RIDGELAND, Miss. — Sophomore Roslyn Jones and freshman Brittany Lowe each tallied first-half goals in leading the LSU soccer team to a 2-2 draw against SEC rival Ole Miss in its spring season finale at the Freedom Ridge Soccer Complex on Saturday.
The Rebels took an early 1-0 lead in the match, but Lowe scored the equalizer in the 25th minute of play off of a flick pass from fellow freshman Rachel Yepez following a long throw in by Jones for her first goal of the spring season.
Jones followed five minutes later with a goal of her own to push the LSU advantage to 2-1 in the 30th minute of the first half as she finishes the spring exhibition season as the team’s leading goal scorer with four scores in five matches.
The Mandeville, La., native, who finished the 2006 season as the team’s second-leading scorer with nine goals and 21 points, ripped a shot into the back of the net from inside the penalty area after collecting a slotted through ball from Yepez. The match ended in a 2-2 draw after Ole Miss converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute.
“We’re happy to play so well against a quality opponent in some really tough weather conditions,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “We feel very good about the quality of our entire team with the way we’ve competed against some of the best teams in the country this spring.”
Lee said that the performance of his team was even more impressive given the fact that the Tigers were without the services of four regular starters against the Rebels as All-SEC standouts Melissa Clarke and Chelsea Potts were forced to sit out of the match due to injury along with freshmen Katherine Lagow and Malorie Rutledge.
“We have been a little unfortunate with some injuries this spring, but Brittany Lowe and Kathleen Walsh have really asserted themselves the last two games and have had a major impact on the wings late in the spring,” Lee said. “It shows the kind of potential we have when we can compete well without those four without even factoring in our incoming players.”
The Tigers finish the spring season with a 2-2-1 overall record in five exhibition matches highlighted by a 2-1 road win against ACC power Wake Forest on March 23. They will look to continue their momentum through the rest of the off-season as they prepare for the 2007 season opener against Southern Miss on Aug. 31.