ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — After earning a 2-1 victory over Ole Miss in the opening round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday, the 11th-ranked and No. 2 seed LSU soccer team is set to battle No. 6 seed Tennessee in Friday’s semifinal at 5 p.m. at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.
The Tigers (14-3-1, 7-3-1 SEC) and Lady Vols (9-10-1, 5-5-1 SEC) will meet for the second time this season after Tennessee won a 2-1 decision in Knoxville back on Oct. 3.
This marks the second-straight season in which the Tigers have advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, while Tennessee returns for the first time since the 2006 season. The Lady Volunteers earned their way into the semifinal round with a 2-1 win over Auburn on Wednesday.
“We put forth a great second half to come away with a win against Ole Miss. The challenge for us now is to play with that kind of effort and intensity for the full 90 minutes,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “This is the time of year when you have to be at your best each time you step onto the field or your season could be over. That is what makes tournament play so exciting.”
LSU’s production off the bench was the story in its opening-round win over Ole Miss as both of its goals in the second half came from players who were not part of the starting 11.
After not starting the match, freshman Kellie Murphy got the nod to start the second half and put the Tigers on top 1-0 in the 51st minute with her third goal of the season. The Tigers then got the game-winning goal from junior Brittany Lowe in the 67th minute only four minutes after entering the game. It was her first career goal in an LSU uniform.
It marked LSU’s second win in the SEC Tournament in seven appearances all-time as it snapped Ole Miss’ four-game unbeaten streak in the series. The Tigers picked up their first win against the Rebels since winning a 2-1 decision during the 2004 regular season.
“We feel like we have great depth on this team, and that was certainly the key to us winning a big game against Ole Miss,” Lee said. “We had kids who may not have started the game, but made an impact in the outcome of the game. That’s going to be a key for us if we hope to not only make a run in this tournament, but if we hope to advance in the NCAA Tournament starting next week.”
The Tigers are looking for just their second win all-time against the Lady Volunteers as they enter the match with a 1-10 record in the all-time series. It will be the second meeting between the two sides in the SEC Tournament as Tennessee blanked LSU, 2-0, in the opening round in 2005.