Rutledge, defense spark LSU soocer

• Advocate news services
• Published: Nov 7, 2009

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ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Malorie Rutledge’s goal with 22:26 to play gave 13th-ranked LSU a 1-0 win over Auburn on Friday and its first berth in a Southeastern Conference soccer tournament final.

Second-seeded LSU (14-4-3) will meet the winner of No. 1-seeded Florida vs. No. 4-seeded South Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

Rutledge showed the form that earned her a second-straight Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year honor with the game-winning goal.

After Rachel Yepez dribbled the ball into the box and raced to the end line, the ball was cleared out of the penalty area to Rutledge, who raced across the top of the box and fired a low strike from 20 yards and inside the bottom left corner of the goal.

Rutledge is now tied for the team lead with 10 goals and is the team leader with 32 points.

“I was beating my defender end line all night, but this time (coach) Brian (Lee) was telling me to go inside. So, I turned her inside and got a good shot off,” Rutledge said in a news release. “I was just trying to get a good shot on goal from there since I was pretty open.

“Fortunately for us, it got past the keeper in the bottom corner.”

LSU outshot Auburn 14-12, although Auburn led 6-5 in shots on goal.

LSU goalkeeper Mo Isom had her season-best six saves against SEC competition, her 11th shutout of the season and 18th of her career.

Isom’s best save came with just more than 24 minutes to play. On a breakaway, Isom did not hesitate, racing off her line to made a sliding save on the shot, deflecting the ball out of play.

“I’m very proud of Mo for the way she played tonight,” Lee said. “I thought she played her best game of the year for us.

“She came up big with some outstanding saves tonight and was very good once again catching crosses and keeping the defense organized. That’s exactly what we needed.”

The Tigers earned a spot in the final for the first time after losing in the semifinals the last two years.