KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Despite cutting the Tennessee lead to 2-1 with 20 minutes to go in the game, the 15th-ranked LSU soccer team was unable to score the equalizer down the stretch and suffered its second straight loss on Friday night at the Regal Soccer Stadium.
With the loss, the Tigers fall to 7-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC, while the Lady Volunteers pick up their first win in conference play while improving to 4-7 overall and 1-2 in league play.
“I thought we played well for 45 minutes, but came out flat in the second half and Tennessee took advantage with two quick goals,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “We were certainly hoping for a different result tonight, but it’s important that we focus ourselves on playing well in two days in another tough road game at Georgia on Sunday.”
Tennessee took control of the match just five minutes into the second half after taking a scoreless tie into the break with a pair of goals just 27 seconds apart in the 50th minute of play.
The Lady Vols struck first when midfielder Mick Imgram fired a free kick into the back of the net from 25 yards out, hitting a low, lining strike through the LSU defense and inside the left post from beyond the right side of the penalty area. It was Imgram’s first goal of the campaign.
Senior All-American Kylee Rossi followed just 27 seconds later with a goal of her own when she received the ball down the right flank and bent a left-footed shot inside the left post from 15 yards out. For Rossi, it was her league-leading seventh goal of the 2008 season.
LSU pulled one back in the 70th minute of play with freshman standout Kelly Murphy scoring the second goal of her career following a free kick by junior All-American Malorie Rutledge. When junior Amanda Carreno drew a foul on the left flank outside the area, Rutledge found Murphy on the back post and the freshman fired a header into the net to pull the Tigers to within 2-1.
But the Tigers were unable to overcome the two-goal deficit and dropped a one-goal decision for the second straight match after falling to Ole Miss by the score of 1-0 this past Sunday.
The sides went into the halftime break scoreless, despite LSU having the better run of play on the offensive end with the number of opportunities to get on the scoreboard.
Junior Rachel Yepez misfired on a pair of scoring chances in the first eight minutes of the contest as she one-timed a shot wide from the top of the six-yard box directly in front of the net and rifled a shot into the waiting arms of Tennessee goalkeeper Jaimel Johnson from 15 yards in front of the goal after sneaking behind the Lady Vols defensive back line in a one-on-one opportunity.
The Tigers got behind the Tennessee defense on two other occasions late in the first half and fired shots just wide of the left post as both junior Melissa Clarke and freshman Kelly Murphy hit the side netting with attempts from the left side of the six-yard box.
LSU outshot the Lady Volunteers in the first half of play by 7-5 margin with a slim 3-2 edge with shots on goal, while Tennessee attempted two corner kicks in the period to LSU’s one.
The final stat sheet showed an even contest with Tennessee holding a slight 13-12 advantage with total shots and a 7-6 edge in shots on goal. The Lady Volunteers also attempted three corner kicks in the match to two by the Tigers. Each team made five saves on the night.
The Tigers will wrap up their five-game road swing on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Athens, Ga., to battle the Georgia Bulldogs in a match set to kick off at noon CT at the Turner Soccer Complex. Six of LSU’s last seven matches in the regular season will be played in Baton Rouge as it plays host to Auburn on Oct. 10 and Alabama on Oct. 12 at the LSU Soccer Complex.