The Preview: LSU Tigers Soccer Hosts Alabama Crimson Tide in SEC Home Opener

Paul has scored in back-to-back games for Alabama to become the program’s all-time leading goal scorer with 34 career goals.

With her 34th career goal, Paul is now tied for third nationally among active Division I NCAA athletes and will certainly be a point of emphasis for the LSU defense on Thursday night.

In total, Alabama has scored 21 goals total this season, the fourth most in the SEC currently, and 186 shots. They rank sixth nationally and first in the SEC in shots per game, averaging 20.67.

Last Time On The Pitch

The Tigers opened up conference play with a strong showing against No. 13 Vanderbilt as LSU and Vanderbilt battled to a 0-0 draw in Nashville last Friday.

The LSU defense did not allow the Commodores to score on their home pitch, highlighted by a season-high seven saves from Tiger goalkeeper Audi Scheving. 

The clean sheet marked her second in back-to-back games since starting in goal for LSU.

The first half was a defensive battle between the two sides, with neither team able to create quality looks on goal.

Scheving had two saves in the opening 45 minutes; a simple catch in the 7th minute and a diving parry in the 42nd minute to keep things level.

Those two shots were the only looks on goal of the half and the match sat scoreless after the first half concluded.

The second half was another half limited in terms of quality chances. The Tigers tested Vanderbilt goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko in the 47th, 53rd, and 58th minutes, but were unsuccessful in putting the ball in the back of the net.

Scheving was the hero of the night as her five saves in the second half kept the Tigers in contention. She picked up three saves within 10 minutes in the 51st, 54th, and 59th minutes and added a fourth in the 65th minute.

The next 20 minutes were cagey as neither team could create a quality look on goal. The Tigers found themselves forced to play the final six minutes of the match down a player as midfielder Gabbi Ceballos was shown a red card in the 84th minute following a slide tackle at midfield.

The biggest moment of the match came in the 85th minute as Scheving picked up her seventh and final save of the night.

The ball bounced into the LSU box and found the feet of a Commodore attacker, who shot from eight yards in front of goal.

Scheving dove to her left and parried the ball away to deny the Commodores a late goal. That save was the final big moment of the match, with both teams finishing goalless after 90 minutes of play.

Vanderbilt outshot LSU by a margin of 15-9, with the Commodores having eight shots on target compared to the Tigers’ three.

Season Stats

LSU has five wins on their resume this year, most recently taking down Utah on the road. The Tigers remain undefeated at home (3-0), as they will look to defend their home pitch tomorrow night against Alabama for their SEC home opener. 

The Purple & Gold squad owns wins over South Alabama, FGCU, UC Davis and a top-25 victory over No. 21 Wisconsin this year. Their win over the Badgers was the program’s first ranked victory at home since 2021. 

The Tigers have scored 17 goals on the year and currently sit in the top-10 in the SEC in shots (127), assists (13), saves (26) and goals entering tomorrow’s match. 

Junior forward Ava Galligan is the Tigers leading scorer with five on the year thus far, which places her amongst the top-10 leading scorers in the SEC (tied for seventh-most).

Galligan scored the game winner in LSU’s match against No. 21 Wisconsin to secure the win over the nationally ranked Badgers. 

Hermannsdottir, the second-highest active player in the conference with the most career goals (22), follows Galligan with three goals on the year while Witz owns two.

Witz is a graduate transfer who joined the Tigers for her final season in 2025. Jazmin Ferguson, Kelsey Major, Gabbi Ceballos, Senai Rogers and Ryann Denecour have all tallied one goal each as well. 

Freshman Sariyah Bailey has been outstanding on the attack for LSU in her debut season, tallying one goal of her own and two assists that led to two goals for the Tigers over UC Davis. She owns three on the year. 

Senior goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian started in the first seven matches in between the posts for LSU, tallying a 1.34 goals-against average (GAA), 17 saves and two shutouts through six matches. 

Scheving, the junior from Iceland, has earned the starting keeper position for LSU in their last two matches, earning a clean sheet in both. She owns eight saves on the year. 

There are multiple Tigers who have started in every match for LSU this year, including veteran centre back and captain Jazmin Ferguson, as well as Jocelyn Ollivierre, Kelsey Major, Gabbi Ceballos and Hermannsdottir. 

2025 Schedule Overview

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

The team’s  “Strike Gold” theme for 2025 reflects the program’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.

The Tigers 2025 non-conference schedule was built to prepare them for the challenges of SEC play as they enter the conference stretch. 

Some of LSU’s non-conference road tests included Wake Forest, Florida Gulf Coast, UCF, Utah Valley, and Utah. The Tigers will conclude the regular season 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.