TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The LSU Soccer team (8-6-1, 3-4-0 SEC) were defeated by No. 24 Alabama (9-3-4, 3-3-1 SEC) by a score of 4-1 on Friday night inside the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
LSU opened the scoring on the night in the 10th minute when forward Taylor Dobles finished a one-on-one chance inside the box. The Crimson Tide tied it up in the 21st minute when Nadia Ramadan connected on a cross from six yards out. Alabama took their first lead of the night in the 30th minute when Felicia Knox hit a powerful ground shot from the top of the box into the bottom-right corner. The lead was extended to 3-1 on the night as Marianna Annest poked the ball past the line in the 47th minute before Alabama’s final goal of the night came in the 59th minute from a Brooke Steere header.
“Really disappointed with the result after a great start by the team. It was a great transition goal, with Ava Galligan playing in her strike partner Taylor Dobles for a great finish to give us the go ahead goal,” head coach Sian Hudson said. “All credit to Alabama for their response after that and they were worthy of their lead at half time. The goal they scored right after the break was a sucker punch and we struggled to get going after that.”
“There were some positive things to take out of the game and we will use that to refocus for the big battle against Arkansas next Thursday.”
The Tigers opened the match with high energy and were rewarded with the first goal of the match in the 10th minute. Forward Ava Galligan dispossessed an Alabama midfielder and charged forward on the counter attack. She played a ball to Dobles, who burst into the box and slotted a ground shot past the goalkeeper from eight yards out. The goal was Dobles’ fifth of the season, a career-high, as well as the 10th of her collegiate career. Galligan’s assist is her fifth of the year, a team-high.
The lead lasted only 11 minutes as Alabama tied it up in the 21st minute of play. Gessica Skorka sent a cross from the right flank to the back post and found Ramdan, who hit the volley on her right foot from six yards out and into the back of the net.
The Crimson Tide took the advantage nine minutes later. Itala Gemelli and Skorka connected on the right flank and sent a ball to Knox, who hit a strong ground shot from 16 yards out and into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-1 on the day.
Goalkeeper Mollee Swift picked up saves in the 27th and 35th minutes to finish the first half with two saves. The Tigers were unable to find an equalizer before halftime and the first half finished 2-1 in favor of the home team.
The second half opened with the hosts extending the lead to 3-1 in the 46th minute. Annest pressured an LSU defender in the box and dispossessed her with a slide tackle that saw the ball slide into the back of the net.
Swift picked up a save in the 49th minute while Alabama goalkeeper Coralie Lallier denied a chance from Mollie Baker in the 53rd minute. Five minutes later, the Crimson Tide had their fourth and final goal of the night. Annest sent a ball into the box and found the head of Steere, who headed it off the left post and bounced into the back of the net to make it 4-1 on the night.
Galligan tested Lallier in the 73rd minute, but that was the final chance of the night for the Tigers. Swift finished the night with seven saves, taking her season total to 49 on the season and 287 in her LSU career, tying the program’s all-time record for career saves held by Caroline Brockmeier.
The Tigers return to action at the LSU Soccer Stadium at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 19 when the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks come to town.