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CLARKE POWERS LSU SOCCER TO SEC OPENING ROUND WIN OVER VANDY, 4-2

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – Senior All-SEC midfielder Melissa Clarke scored a pair of first-half goals to lead the 13th-ranked and No. 2-seeded LSU soccer team to a decisive 4-2 win over No. 7 seed Vanderbilt in Wednesday’s opening-round match of the SEC Tournament at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

The Tigers (13-4-3, 8-2-1 SEC) extend their winning streak to three games this season and their unbeaten streak to five games against the Commodores (11-8-1, 5-6 SEC) dating back to the 2006 season.

With the win, LSU advances to the semifinal round at the SEC Tournament for the third year in a row and will take on the winner of today’s match between No. 3 seed Ole Miss and No. 6 seed Auburn on Friday at 5 p.m. CT. The Tigers are in search of their first ever appearance in the SEC Tournament final slated to kick off Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with a live television broadcast on ESPNU.

With two goals on the afternoon, Clarke is now the team’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals on the season after earning her third career Second-Team All-SEC selection on Tuesday.

"It’s always good to get off to a fast start," said LSU head coach Brian Lee. "We’re very dangerous going forward when we are passing and moving, and I think we definitely showed that today. I thought that both lines played well and kept up the pressure and intensity for the full 90 minutes."

The Tigers struck first in the ninth minute of play when Clarke scored her first goal of the afternoon at the 8:05 mark. After taking a pass from freshman Carlie Banks on the wing, Clarke beat a Commodore defender one-on-one in the right side of the penalty area and fired a strike past goalkeeper Rachel Bachtel and into the back of the net from near the top of the six-yard box.

LSU extended its lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute of play when sophomore Kellie Murphy fired a header off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net from inside the six-yard box on a corner kick by junior Courtney Alexander. Murphy scored off the crossbar and inside the left post for her third goal of the year.

The Commodores pulled one back at the 27:04 mark on the third goal of the season by Candace West on a header from the left side of the six-yard box and past a diving LSU goalkeeper Mo Isom.

Clarke responded once again with her second goal of the match just minutes before the half after winning a free kick in the midfield. Alexander played a ball into the middle of the area that was flicked to Malorie Rutledge standing near the right post by fellow senior Amanda Carreno. Rutledge found Clarke open near the left post for her second goal of the half and a 3-1 lead.

Banks then erased any doubt of the final outcome by scoring her seventh goal of the season in at the 54:38 mark of the second half. Senior striker Rachel Yepez found Banks running free down the right side of the field and the freshman finished off a 20-yard run with a shot off Bachtel and into the net.

Forward Molly Kinsella scored a free kick for Vanderbilt at the 85:59 mark to cut the deficit to two goals, but it was too late as LSU was able to bleed the final four minutes off the clock for the victory.

The Tigers dominated the game from the opening kick as they outshot the Commodores by a 17-7 margin in total shots and a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal. LSU also held a decisive 8-2 edge in corner kicks.

"It’s big for us to come out and get a win today in the first game of the tournament," Lee said. "It is really important for us to take advantage of the day off tomorrow with a great practice as we prepare for another big game on Friday night. We know that we are going to get a great challenge from either team (Ole Miss or Auburn) in a true rivalry type of atmosphere here at the SEC Tournament."