BATON ROUGE – Head Coach Sian Hudson and the LSU Tigers are set to officially kick off the 2025 soccer season on Thursday, August 14 in their home opener against South Alabama at 7 p.m. CT inside the LSU Soccer Stadium.
Hudson, now in her sixth season leading the Tigers, returns a strong core of experienced players as the program aims for its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth—an unprecedented achievement under any coach in LSU history. She is joined on the sidelines by Associate Head Coach Seb Furness, also entering his sixth season, alongside second-year assistant coaches Antony Blackburn and Conor Cable.
“Expectations are high this season,” Hudson said. “We have an experienced group of returners who are key to our success, as well as talented newcomers who have already made a strong impression. We believe this is the year we can ‘Strike Gold’ and compete for championships. Our team is sharp, motivated, and ready to start the journey on Thursday.”
The season-opening action between the Tigers and the Jags will be streamed on SEC Network+ with Garrett Walvoord and former Tiger Lindsi Jennings on the call. Live stats and streaming links are available here.
The Matchup
This marks the second consecutive year LSU opens the season against South Alabama. The Tigers defeated the Jaguars 3-1 on the road in last year’s opener and hold an 8-5 all-time record in the series, with no losses to South Alabama since 2015.
The Jaguars concluded the 2024 season with a 10-6-3 record, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in goals (28), assists (22), and points (78). They enter 2025 picked fourth in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll, behind James Madison, Texas State, and Old Dominion.
SEC Preseason Watchlist
Seven Tigers earned spots on the 2025 SEC Preseason Watchlist: Gabbi Ceballos, Sydney Cheesman, Makenna Dominguez, Jazmin Ferguson, Ava Galligan, Ida Hermannsdóttir, and Amy Smith.
It is the second straight year Cheesman, Ferguson, and Galligan have received the honor, while Hermannsdóttir makes the list for the third consecutive season.
2025 Schedule Overview
The Tigers’ 18-game regular season slate features eight home matches, including five pivotal SEC contests in Baton Rouge against Alabama, Missouri, Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Florida.
LSU opens SEC play on the road at Vanderbilt on Friday, Sept. 12, before hosting Alabama for its conference home opener on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. CT.
The “Strike Gold” theme for 2025 reflects the team’s championship aspirations as they pursue a fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. LSU has advanced to the postseason in four of Hudson’s first five years—the longest streak in program history.
“Our non-conference schedule is built to prepare us for the challenges of SEC play,” Hudson said. “Facing a national finalist like Wake Forest early will be a valuable test for our squad.”
Non-conference road tests include Wake Forest, Florida Gulf Coast, UCF, Utah Valley, and Utah. The regular season concludes in Baton Rouge with a marquee matchup against Florida on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. CT.
Postseason play begins with the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., on Nov. 2, followed by the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 14. The University of Kansas will host the 2025 Women’s College Cup at CPKC Stadium on Dec. 5 and 8.
Television Coverage
The Tigers television slate consists of three conference matches against Auburn, Missouri and Ole Miss, starting with a road conference matchup against Auburn at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, September 25th on SEC Network.
The squad will be featured on TV twice in October with matchups against Missouri and Ole Miss. The battle of the Tigers is set for 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, October 2nd in Baton Rouge while LSU will travel to face the Rebels on Thursday, October 16th at 6 p.m. CT.
2025 Roster Breakdown
This season’s roster features 28 student-athletes representing diverse backgrounds from across the globe. Eighteen players return from last year’s squad, joined by 10 newcomers—including six international additions.
Newcomers Sol Toboada Martínez, Mireia Sánchez, Gadea Blanco González, and Daniela Hellín hail from Spain, Maud Ferrière joins from France, and Sariyah Bailey arrives from Canada. Freshmen Lila Jaillet and Ryann Denecour round out the first-year class.
The sophomore group includes Katelyn Holt, Annaleigh Bruser, Amy Smith, Ava Amsden, Sarah Stadler, Senai Rogers, and Natalie Dvorakova.
Gabbi Ceballos, Ava Galligan, Brielyn Knowles, and Audur Scheving enter their junior campaigns, while the senior class features Jazmin Ferguson, Sydney Cheesman, Kelsey Major, Danielle Shannon, Jocelyn Ollivierre, Sophine Kevorkian, Ida Hermannsdóttir, Makenna Dominguez, and Morgan Witz.
Dominguez and Witz joined the Tigers in the spring as graduate transfers from North Carolina and California Baptist, respectively.
All information regarding LSU Soccer, including the full 2025 roster can be here. Stay up to date with all things LSU Soccer by following our team’s social media channels @LSUsoccer on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
2025 LSU Soccer Roster breakdown by position:
Goalkeepers:
- Katelyn Holt (R-Fr)
- Sophine Kevorkian (Sr)
- Audur Scheving (Jr)
Defense:
- Jocelyn Ollivierre (Sr)
- Sydney Cheesman (Sr)
- Jazmin Ferguson (Sr)
- Kelsey Major (Sr)
- Natalie Dvorakova (So)
- Sol Toboada Martínez (Fr)
- Lila Jaillet (Fr)
- Mireia Sánchez (R-Fr)
- Annaleigh Bruser (R-Fr)
Midfield:
- Makenna Dominguez (Grad Tr)
- Danielle Shannon (R-Jr) (out with injury in 2025)
- Gabbi Ceballos (Jr)
- Brielyn Knowles (Jr)
- Ava Amsden (So)
- Sarah Stadler (R-Fr)
- Maud Ferrière (Fr)
- Gadea Blanco González (Fr)
- Daniela Hellín (Fr)
Forwards:
- Morgan Witz (Gr Tr)
- Ida Hermannsdottir (Sr)
- Ava Galligan (Jr)
- Amy Smith (So)
- Senai Rogers (R-Fr)
- Sariyah Bailey (Fr)
- Ryann Denecour (Fr)