BATON ROUGE — After grabbing a share of the SEC lead with a 0-0 draw against No. 21 Ole Miss on Friday night, the 15th-ranked LSU soccer team will look to remain atop the league standings when it plays host to Mississippi State on Sunday with kickoff set for 1:06 p.m. CT at the LSU Soccer Complex.
The Tigers (9-3-3, 5-1-1 SEC) are tied atop the SEC table with fifth-ranked South Carolina as both teams have tallied 16 points apiece in seven league fixtures.
LSU is locked in a tight battle for the regular season SEC championship as four teams are currently within two points of each other in the conference standings. Georgia is just one point behind LSU and South Carolina with 15 points in league play, while the three-time defending champion Florida Gators sit a mere two points back in fourth place at 14 points in conference action.
Although Mississippi State (8-5-2, 0-5-2 SEC) comes to Baton Rouge at the bottom of the league table on two points, the Bulldogs have a pair of impressive results in conference play as they have played both Florida and South Carolina to 1-1 draws in Starkville earlier this season.
LSU enters Sunday’s match with a seven-game unbeaten streak against Mississippi State as it has not lost to the Bulldogs since a 2-0 defeat in Baton Rouge on Oct. 7, 2001.
The Tigers and Bulldogs met in the Southeastern Conference opener in Starkville a year ago as LSU took home a victory back to Baton Rouge with a 4-1 win. LSU is 10-2-1 all-time against Mississippi State.
“The parity in the SEC this season is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I don’t remember a season when this many teams had an opportunity to compete for a conference championship through seven games of league play,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “Tomorrow is another big day for us. Mississippi State has shown the ability to compete with the top teams in the league this year, so they will be ready to play.”
Junior striker Kat Walsh spearheads the Bulldog attack as she ranks among the SEC’s top scorers this fall with a team-leading eight goals and 17 points to her credit.
Walsh will be a familiar face to LSU fans as she signed with the Tigers as part of LSU’s talented Class of 2006 and spent two seasons in Baton Rouge while earning letters in 2006 and 2007. She transferred to the Mississippi State program following the conclusion of the 2007 season.
Sunday will be Livingston Parish Soccer Association Day, Madisonville Soccer Club Day and West Feliciana Soccer Association Day at the LSU Soccer Complex as members of each organization receive a free admission to the match. The first 200 fans entering the gate will receive a free snowball. In addition, it will also be LSU Tiger Hawaiian Day as fans are encouraged to wear their tropical attire.
Fans who are unable to attend Sunday’s match can listen to a live radio broadcast as Jason Kelly will once again provide the play-by-play at www.totalsportsradio.com.
Sunday’s match is also scheduled for a live television broadcast by Comcast Sports Southeast. The match will also be carried on Cox Sports Television (Cable Channel 37) in Baton Rouge and across the state.