a match scheduled for 1 p.m.