LSU Soccer set to start season with high expectations

LSU Football fans are busy counting down the days until their beloved school kicks off on September 4 against Florida State. Luckily, the Tigers’ faithful won’t have to wait that long to watch their team play football. As anyone who has spent time in Baton Rouge knows by now, if the activity has a ball involved and the players wear purple and gold, Tigers fans will flock to it. This is exactly why LSU Soccer needs your support this season.

The Tigers are getting set to kick off their 2022 campaign on Thursday at home. LSU will take on Stephen F. Austin in the season’s inaugural match from the LSU Soccer Stadium (located on campus near Tiger Park). Kickoff is at 6 p.m. CT and admission to the match is free. This is your best chance to be a part of something special as the Tigers set out to make history.

LSU Soccer set to start season on Thursday, the Tigers have high expectations

LSU Soccer brought in huge crowds last season as the program took another huge step in the right direction. It’s no secret that the Tigers don’t exactly have a rich history in the sport. They have just seven NCAA Tournament appearances, one SEC Championship (2018) and four SEC West titles to their name. However, Head Coach Sian Hudson has LSU trending upward once again.

The Tigers reached at a low point right before Hudson took over, accumulating a record of 3-12-3 during the 2019 campaign. They improved to 8-8-3 during the Welsh coaches first season before adding to that success in 2021. LSU finished with a winning record (11-8-1) during the 2021 season for the first time since 2018. The Tigers won four matches against ranked opponents, strung together an eight-match winning steak and reached No. 5 in the national rankings—the program’s highest ranking in its history.

LSU has struggled to maintain consistency in SEC play over the last few years, but it’s all about growth for Hudson’s squad this season. If the Tigers—led by captains Shannon Cooke and Lindsi Jennings—can find their footing against conference opponents, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with this season. It’s hard not to imagine Hudson and her squad reaching the NCAA Tournament once again. Suffice it to say, the program has sky high expectations heading into 2022.

LSU is at the forefront of the game’s growth on the college scene, which will be music to the ears of fans around the Louisiana capital. The Tigers saw huge crowds flock to campus last season to support, which resulted in a lot of key victories on home turf. LSU Soccer went 5-2 when playing in Baton Rouge last season; its only losses coming to Georgia in OT and Texas A&M.

There is already a lot of buzz across campus for the upcoming season, as demonstrated by the Tigers’ hype video that dropped on Thursday afternoon:

If you can’t make it out to the LSU Soccer Stadium on Thursday night, don’t fret. There are plenty of opportunities to see the Tigers in action this season. The next three chances to see them at home come against UCF (Sunday, Aug. 21), Grambling (Friday, Sep. 2) and Missouri (Thursday, Sep. 22). If you can’t make it out to Baton Rouge, be sure to find out how to watch LSU Soccer here.