BATON ROUGE — The LSU soccer team is off to a fast start in the Southeastern Conference and looks to extend its four-game unbeaten streak when it travels to Starkville, Miss., to take on SEC Western Division rival Mississippi State on Friday at 7 p.m.
The Tigers (6-4-1, 1-0-1 SEC) own a commanding 8-2-1 all-time record against the Bulldogs (2-7-0, 1-1-0 SEC), including a 4-0-1 record at the MSU Soccer Field, and shutout Mississippi State by the score of 2-0 in Baton Rouge in 2005 to earn their first SEC win of the season.
“We’re looking forward to getting back on the field and playing with a little momentum after getting two good results this past weekend,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “Mississippi State will be a tough test on the road as they’re also coming off of a big weekend. It ought to be a great match for us on Friday night.”
LSU is currently tied atop the SEC Western Division standings with the Ole Miss Rebels at four points after earning a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Vanderbilt on Friday and a thrilling 3-2 victory over Kentucky on Sunday. Sophomore Roslyn Jones scored the game-winning goal for the Tigers with just three seconds on the clock for their first-ever win over the Wildcats.
Freshman midfielder Michelle Makasini was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season on Monday for her performance against Kentucky as she scored LSU’s first goal to tie the match in the 20th minute and assisted with Jones’ game-winner at the end of regulation.
“Sunday’s win just illustrates the character and fight that this team has and has really shown all year long,” Lee said. “I was proud of every kid because they all put in 100 percent effort into getting two good results against two really good teams last weekend. This week will be just as tough for us, but we look forward to the challenge of going on the road for two.”
Mississippi State is coming off of a successful weekend of its own after earning a stunning 3-2 win over the eighth-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Sunday on the heels of a narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of 25th-ranked Georgia on Friday. The Bulldogs sit in third place in the SEC West behind the Tigers and Rebels with three points.
Junior midfielder Treena Ferguson leads the Mississippi State attack as she is second in the SEC with seven goals and leads the team with 14 points on the season. Ferguson is the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week after a three-goal performance this past weekend.
“Mississippi State played great against both Georgia and Tennessee this weekend, and obviously got a huge win for their team against the Lady Vols,” Lee said. “They’ve got our full attention coming into this weekend. They’re an athletic, physical, blue collar team that will bring everything they’ve got to win the game on Friday.”
The Tigers follow Friday’s match with a trip to nearby Oxford, Miss., to take on the Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. They continue their four-game SEC road trip next weekend with matches against No. 16 Tennessee in Knoxville on Oct. 6 and against Georgia in Athens on Oct. 8.