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FORT MYERS, Fla.  – The LSU Soccer team (1-1-0) is set to face off against Florida Gulf Coast (1-0-0) for the first time in program history on Thursday, August 21 at 6 p.m. CT.

The Tigers and the Eagles will battle at Pickering Field at The FGCU Soccer Complex on ESPN+.

LSU started the 2025 season off in the win column against South Alabama (2-0) and are coming off a hard-fought road fight against No. 10 Wake Forest.

The Tigers are slated to spend the remainder of the week in the Sunshine State, with two road matches against FGCU this coming Thursday and Central Florida on Sunday, August 24.

FGCU is 1-0 on the season thus far, having defeated Webber International in their season opener last Sunday. 

The Matchup

Thursday’s matchup in Fort Myers will be the first meeting between LSU and Florida Gulf Coast in program history. 

The Eagles have claimed either the ASUN regular-season or tournament championship in 13 of the past 16 years, including last year’s regular-season crown with a 9-1-1 record. This season, FGCU was picked to finish second in the league. 

FGCU (1-0) opened its season with a 6-0 win over Webber International on Sunday.

SEC Preseason Watchlist

Seven Tigers earned spots on the 2025 SEC Preseason Watchlist: Gabbi Ceballos, Sydney Cheesman, Makenna Dominguez, Jazmin Ferguson, Ava Galligan, Ida Hermannsdóttir, and Amy Smith.

It is the second straight year Cheesman, Ferguson, and Galligan have received the honor, while Hermannsdóttir makes the list for the third consecutive season.

2025 Schedule Overview

The Tigers’ 18-game regular season slate features eight home matches, including five pivotal SEC contests in Baton Rouge against Alabama, Missouri, Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Florida.

LSU opens SEC play on the road at Vanderbilt on Friday, Sept. 12, before hosting Alabama for its conference home opener on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. CT.

The “Strike Gold” theme for 2025 reflects the team’s championship aspirations as they pursue a fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. LSU has advanced to the postseason in four of Hudson’s first five years—the longest streak in program history.

“Our non-conference schedule is built to prepare us for the challenges of SEC play,” Hudson said. “Facing a national finalist like Wake Forest early will be a valuable test for our squad.”

Non-conference road tests include Wake Forest, Florida Gulf Coast, UCF, Utah Valley, and Utah. The regular season concludes in Baton Rouge with a marquee matchup against Florida on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. CT.

Postseason play begins with the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., on Nov. 2, followed by the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 14. The University of Kansas will host the 2025 Women’s College Cup at CPKC Stadium on Dec. 5 and 8.

Television Coverage

The Tigers television slate consists of three conference matches against Auburn, Missouri and Ole Miss, starting with a road conference matchup against Auburn at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, September 25th on SEC Network. 

The squad will be featured on TV twice in October with matchups against Missouri and Ole Miss. The battle of the Tigers is set for 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, October 2nd in Baton Rouge while LSU will travel to face the Rebels on Thursday, October 16th at 6 p.m. CT. 

2025 Roster Breakdown

This season’s roster features 28 student-athletes representing diverse backgrounds from across the globe.

Eighteen players return from last year’s squad, joined by 10 newcomers—including six international additions.

Newcomers Sol Toboada Martínez, Mireia Sánchez, Gadea Blanco González, and Daniela Hellín hail from Spain, Maud Ferrière joins from France, and Sariyah Bailey arrives from Canada. Freshmen Lila Jaillet and Ryann Denecour round out the first-year class.

The sophomore group includes Katelyn Holt, Annaleigh Bruser, Amy Smith, Ava Amsden, Sarah Stadler, Senai Rogers, and Natalie Dvorakova.

Gabbi Ceballos, Ava Galligan, Brielyn Knowles, and Audur Scheving enter their junior campaigns, while the senior class features Jazmin Ferguson, Sydney Cheesman, Kelsey Major, Danielle Shannon, Jocelyn Ollivierre, Sophine Kevorkian, Ida Hermannsdóttir, Makenna Dominguez, and Morgan Witz.

Dominguez and Witz joined the Tigers in the spring as graduate transfers from North Carolina and California Baptist, respectively.

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This article first appeared on LSU Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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