MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – All-SEC striker Summer Clarke pulled one back for the Tigers with her fifth goal of the season in the 74th minute of play, but it was not enough as the LSU Soccer team suffered a 2-1 defeat to the two-time defending Big East Conference champion Marquette Golden Eagles in their non-conference finale on Sunday afternoon at Valley Fields.
With the Tigers facing a two-goal deficit late in regulation, Clarke cut the deficit to 2-1 at the 73:18 mark as she was played through the Marquette defense with a quickly-taken free kick from midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco for an easy finish inside the left post from near the top of the six-yard box that sparked a furious final 15 minutes for the visitors.
Clarke’s strike proved not enough at the full-time whistle as the Tigers (4-5-1, 0-1 SEC) fell for the third time on the spin in their inaugural match with the Golden Eagles (4-5-1) on the soccer pitch.
“I thought we played really well today, and were just unfortunate not to finish some of the great chances that were created in the game,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “Marquette is historically one of the very best home teams in college soccer. To come here and play this well and create so many great opportunities to score is really encouraging in the short-term and long-term for this team.
“We’re playing the best we’ve played in quite some time, and it’s just a matter of time until things start falling our way. We’re looking forward to getting back on the field on Friday night as we come back home.”
The Tigers nearly took advantage of an early goalkeeping error by Marquette’s Amanda Engel when a strike from distance by Gomez Junco squirted through Engel’s hands and deflected just wide of the right post for a corner kick in the eighth minute of play. Gomez-Junco’s ensuing corner kick was cleared of danger by the Marquette defense.
The visitors created their best chance in the run of play in the first half with just over a quarter of an hour played when Fernanda Pina‘s cross into the box from near the right end line was redirected on frame from five yards by All-SEC midfielder Emma Fletcher crashing the back post. Engel was in position to deny Fletcher’s effort from just inside the six-yard box to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard.
The Tigers turned up the pressure coming out of the break and created two great chances to breakthrough with Clarke and fellow striker Jorian Baucom leading the attack in the opening minutes.
In the 55th minute, Baucom was played in behind the defense on a breakaway in the right side of the area where she pulled up and fired an eight-yard strike on frame that was denied by Engel’s quick reaction. Baucom then found Clarke in behind the Marquette back line on another breakaway just minutes later, but Clarke’s 10-yard effort was fired into the side netting from the left side in the 59th minute of the second half.
The Golden Eagles took advantage of LSU’s missed opportunities by scoring two goals in quick succession midway through the second half to give the home side a two-goal advantage with just 25 minutes to play.
Forward Shalese Miller broke the deadlock with her first goal of the season in the 63rd minute when she headed home on a scramble inside the six-yard box to put the Golden Eagles on top by a 1-0 margin. The Golden Eagles doubled their advantage two minutes later when midfielder Eli Beard’s long-range effort from 25 yards found the top-right corner of the net in the 65th minute.
After Clarke pulled one back on 74 minutes, Gomez-Junco gave the Tigers one last opportunity to equalize just two minutes from time when she fired a 20-yard free kick on target that was narrowly tipped over the bar for an LSU corner kick by an alert Engel leaping high into air to deny what would have been a late leveler in the 88th minute.
Sunday’s defeat marked the end of a difficult four-game cross-country road swing that kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 11, with a thrilling 4-3 victory over the powerful BYU Cougars at South Field in Provo, Utah.
The Tigers are excited to return home next weekend as they will play host to the No. 11-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in their Southeastern Conference home opener on Friday night with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT at the LSU Soccer Stadium in Baton Rouge. The match will be featured on SEC Network+ with live streaming video on ESPN3.com and the Watch ESPN app on all smartphones and tablets.