Tigers Take Down Sooners in Opener, 1-0

by Will Stafford
August 20, 2012
<p>With the clock nearing the two-minute warning in the second overtime period, Arlitt sized up a tantalizing ball rolling outside the penalty area and buried the game-winner past a helpless Kelsey Devonshire in goal for the Sooners. It was Arlitt&rsquo;s third shot of the match and her first attempt on frame.</p> <p>Arlitt opened her account for 2012 at the 107:24 mark to give the Tigers their first season-opening victory on the road since defeating Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas, to open the 2002 season.</p> <p>The Tigers (1-0) extended their winning streak to four-straight against the Sooners (1-1) since 2008 while remaining unbeaten in six matches with a 5-0-1 mark in the series.</p> <p>&ldquo;We were pinging the ball around in the final third, and we had been down there a lot in the overtime, and someone sent a cross where it bounced around in the box a little bit. I saw it pop out, saw it was a good opportunity for me to hit it, so I did,&rdquo; Arlitt said. &ldquo;Emily (Cancienne) gave me the OK, and I was just like, &lsquo;This is it. I&rsquo;m going to put this game away right now. I felt it as soon as it came off my foot.</p> <p>&ldquo;The first game is always about figuring the team out. It&rsquo;s just a great way for us to start the season. It is a real mental challenge to go on the road for the first time. We battled though both halves and two overtime periods, and I think that really says a lot about the team this year that we can stay in it like that.&rdquo;</p> <p>After battling to a scoreless draw at the break, the Tigers came out flying in the second half as they nearly broke the ice with three opportunistic chances in the opening 15 minutes.</p> <p>In the 57<sup>th</sup> minute of play, sophomore defender Jodi Calloway made a run through the middle of Oklahoma&rsquo;s midfield before playing a through ball to sophomore Kaley Blades streaking the penalty area. Blades ripped a strike from 12 yards down the right side that whizzed past a diving Devonshire in the goal and just inches past the left post for an Oklahoma goal kick.</p> <p>Rookie midfielder Fernanda Pina came back seconds later with a strike of her own as she pounced onto an errant clearance by an Oklahoma defender battling Blades for possession and ripped a volley just over the crossbar from 25 yards with Devonshire leaping to challenge the shot.</p> <p>The Tigers made Devonshire work once more when junior left back Nina Anderson stepped up to take the free kick in the 60<sup>th</sup> minute when Blades drew a foul 25 yards from goal. Anderson&rsquo;s floated effort up and over the Oklahoma wall was snatched high out of the air by Devonshire racing to cover the left post.</p> <p>LSU attempted 14 shots on the night and led the way with five shots on goal in nearly 108 minutes. Junior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman saved each of Oklahoma&rsquo;s four shots on target in 16 total attempts for the match.</p> <p>Kinneman added to her highlight reel with just over 19 minutes to play in regulation when Oklahoma&rsquo;s Emily Bowman came up from her back line position and rifled a shot from distance that nearly caught the Tiger keeper too far off her line. Kinneman tracked back and delivered a spectacular leaping save with her effort in punching the ball up and over the crossbar for an Oklahoma corner kick.</p> <p>Kinneman made four saves on the night for her first shutout of the season and her seventh clean sheet as a Tiger while moving into fifth place on the school&rsquo;s all-time career list.</p> <p>&ldquo;We looked like a team that had not played a game yet while playing a team with a couple under their belt in the first half,&rdquo; said LSU head coach Brian Lee. &ldquo;We were able to relax at halftime before coming out in the second half and passing the ball and moving off the ball much better.</p> <p>&ldquo;Our conditioning really took over late in the game. I&rsquo;m sure Ryan Filo (strength and conditioning coach) smiling back in Baton Rouge. He&rsquo;s done a great job with our team since he&rsquo;s been with us.&rdquo;</p> <p>With Monday&rsquo;s season opener now in the books, the Tigers are ready to open up a 10-game homestand on Friday night as they welcome the Rice Owls to the LSU Soccer Stadium for a match that will kick off at 7 p.m. CT. They will then make their 2012 television debut on Sunday afternoon as they battle the NC State Wolfpack in Baton Rouge with kickoff set for 1:07 p.m. on Cox Sports Television.&nbsp;</p>
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