BATON ROUGE – After wrapping up the non-conference season with a 2-1 win over Oklahoma on Monday night, the LSU soccer team carries a five-game unbeaten streak into its SEC opener on Friday as it welcomes the Mississippi State Bulldogs to the LSU Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. CDT.
Fans have the opportunity to “Geaux Free!” to experience Friday’s SEC Western Division matchup as the admission to each of LSU’s home matches this season is free, compliments of The Advocate.
Fans who are unable to attend Friday’s match are reminded that live streaming video of the match is set to go online at 6:55 p.m. for those with a subscription to the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live.
Live updates and exclusive coverage of Friday’s match between the Tigers and Bulldogs is also available by liking LSU Soccer on Facebook and following @LSUSoccer on Twitter. In addition, fans are welcome to join in the live in-game commentary throughout the match as part of LSU Soccer’s Facebook chat.
The Tigers (5-3-1) are now 4-0-1 in their last five matches after defeating the Sooners on Monday in their non-conference finale. They will put that five-game unbeaten streak on the line in Friday’s contest as they take on a club riding a five-game unbeaten streak of its own as Mississippi State (3-3-2) enters the contest with a 3-0-2 mark in its last five matches, including a 1-1 draw with Troy in its last outing on Sept. 16.
LSU has enjoyed a measure of success against Mississippi State in the series with a 13-2-1 record all-time that includes a six-game winning streak since 2005 and nine-game unbeaten streak since 2002. The Tigers brought home a 6-2 victory in their last meeting with the Bulldogs in Starkville on Oct. 17, 2010.
The Tigers feature an improved offensive attack in recent weeks as senior Taryne Boudreau leads the club with three goals scored during its current five-game unbeaten streak.
That includes LSU’s first goal of the match in the 52nd minute in their 2-1 win over Oklahoma on Monday night as junior Natalie Ieyoub followed with her first goal of the season in the 70th minute of action which proved to be the game-winner. The Tigers fired a season-high 10 shots on goal against the Sooners.
An overflow crowd is expected as the Tigers look to “Cram the Stadium” for their SEC opener against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday night. Students are also encouraged to arrive early to reserve seats as it will be the second “Student Point Match” of the season for those looking to earn priority points for such perks as LSU football tickets. The first 250 fans will receive a free LSU Soccer water bottle.
The Tigers have enjoyed the support of their fans on Friday nights this season as they are averaging 1,818 fans per match in two Friday matches played this season. An all-time attendance record was set with the opening of the new LSU Soccer Stadium on Sept. 9 as 2,542 supporters saw the Tigers take down Oregon by a 1-0 score. The Tigers also drew 1,094 fans for their 1-0 shutout of McNeese State on Sept. 16.
Fans also have an opportunity to take part in the 2011 SEC Together We CAN Food & Donation Drive as they are asked to bring canned goods and other donations to the LSU Soccer Stadium for Friday’s contest against the Bulldogs. The campaign will continue with each match through Sunday, Oct. 2.
As part of the fifth-annual SEC Together We CAN Food Drive, all 12 member institutions will team up in a league-wide drive in support of local food banks and shelters across the Southeast.
The canned goods and financial donations collected by the LSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the next 10 days will benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
After battling the Bulldogs on Friday night, the Tigers welcome SEC West rival Ole Miss to Baton Rouge on Sunday afternoon for a match that is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. CDT. LSU is preparing to wrap up its eight-game homestand next weekend with matches against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. and the Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. at the LSU Soccer Stadium.