BATON ROUGE- The No. 16 LSU Soccer team (0-1-0) is set to face Northwestern State (0-1-0) in the 2026 home opener. The Tigers and Demons will battle on Sunday, August 16 at 6 p.m. CT inside the LSU Soccer Stadium.
LSU and Northwestern both opened their 2026 season with losses as the Tigers fell to No. 18 Wake Forest 2-0, while the Demons dropped nine goals in their loss to Oklahoma on Wednesday night.
The action on Sunday night will be live streamed on SEC Network+. To purchase tickets to attend the match, the link is here. Live stats and streaming links are also available here.
THE MATCHUP
LSU is 5-0-1 all-time in their history against Northwestern State. The Tigers and Demons last met in 2023, when LSU secured the 2-1 victory. The first battle between the two teams came in 1998 with LSU coming out victorious 2-0.
The Demons are coming off a winning (13-5-3) 2025 season where they were semifinalists in the 2025 Southland Conference tournament. They return to their home state this weekend to face the Tigers in Baton Rouge after beginning their 2026 campaign with a loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.
SEC & MAC HERMANN WATCHLIST
LSU Soccer enters the 2026 season with five Tigers named to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist and two forwards recognized on the United Soccer Coaches 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Players to Watch List.
Senior forward Ava Galligan headlines both lists after a standout 2025 campaign that helped lead LSU to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The Ashburn, Virginia, native led the Tigers with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points last season, including six game-winning goals. Galligan earned First Team All-SEC and United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region honors following the 2025 season.
Joining Galligan on the Hermann Trophy Players to Watch List is fifth year forward Allie Fryer, who enters her first season in Baton Rouge after transferring from BYU. The Spanish Fork, Utah, native brings 30 career goals and extensive postseason experience to the Tigers' attack.
The Hermann Trophy Players to Watch List recognizes some of the nation's top returning forwards and serves as an early look at candidates for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer National Player of the Year.
Galligan and Fryer are joined on the SEC Preseason Watchlist by sophomore forward Sariyah Bailey, senior defender Kelsey Major and senior goalkeeper Audur Scheving. Bailey earned Third Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors as a freshman in 2025 after making an immediate impact during LSU's historic postseason run.
Major returns for her senior season as a key piece of the Tigers' back line after starting every match for LSU in 2025, while Scheving enters her senior campaign after recording 42 saves and six wins last season.
The five Tigers named to the SEC watchlist are part of a 75-player group selected from across the conference, while LSU's inclusion of two forwards on the Hermann Trophy list highlights the experience and firepower returning to the Tigers' attack in 2026.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
This season’s LSU Soccer roster features 27 student-athletes, with a mix of returning veterans, newcomers and international talent. The Tigers return a strong core from last season’s historic NCAA Sweet 16 squad while adding a talented group of freshmen and transfers.
The senior class includes fifth-year seniors Kelsey Major and Allie Fryer along with the traditional seniors of Audur Scheving, Emma Alvord, Brielyn Knowles and Ava Galligan. Fryer transferred to LSU this summer after an accomplished four-year career at BYU, where she scored 30 career goals and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2024.
The junior class consists of Amy Smith, Ava Amsden, Annaleigh Bruser, Senai Rogers, Katelyn Holt and Linka Ono.
The sophomore group includes Maud Ferrière, Ryann Denecour, Sariyah Bailey, Lila Jaillet and Rylie Kuyper while Rakel Sigurðardottir, Ryleigh Albin, Alexia Hansen, Ella Kate Johnston, Berglind Hlynsdottir, Ava Villapando, Mia Conard, Jaya Dern, Kylee Rocha, and Marie Pues make up this year’s freshmen class.
LOOKING AHEAD
No. 16 LSU will stay at home to host the next two matches against UCF on Thursday, August 20, and Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday, August 23, before travelling back on the road to face Arizona State and Arizona. The Tigers will host Baylor to conclude non-conference play before beginning SEC action Sept. 11 against Tennessee.