LSU has emerged as one of the premier women’s soccer programs in the Southeastern Conference after winning back-to-back SEC Western Division championships and earning consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and 2008. The 2009 season is right around the corner, and the Tigers will look to continue their success as they open up on Friday night with a match against Memphis scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff at the LSU Soccer Complex.
Fifth in a five-part series previewing the upcoming season breaks down what LSU fans can expect from the Tigers’ goalkeepers this fall.
BATON ROUGE — For the first time in its history, the LSU soccer team will enter a season with an All-American in goal as sophomore Mo Isom returns to lead the top defensive unit in the Southeastern Conference this fall.
In 2008, Isom played every minute in goal for the Tigers while setting a single-season school record and ranking No. 2 among all goalkeepers in the SEC with a sparkling 0.82 goals against average. Not only that, but she also pitched seven shutouts to also rank No. 2 among SEC goalkeepers.
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Isom cemented her place among the premier young goalkeepers in the country as she was named a Soccer Buzz Third-Team Freshman All-American and a member of both the Soccer Buzz Central Region All-Freshman Team and SEC All-Freshman Team following the season.
Add that to the fact that she was also a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week, and it is easy to see why Isom will provide the heart and soul of LSU’s defensive unit again this fall.
“Mo is the leader of our defense,” Lee said. “She might be our most improved player over the past year or so, and that is remarkable considering what kind of freshman season she had with us last fall. I’m very proud of the leadership role that Mo has accepted with our team at such a young age, and that speaks to her maturity level as a student-athlete. We all look forward to her continued development this fall as she takes the next step to being one of the best in the country.”
The offseason proved crucial to Isom’s development as one of the top goalkeepers in all of college soccer as she was invited to train with the Under-23 U.S. Women’s National Team during its annual camp back in June.
“Being called up to train with the national team is such a great honor, and it’s a giant leap toward a goal I set for myself so many years back,” Isom said. “After training with the coaches and players at LSU over the past year, I knew I was more than prepared to step into camp and play at my best with some of the best players in the country. I hope to take everything I learned in that experience and help my teammates be successful this fall.”
Freshman Hannah Linzay will provide depth at the goalkeeper position as she joins the team following an outstanding high school career Bolton High School in Cheneyville, La. Linzay comes to LSU as the top goalkeeper recruit in the state for the Class of 2009 after earning first-team all-district and all-state honors in 2008. In fact, she finished her high school career as a three-time all-district selection.
The Tigers are set to open the 2009 regular season on Friday night as they welcome the Memphis Tigers to the LSU Soccer Complex in a match scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.