BATON ROUGE — LSU head coach Brian Lee and his coaching staff welcomed 19 student-athletes to campus Tuesday as the soccer team is set to begin fall camp this week in preparation for its much anticipated season opener against South Alabama on Aug. 22.
The Tigers will open the season as the defending SEC Western Division champions as they return an experienced squad with nine starters and 14 letterwinners from a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
The Tigers are sure to be led by the likes of returning All-Americans Michelle Makasini, Malorie Rutledge and Rachel Yepez, as well as two-time All-SEC performer Chelsea Potts.
“We always look forward to this time of year, and we’re certainly excited about getting this group of girls back on the field for their first practice tomorrow,” Lee said. “We’re going to pick up right where we left off in the spring season and get back to work to build on our success from last season and achieve the goals we have set for ourselves this fall.”
LSU kicks off its preseason training camp Wednesday with its first two-a-day practice at the LSU Soccer Complex as Lee will put his squad through its first practice session at 7 a.m. followed by an afternoon session at 3:30 p.m. All practices for the LSU soccer team are open to the public.
The Tigers followed an unprecedented fall campaign in 2007 with an outstanding spring season in 2008 as they posted a 2-1-3 mark against one of the nation’s more difficult exhibition schedules.
The squad kicked off its spring slate with a pair of hard-fought 0-0 draws against national powers North Carolina and Duke on Feb. 16 at the SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., which is the site of this year’s NCAA Women’s College Cup. The Tigers also dropped a 1-0 decision to Texas A&M on March 2 before wrapping up the spring with a 1-1 draw against Texas on April 13.
In addition, LSU blanked a pair of in-state opponents this spring with a 1-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana on April 2 and a 6-0 shutout of Northwestern State on April 9.
“We’re coming off of a tremendous spring season in which we were able to compete against some of the best programs in all of women’s college soccer,” Lee said. “One of the best ways to improve is by lining up against the likes of North Carolina, Duke, Texas and Texas A&M, and we were fortunate enough to have that opportunity this spring.
“Our players have also had an outstanding offseason in our strength and conditioning program. We’re looking for that dedication to continue as we prepare for what is sure to be another exciting season for LSU soccer. It’s hard to believe it all starts in less than three weeks.”
The Tigers will open the 2008 season at home as they play host to South Alabama on Aug. 22 in a match scheduled for 7 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Complex.
LSU Soccer Preseason Training Schedule
All practices will be held at the LSU Soccer Complex
Wednesday, Aug. 6
7 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 7
7 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 8
7 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 9
9 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 11
7 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 12
7 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 13
7 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 14
7 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 15
6 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 18
7 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 19
7 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 20
7 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 21
6 p.m.