Alabama Defeats LSU 2-1 to Advance to SEC Tournament Semifinals

No. 11-seeded LSU dropped a 2-1 decision to 3-seeded Alabama, 2-1, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday afternoon at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Florida.

LSUsports.net – The Official Website of LSU Athletics reported that goalkeeper Audur Scheving recorded five saves in the opening 45 minutes as the Tigers and Crimson Tide entered halftime scoreless. Alabama outshot LSU 9-2 in the first half, but Scheving’s defensive efforts kept the match level heading into the break.

After the break, the Tigers ramped up their attack, generating 11 attempts after managing only a pair during the initial 45 minutes. Yet, the Crimson Tide broke the deadlock at the 69-minute mark when Melina Rebimbas scored courtesy of helpers from Soph Martelli and Kennedy Garcia, pushing the score to 1-0 in favor of Alabama.

At the 80-minute mark, the Tigers answered back when Ava Galligan netted her eighth score of the campaign, bringing the score level at 1-1. The tying goal developed after Emma Alvord registered two consecutive blocked attempts, energizing LSU with a little over 10 minutes left on the clock.

The Crimson Tide pulled back ahead in the 87th minute as Ashley Roni successfully executed a penalty kick, making it a 2-1 contest in favor of Alabama. Even with a late push from LSU on the offensive end, the Crimson Tide managed to preserve their lead, clinching the win and moving forward to the SEC Tournament semifinals.

Scheving wrapped up the contest with seven stops, while Galligan paced the Tigers via three attempts and one score. LSU recorded 13 total shots, including 11 in the second half, while Alabama finished with 20 shots.