BATON ROUGE – Following a thrilling 1-0 double overtime victory over the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday night, the LSU soccer team will put its 15-game home unbeaten streak and four-game Southeastern Conference unbeaten streak on the line Sunday as it plays host to the Vanderbilt Commodores at the LSU Soccer Complex in a match set to kick off at 1:07 p.m. CT.
The Tigers (5-5-3, 2-1-2 SEC) are riding a wave of momentum heading into Sunday’s match as they have won two-straight games in SEC play and have remained unbeaten in four-straight games in SEC play here in recent weeks since a 1-1 draw on the road at Tennessee on Sept. 26.
Vanderbilt (5-7-1, 1-3-1 SEC) picked up its first win in conference play on Friday night at Arkansas while earning a 2-1 overtime win over the Razorbacks.
Fans who are unable to attend Sunday’s match at the LSU Soccer Complex can tune in live on Cox Sports Television to see the match in its entirety. The game is also scheduled for a live online radio broadcast for fans at www.totalsportsradio.com with Jason Kelly once again providing the play-by-play.
LSU has dominated the series against the Commodores in recent years as the team enters Sunday’s match with a four-game winning streak and five-game unbeaten streak against Vanderbilt dating back to 2006. It is a streak that features a pair of wins during the 2009 season with a 2-1 overtime win in Nashville on Oct. 11 and a 4-2 win in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Nov. 4 of last year.
Junior midfielder Natalie Martineau has emerged as an offensive spark for the Tigers as she scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 104th minute of play to lead LSU to a 1-0 double overtime win over Kentucky on Friday night. Martineau has now scored three goals in SEC play this season.
In fact, each of Martineau’s three goals scored in league play this season have led LSU to either a draw or a win as she also scored the game-tying goal with just three minutes to play in a 1-1 draw at Tennessee on Sept. 26 and the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over division rival Auburn on Oct. 3.
Freshman Megan Kinneman continues to lead an LSU defense that has not allowed a goal through the run of play since its match against Wake Forest back on Sept. 3.
Kinneman earned her third shutout in her sixth career start against Kentucky on Friday while lowering her goals against average on the season to 0.45 in 594 minute of game action this season.
Sunday is “Daddy/Daughter Day,” “Girl Scout Day” and “Madisonville Youth Booster Day” at the match as members of Girl Scouts Louisiana East and the Madisonville Youth Boosters receive free admission. In addition, the first 250 kids through the gates will receive a free swirly lollipop.
After battling the Commodores at the LSU Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon, the Tigers will go back on the road next weekend with a trip through the state of Mississippi as they will take on SEC West rivals Ole Miss on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Mississippi State on the afternoon of Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.