Clarke powers LSU past Vandy

• Advocate news services
• Published: Nov 5, 2009

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ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Melissa Clarke scored a pair of first-half goals to lead the 13th-ranked LSU soccer team to a 4-2 win over Vanderbilt in Wednesday’s opening-round match of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The second-seeded Tigers (13-4-3, 8-2-1 SEC) extended their winning streak to three games and their unbeaten streak to five against the seventh-seeded Commodores (11-8-1, 5-6) dating to the 2006 season.

With the win, LSU advances to the semifinals for the third year in a row and will take on the winner of today’s match between No. 3 seed Ole Miss and No. 6 seed Auburn at 5 p.m. Friday.

Clarke is now the team’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals on the season.

The Tigers struck first in the ninth minute when Clarke scored her first goal at the 8:05 mark. After taking a pass from Carlie Banks on the wing, Clarke beat a Commodore defender one-on-one in the right side of the penalty area and fired a strike past goalkeeper Rachel Bachtel.

LSU extended its lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute when sophomore Kellie Murphy fired a header off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net from inside the 6-yard box on a corner kick by junior Courtney Alexander.

After the Commodores scored at the 27:04 mark on a goal by Candace West, Clarke scored her second goal minutes before the half after winning a free kick in the midfield.

Banks then scored her seventh goal of the season at the 54:38 mark of the second half off an assist from Rachel Yepez.

Forward Molly Kinsella scored a free kick for Vanderbilt at the 85:59 mark to finish the scoring.