OXFORD, Miss. — The LSU soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to six games and stayed unbeaten in the Southeastern Conference and atop the Western Division standings after earning a 1-1 draw against the Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
The Tigers run their overall record to 7-4-2 on the season and 2-0-2 in SEC play and remain tied atop the SEC Western Division with the Rebels at eight points apiece. Ole Miss is now 6-4-2 overall on the year and 2-0-2 in league play.
“It was a great game back and forth between two really good teams,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “There is no question that these are two of the best teams in the SEC this year and each has aspirations at winning the SEC West and overall SEC championship. It was just a great game between two very good teams today.”
Sophomore Roslyn Jones put the Tigers on the board first with her fifth goal of the season in the 51st minute of the match. In a play reminiscent to her game-winning goal against Kentucky on Sept. 24, junior Caroline Vanderpool played a ball over the Ole Miss defense to a streaking Jones who beat a Rebel defender and finished far post from the right side of the penalty box.
Senior Brittney Potts tied the match for Ole Miss in the 72nd minute with her seventh goal of the season when she curled a shot around three LSU defenders and inside the far post from 15 yards in front of the net near the top of the box. Potts currently ranks second in the SEC this season with seven goals on the year.
Freshmen Katherine Lagow and Brittany Lowe narrowly missed giving the Tigers a 2-1 advantage off of a corner kick by fellow freshman Amanda Carreno in the 79th minute of play. Lagow’s header was saved by an Ole Miss defender and Lowe followed the rebound by blasting a shot off the crossbar from 12 yards out.
Each team kept the offensive pressure on the opposing defense throughout the match as Ole Miss finished with a 20-19 advantage in total shots with LSU putting eight shots on frame to just five for the Rebels. A total of 38 fouls were called and four cards were issued in a match that was physical from start to finish.”
“It was a really back and forth game from a momentum standpoint,” Lee said. “Today, Ole Miss had the better of the first half and we had the better of the second half. We had the better of the first overtime and they had the better of the second overtime. It was back and forth throughout, and I’m proud of the way our kids fought for a good result.”
The Tigers look to extend their unbeaten streak to seven games against a pair of Eastern Division rivals as they travel to Knoxville, Tenn., on Friday to battle the 16th-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers at 6 p.m. CDT followed by a match in Athens, Ga., on Oct. 8 against the Georgia Bulldogs at 1 p.m.
“Road trips in the SEC are brutal, “Lee said. “They’re really tough and you’ve got to be mentally strong each game, especially on Sundays. Today’s match proved that. I’m proud of the way we competed in the game and stayed mentally strong throughout. We look forward to getting right back on the field next weekend against two very good teams.”