BATON ROUGE — Sunday’s match between 13th-ranked LSU and sixth-ranked Florida might be the most anticipated game in the history of the LSU Soccer Complex as it pits No. 1 against No. 2 in the Southeastern Conference in a battle of league heavyweights.
A regional television audience will tune in when the Tigers and Gators kick it off at 1:07 p.m. CT as the match is set to broadcast on Cox Sports Television.
A number of streaks will be on the line Sunday, including LSU’s school record 18-game unbeaten streak at the LSU Soccer Complex and six-game unbeaten streak in SEC play. LSU is now 14-0-4 at home since dropping a 2-1 decision to Auburn back on Oct. 13, 2006.
But if the Tigers (12-2-1, 6-2-1 SEC) hope to defeat the Gators (14-2-1, 9-0-0 SEC) for the first time in program history, they must defeat a club that has already clinched its third straight overall SEC championship. Florida sits atop the league table with 27 points in conference play, while the Tigers are a distant second in the SEC standings with 19 points.
Florida has dominated the SEC and enters Sunday’s match with an eye-popping 21-game winning streak against conference opponents dating back to last season. The Tigers lost a heartbreaking 1-0 double overtime decision to the Gators in the last meeting between the sides in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala., a year ago.
LSU played 12th-ranked Florida to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 22, 2006, when the meeting was last held at the LSU Soccer Complex. The Gators are 9-0-2 in the all-time series dating back to 1995.
“We understand the challenge that is in front of us, and that is to play well against one of the most successful programs in all of college soccer,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “Florida is talented and is a very well-coached team under Becky Burleigh and her staff. There’s no doubt that we are going to have to play our best game of the season to come away with a win tomorrow afternoon.”
Florida is led in the attack by the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week in Megan Kerns as the senior forward has scored 10 goals and seven assists for 27 points on the season. Kerns scored the game-winning goal in a 3-0 shutout of Arkansas on Thursday to win the SEC title for Florida.
The Gators also feature a pair of dynamic freshmen in Tahnai Annis and Lindsay Thompson who rank second and third on the squad in goals scored, respectively. Annis has scored eight goals on the season, while Thompson has added six goals from her position along Florida’s front line. The Gators have also received a team-leading nine assists by senior midfielder Ameera Abdullah.
Florida enters the match ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in the Soccer America Top 25, and are also No. 7 in both the Soccer Times Top 25 and NSCAA/adidas Coaches Top 25.
“Florida is a team that likes to open you up and attack you in many different ways,” Lee said. “It will be the toughest challenge we’ve faced to this point in the season. We’re going to have to stay focused and match their intensity for 90 minutes if we hope to come away with a win. We hope to have a great atmosphere at the LSU Soccer Complex to help us achieve that.”
An overflow crowd is expected at the LSU Soccer Complex on Sunday as it will be the Student Point Match for the 2008 season. It is also the Gold Game, and all fans wearing gold will receive free admission to the contest. An LSU Soccer Coaches Clinic will be held before the match.
For the fans who are unable to attend the match or watch it live on Cox Sports Television, the live radio broadcast is also available www.totalsportsradio.com with Jason Kelly on the call.
After battling the Gators on Sunday afternoon, the Tigers will wrap up the regular season at home as they welcome the Arkansas Razorbacks to the LSU Soccer Complex for a match scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Halloween Night next Friday. The club will then head to Orange Beach, Ala., to compete in the 2008 SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament from Nov. 5-9.