LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Natalia Gomez-Junco opened the scoring with a free kick in the first half and sophomore Jorian Baucom added a brace with two goals in the second half to send the LSU Soccer team back to the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a thrilling 3-2 win over Kentucky in Thursday’s regular-season finale.

The Tigers (11-4-4, 5-4-2 SEC) locked up the No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament while extending their unbeaten streak in SEC play to four-straight matches to end the regular season. They will face the No. 10 seed in the first round of the 2015 SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament on Monday at 3:30 p.m. CT as the event returns to the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama.

The Tigers also snapped a three-game winning streak for the Wildcats (9-6-4, 3-5-3) in the series since 2012 as Kentucky ended the regular season winless in its last seven matches in SEC play in 2015.

Thursday’s victory was just the second in program history in Lexington as the Tigers improved to 2-4-2 in eight matches all-time at the University of Kentucky. They even improved to 5-12-2 all-time against the Wildcats and 5-4-2 in their 11 regular-season matches played in 11 seasons under the direction of head coach Brian Lee.

“I thought it was a great team effort tonight,” Lee said following the contest. “We did a great job of taking our chances when they fell to us, and battled all the way to the end to win a big three points for our team. This is a tough place to come and play, especially with so much on the line for both teams like there was tonight. We’ll enjoy this one, but get right back to work preparing for the SEC Tournament next week.”

Gomez-Junco has earned a reputation as one of the most lethal free-kick takers in women’s college soccer with her performance this season, and she was on target once again with her first opportunity on Thursday as she fired a curling 25-yard effort inside the top-right corner of the net to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead in their final match of the regular season.

Not only was it Gomez-Junco’s fourth goal of the season, but it was her third goal directly from a free kick as she took advantage of her opportunity once again after a Wildcat defender was whistled for a handball from the Tiger attack. The senior midfielder has found the net from a free kick twice in three matches as she also scored the winner in LSU’s 1-0 home win over Mississippi State nearly a week ago.

It proved to be the only opportunity for the Tigers to find the scoresheet in the opening 45 minutes as they attempted two shots with one shot on goal while soaking up the Kentucky pressure in the first half.

But Baucom spearheaded the attack after the break as she twice doubled LSU’s lead with goals in the 64^th and 70^th minutes to finish the regular season as the team’s leading scorer with 14 goals in her 19 appearances.

Baucom pushed the advantage to 2-0 to the visitors when she held off a Wildcat defender and chipped goalkeeper Katelyn Jensen from eight yards after senior Lexi Gibbs freed her teammate into space with a brilliant ball over the top of the defense. She later made it 3-1 with a clinical  finish from the top of the six-yard box after being picked out by senior Heather Magee with a pinpoint cross from the right side.

The Wildcats showed tremendous fight on Senior Night as they twice pulled a goal back after Baucom gave the Tigers a two-goal advantage late in the second half. Substitute Jade Klump cut the lead to 2-1 by burying a free header inside the right post at the top of the six yard box from a cross into the box by teammate Cara Ledman. Baucom again doubled LSU’s lead just 26 seconds later with her second of the night, but the Wildcats struck again at 71:03 when Tanya Samarzich finished a loose ball in the box to pull it back to 3-2.

The Tigers were on target in their finale as seven of their 10 shot attempts found the frame. The Wildcats also fired seven shots on target from their 19 attempts on the night while holding a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.

After earning the No. 7 seed in this year’s SEC Tournament, the Tigers will await the results of Thursday’s matches around the SEC as they will face the No. 10 seed in Monday’s first-round match at 3:30 p.m. CT. Each of the top six seeds in the tournament have earned a bye into the quarterfinal round to be held next Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

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