GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 14th-ranked LSU soccer team fell from the top spot in the Southeastern Conference standings and saw its three-game SEC unbeaten streak snapped after suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the 12th-ranked Florida Gators on Thursday night at James G. Pressly Stadium.
The Tigers (10-4-3, 6-2-1 SEC) fall to third place in the SEC standings as they remain on 19 points, while the Gators (12-4-2, 6-1-2 SEC) move into sole possession of second place with 20 points in league play.
With their 2-0 win over Arkansas on Thursday, the South Carolina Gamecocks remain in the driver’s seat in first place with 22 points in the overall league standings. The Georgia Bulldogs follow closely behind LSU in fourth place with 18 points, while the Ole Miss Rebels are in fifth place with 17 points.
The Gators raced out to a quick 1-0 lead in the match as forward McKenzie Barney scored her fourth goal of the season at the 4:40 mark of the first half.
After winning a corner kick, midfielder Angela Napolitano served a low cross in to the middle of the area that was dummied through the LSU defense by a Gator attacker. The Tigers failed to clear the ball out of the box and Barney was in position to head the ball into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.
Florida added a second goal before the half as midfielder Sarah Chapman scored her first goal of the year on a free kick play in the 32nd minute of action. Defender Lauren Hyde played a perfect service into the middle of the penalty area to Chapman, who buried a leaping header inside the left post from 10 yards out in front of the goal. The Gators carried their 2-0 advantage into the locker room.
The Tigers were unable to generate an offensive attack in the opening frame as Florida held the advantage with a 5-2 edge in total shots and a 3-2 edge in shots on goal.
Forward Brook Thigpen put the game out of reach by scoring her sixth goal of the year in the 60th minute of the second half on a tremendous solo effort at the top of the box. After battling an LSU defender for the possession on a loose ball, Thigpen turned and fired a left-footed shot into the goal. Barney followed with her second goal of the match in the 84th minute for the final margin.
After falling behind early, the Tigers struggled to find an offensive spark throughout the match as Florida held a 13-6 advantage in total shots with a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. The Gators also led 3-1 in corners.
The Tigers return home Sunday to play host to the 10th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in a match set to kick off at 2:07 p.m. CT. The match can be seen nationwide as it is slated for a live television broadcast on ESPNU as part of the network’s coverage of the Southeastern Conference.