by Will Stafford, Associate Sports Information Director
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The LSU soccer team has proven to be the most dominant program in the SEC Western Division over the last three seasons, and the 16th-ranked Tigers continued their dominance Friday night by defeating Arkansas, 4-1, to clinch their third-straight SEC West championship.
Not only have the Tigers (12-4-3, 8-2-1 SEC) secured their third-straight SEC West crown, but the squad has locked up the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament for the second year in a row after finishing the year with a school record eight wins and 25 points in SEC play.
This also marks the third consecutive season that LSU has clinched the SEC West title with a victory over the Razorbacks (8-7-4, 2-7-2 SEC) in its regular season finale.
--
SEC Soccer Table (through 10/30/09)
1. Florida, 8-1-2, 26 pts.
2. LSU, 8-2-1, 25 pts.
3. South Carolina, 7-3-1, 22 pts.
4. Georgia, 7-4, 21 pts.
5. Ole Miss, 6-2-2, 20 pts. (Sunday vs. Alabama)
6. Auburn, 6-5, 18 pts.
7. Vanderbilt, 5-6, 15 pts.
8. Tennessee, 4-5-2, 14 pts.
---
9. Arkansas, 2-7-2, 8 pts.
10. Alabama, 2-7-1, 7 pts. (Sunday at Ole Miss)
11. Kentucky, 2-8-1, 7 pts.
12. Mississippi St., 1-8-1, 5 pts.
--
In fact, the Tigers have now won six-straight matches against the Razorbacks since 2004. The Razorbacks saw their season come to an end on Friday night after honoring four seniors as part of Senior Night.
“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,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “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 just 12 minutes into the match, the Tigers put on an offensive clinic to take a 3-1 lead into the halftime break.
Sophomore Taryne Boudreau responded with the equalizer in the 22nd minute of play after Melissa Clarke won a free kick at the top of the penalty area. Senior 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 buried a wide open shot one-on-one with the keeper from six yards out.
It was Boudreau’s fifth goal of the campaign and her fourth goal in SEC play as she is now LSU’s second leading goal scorer in league action this fall.
Rutledge wasted no time in giving LSU a 2-1 lead as she scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season at the 29:38 mark of the first half. Senior Amanda Carreno received a throw in from fellow senior Rachel Yepez beyond the left side of the penalty area and promptly fired a beautiful 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 just over 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 sophomore Kellie Murphy gave LSU its final 4-1 advantage with her second goal of the season on a header from eight yards in front of the net.
Rutledge tied a career high in a single game with her third assist in the match as she found Murphy’s head with a precise cross while battling a defender one-on-one at the 57:16 mark. Rutledge has been brilliant as she ranks among the league leaders with five goals and nine assists for 19 points in SEC play.
Rutledge has certainly shown the form that earned her Consensus All-America and SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors a year ago as she is once again LSU’s leading scorer with nine goals and 11 assists for 29 points while starting all 19 matches on the season.
After scoring five points on Friday night, Rutledge established a new LSU career record for points scored as she has now tallied 93 points during her brilliant All-America career in Baton Rouge. Former All-SEC forward Artie Brown held the previous career record with 90 points scored from 2001-04.
“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.
“Amanda Carreno and Rachel Yepez came in and gave us a spark, and that was exciting to see. We didn’t seem to miss a beat when they came into the game. We’re definitely excited about the win.”
LSU dominated play from the opening whistle as it outshot Arkansas by a 19-5 count in total shots with a 13-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Razorbacks attempted six corner kicks in the match to five for LSU.
The Tigers will play as the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament beginning Wednesday at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala., and will take on No. 7 seed Vanderbilt in the first round with the match scheduled to kick off at noon CT.
