BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU Soccer team (1-4-1) returns home to the LSU Soccer Stadium on Thursday, September 3 to host No. 22 Baylor (4-1-0) at 7 p.m. CT. The Tigers and Bears will meet for the second time in program history.
LSU Soccer is looking to return to the win column in their last home match before SEC play begins.
The Tigers’ last four contests have been close matches ending in losses to UCF, 2-1, FGCU, 3-2, ASU, 1-0 and a draw with Arizona, 1-1.
Baylor enters the matchup with a 4-1-0 record after dominating performances against Arkansas, Texas A&M, Texas and Pepperdine. Their lone loss came from Texas State in the third match of their season.
The action between the Tigers and Bears will be streaming on SEC Network+. Garrett Walvoord and Sara Pollock Dickson will be calling the match. Live stats and streaming links are available here.
Ticket information to watch the Tigers in action on Thursday night at the pitch can also be found here.
THE MATCHUP
Thursday’s meeting will mark only the second all-time matchup between LSU and Baylor. The Tigers hold a 1-0 advantage in the series. The last time the two programs met, LSU secured a 1-0 win over the Baylor Bears in 2020 at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
The Tigers enter Sunday’s matchup looking to rebound after falling to ASU in a close match, 1-0, on Thursday.
Baylor is led by returning standouts Callie Conrad, Olivia Hess and goalkeeper Azul Alvarez, along with a talented group of newcomers looking to make an impact. The Bears opened the season with an impressive 4-1 upset over No. 10 Arkansas, scoring three goals in an 11-minute span. Baylor then earned a 2-1 victory over Texas A&M, with Conrad scoring early and freshman Grace White netting the game-winner for her first career goal. After a 3-1 loss to Texas State, the Bears bounced back with a 2-1 win over Texas before closing August with a 3-1 victory over Pepperdine.
SEC & MAC HERMANN WATCHLIST
LSU Soccer began 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.
STAT LEADERS
Senior Ava Galligan leads the Tigers offensively through the first six matches of the season, pacing the team with three goals and six points. Galligan has also recorded a team-best 17 shots, a mark that ranks sixth in the SEC through Aug. 31.
Sophomore’s Ryann Denecour and Sariyah Bailey have each recorded a team-high two assists, with Denecour adding one goal for four points on the season. Bailey has contributed two assists in just three appearances prior to leaving for a stint with the U-20 Women’s Canadian National Team.
Senior Allie Fryer, juniors Ava Amsden and Linka Ono and freshmen Mia Conard and Alexia Hansen have each found the back of the net once this season, with Fryer converting LSU’s lone penalty kick of the year.
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Audur Scheving has started five of LSU’s six matches and has made nine saves while helping the Tigers record one shutout. Her shutout total ranks tied for eighth in the SEC in combined shutouts. Scheving has also logged 472 minutes in goal this season.
As a team, LSU has scored nine goals on 78 shots and has earned 36 corner kicks through six matches. The Tigers have been especially disciplined in the attacking third, recording just four offsides this season — the fewest in the SEC through Aug. 31. LSU has also scored seven of its nine goals in the second half.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Tigers will be on the road for their last non-conference match on Sunday, September 6 facing Miami (OH) at Bobby Kramig Field.
The squad will return home to the LSU Soccer Stadium for the first two matches of SEC play against Tennessee on Friday, September 11 and South Carolina on Friday, September 18.
Stay up to date with all things LSU Soccer by following our team’s social media channels @LSUsoccer on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.