KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – LSU Soccer (8-3-4, 3-2-2 SEC) battled No. 16 Tennessee (9-3-2, 5-1-1 SEC) to a 0-0 draw Friday night in Regal Soccer Stadium.
Freshman Sage Glover took the first shot on goal of the match in the 57th minute for the Tigers. Tennessee’s Jaida Thomas, Taylor Huff and Mackenzie George took shots on target in the 72nd and 75th minutes.
“I’m proud of our players. I think we challenged them all week in terms of defensive solidarity and just being a more difficult defensive unit to break down,” said head coach Sian Hudson. “Coming on the road against the reigning SEC champions, grinding out a clean sheet and creating a few big moments like we did was really pleasing to see.”
The first half saw good possession from both sides of the ball, but neither team could find the advantage. Goalkeeper Mollee Swift made her first save of the night in the 31st minute as she collected a shot from Taylor Huff in the bottom left corner, but that was all for the first half.
The second half saw the Tigers create more scoring chances. Forward Sage Glover took a shot on goal in the 57th minute as defender Shannon Cooke sent a ball up-field and over the Volunteers defense that found Glover, who timed the run on the ball and took a one-touch shot straight to Tennessee goalkeeper Lindsey Romig.
Forward Mollie Baker saw two opportunities in front of the net as she took shots in the 68th and 84th minutes. In the 68th minute, Cooke sent a through ball to find Glover, who beat a Tennessee defender on the flank to send the ball inside the box and found Baker, but she couldn’t find the touch and. Baker’s second shot was launched from a distance outside the box and landed just over the crossbar.
68' | Making plays
Mollie Baker finds a shot but we remain scoreless in Tennessee
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— LSU Soccer (@LSUSoccer) October 15, 2022
Swift collected two more saves in the second half in the 54th and 80th minutes. The senior tallied three saves on the night. Romig collected one save on the night.
In Swift We Trust
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— LSU Soccer (@LSUSoccer) October 14, 2022
Maya Gordon and Angelina Thoreson also took last minute chances in the second half in search of a goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net for the Tigers.
Neither team could find the game-winner and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. The LSU defense locked down and held Tennessee scoreless for the full 90-minute battle, making the Tigers only the second team to come out with a clean sheet against the Volunteers this season.
In the possession battle, the Volunteers lead the Tigers 58% to 42%. LSU tallied six shots on the night compared to Tennessee’s twelve.
Up Next
LSU continues their road battle as they head to Fayetteville to face No. 7 Arkansas on Thursday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network Plus.