FORT MYERS, Fla. – The LSU Soccer Team (2-1-0) defeated FGCU (1-1-0) by a final score of 6-0 on Thursday night at Pickering Field to take home three points on the road.
It was the first victory over FGCU for LSU in program history on Thursday night as the win marked head coach Sian Hudson’s 100th career win.
Junior forward Ava Galligan led the way for the Tigers on the night, scoring two goals in the ninth and 25th minute. Both of her goals came off assists from veteran defender and captain Jazmin Ferguson.
The Tigers saw five other goal scorers on the night, including firsts from freshman Ryann Denecour, sophomore Senai Rogers and senior Morgan Witz. Senior forward Kelsey Major also got on the scoresheet.
“We’re thrilled with the performance. We talked to them about bouncing back after Wake Forest last week, and they did that. It was great to see the work that we put in at training come to fruition,” said Hudson. “We had really good variety in our possession, played through our lines and had some good attacking set pieces. Just to see five different goal scorers on the scoresheet for us tonight shows the depth that we have in the attack this year. Overall, it was a great performance, and now we’ll look forward to a big game at UCF on Sunday.”
Galligan opened the scoring on the night just nine minutes into the match between the Tigers and the Eagles. Ferguson sent a ball upfield from the backline, Galligan powered through multiple defenders and slotted the ball to the bottom left corner of the goal.
Galligan struck once again in the 25th minute, similar to the first piece. Ferguson sent a ball over the Eagles last defender, which Galligan tapped lightly over the FGCU keeper.
The junior’s brace on the night moved her season tally to three and 12 in her career.
It was a 2-0 LSU lead at the end of the first 45 minutes.
Major and Witz were next up on the scoresheet. The senior duo scored back-to-back goals a minute apart in the 48th and 49th minute to make the score 4-0 on the night. Both goals came from lone shots at the top of the box.
It was Major’s first goal of the season and fourth of her career while it was the first for Witz at LSU.
The Eagles tallied one off a penalty kick from Erika Zschuppe in the 59th minute to make it 4-1 on the night, but LSU responded with two additional goals from Rogers and Denecour.
Rogers, a redshirt freshman forward for the Tigers, slotted one home in the 62nd minute for the first time in her career. In her freshman debut season, Denecour struck again in the 65th minute.
The night ended 6-1 in favor of the visiting team. In total, LSU tallied 20 shots over FGCU’s eight. Senior goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian had two saves on the night.
Senior defender Sydney Cheesman also tallied an assist of Rogers goal, along with Ferguson’s two.
The Tigers will continue their road trip in the sunshine state as they head to Orlando to take on UCF on Sunday, August 24 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.