LSU soccer tops Arkansas, clinches SEC West

• Advocate news services
• Published: Oct 31, 2009

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The LSU soccer team clinched its third straight Southeastern Conference Western Division title on Friday night with a 4-1 win over Arkansas.

The No. 16 Tigers (12-4-3, 8-2-1 SEC) locked up the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament for the second year in a row after finishing with a school-record eight straight wins and 25 points in SEC play.

This also marks the third consecutive season LSU clinched the SEC West title with a victory over the Razorbacks (8-7-4, 2-7-2 SEC) in its regular-season finale.

“We’re certainly very excited to win the SEC West for a third year in a row. We’re also very pleased that we are playing this well this late in the season,” LSU coach Brian Lee said in a university news release. “That is big for us as we head into postseason play. I am very pleased with the effort and intensity we showed tonight. You want to be peaking at this time of year, and I feel like we beginning to do that.”

After Sophie Wentz gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead with her fourth goal of the season on a corner kick play 12 minutes into the match, the Tigers put on an offensive clinic to take a 3-1 lead at halftime.

Taryne Boudreau responded with the equalizer in the 22nd minute after Melissa Clarke won a free kick at the top of the penalty area. Malorie Rutledge stepped up to take the free kick from 19 yards out directly in front of the goal and slotted a perfect through ball to Boudreau, who released from the end of the wall and buried a wide open shot one-on-one with the keeper from 6 yards out.

Florida won the fourth-straight overall SEC title with a 3-0 win over South Carolina.

Rutledge gave LSU a 2-1 lead on her team-leading ninth goal of the season at the 29:38 mark of the first half. Amanda Carreno received a throw in from Rachel Yepez beyond the left side of the penalty area and promptly fired a left-footed cross to Rutledge standing on the right post. Rutledge then buried a one-timer into the back of the net.

Rutledge then returned the favor in the 43rd minute as she found Carreno standing on the right post with a cross into the box from the left side of the area. Carreno fired a header into the back of the net for her first goal of the season to give LSU a 3-1 lead with a little more than two minutes remaining in the first half.

“I’m pleased with the way we responded after giving up a goal early on,” Lee said. “We were outstanding in the attack tonight passing and moving and putting ourselves in position to score goals. We’re beginning to get our depth back as Rachel Yepez was able to play 30 good minutes for us without showing any signs of injury, and Amanda Carreno is starting to play well for us off the bench.

“This is as deep and as healthy as we’ve been at the end of the season since we’ve been here. Tonight was a big step forward as we prepare for an important week at the SEC tournament next week.”

The Tigers came out firing once again to begin the second half as Kellie Murphy gave LSU its final 4-1 advantage with her second goal of the season on a header from 8 yards in front of the net.

“The pressure was on us to perform tonight because we knew if we didn’t that we probably wouldn’t win the SEC West,” Rutledge said. “That was our main focus tonight, coming out and getting a win. It’s really one of those things where you just feel on top of your game, and I think we showed that tonight. We were passing and moving the entire game, and our crossing was as good as it’s been all year.