ODU Women's Soccer Takes LSU to the wire before dropping a 2-1 loss

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – When asked why her team traveled nearly 1,200 miles to Norfolk to play Old Dominion, LSU women’s soccer coach Sian Hudson said simply: “Because Old Dominion has a good program. This is a well-coached team.

“We knew we would be battle-tested here.”

Indeed, the Tigers were battle-tested.

The Monarchs made LSU sweat in the final four minutes as three corner kicks led to scoring chances. But the Tigers held off the Monarchs and emerged with a hard-fought, 2-1, victory Sunday.

The game was delayed for nearly two hours by thunderstorms that rolled through Hampton Roads and that surely hurt attendance. Nonetheless, the nearly 500 fans on hand were boisterous, and both teams came to play.

The game was a physical affair that seemed more like a postseason game than an early non-conference contest. And statistically it was close if not quite even. LSU outshot the Monarchs, 13-7, but ODU had six corners to LSU’s two.

Both programs rank among the nation’s best. LSU, an SEC school, has gone to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. ODU has won three consecutive conference titles, including the last two in the Sun Belt.

“We had three legit chances to tie it back up again,” ODU Head Coach Angie Hind said. “I’m immensely proud of this young group. We really had our chances. This one will keep me up at night.

“It’s one of those games we are going to wish that we could get back.”

LSU took a 1-0 lead at 49:36 in the second half when Kelsey Major controlled a long centering pass from Ava Galligan, faked a shot to the right of goalie Erin Jones, but then kicked it to the left.

Jones had little chance to make the save. At that point, ODU had been outshot 9-1.

ODU’s only shot was from Gry Boe Thrysöe, a senior from Denmark who missed just wide left from in front of the net nine minutes into the first half.

However, ODU’s second shot on goal was true.

Riley Mullen, a 5-foot-7 sophomore from Staten Island, New York made a takeaway seven minutes after the LSU goal that helped to allow ODU to even the score at 1-1.

Mullen took the ball away from an LSU player about 30 yards in front of the net and ran to her left to draw defenders away from Rhea Kijowski, who was streaking to the net.

She then tapped a near-perfect pass to Kijowski, and the 5-7 senior from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania split two defenders and booted the ball into the net.

Both teams had scoring chances over the next few minutes. Then, after an ODU foul, an LSU free kick led to the game winner.

Galligan headed in a long, looping boot from Sydney Cheesman at 84:29. Again, there was little Jones could do.

Goalie Emily Bredek, the Sun Belt preseason Player of the Year, went out of the game with 19:25 with an injury. Jones, a graduate student from Caroline County, Virginia, played well in her absence.

“We’ve been trying to find a way to get Erin on the field,” Hind said. “She’s that good. It’s only because Emily’s been so outstanding that she hasn’t been playing.

“With any other program, Erin would be on the field.”

ODU will play a return game at LSU at a date to be determined. Meanwhile, the Monarchs travel to Auburn on Sept. 13 to play another SEC team.

“Any time we play a game like this, we’re going to have a go,” Hind said. “We played very hard tonight.

“I felt at times in the first half, we were on top. We made them chase us.

“But when you play teams at this level, it’s the size and athleticism that is always difficult. You saw that when they scored tonight.

"This was a great game for us. It was a real test. And that's what we want. We want to play the best teams we can so that we can continue to grow."

Sunday's men's soccer game against Radford was called at halftime with ODU leading, 1-0. That contest will be made up at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

The ODU women continue their home stand with games against George Mason Thursday at 6 and Sunday against Longwood at 6.