White Bests Red, 2-1, In Preseason Tune-Up

LAFAYETTE - The Louisiana soccer team took to the pitch for the first time on Thursday with the red and white scrimmage at the Home Bank Soccer & Track Complex. When the clock hit zeroes, the white team emerged victorious, 2-1.

"I liked a lot of things tonight," said head coach Chris McBride. "We implemented a lot this preseason and the group did a really good job of carrying that over into tonight. I think both sides played with some intensity and physicality, it was good to see the competition within the group."

Both sides had their opportunities offensively, combining for 25 shots. Late in the opening half, Adeline Nemeth put the white team on the board with a goal from just outside the box. About a minute later, the red team tied it on a header by Sophie Placke off a cross by Sydney Byrnes. The score remained there until the second half, where Chloe Mueller put home a corner kick by Sienna Hurrell for the decisive goal.

"It was good for us to create some opportunities offensively, it was one of the things last year where we felt like we had to rely on the other team's mistakes too much," said McBride. "It's something that we knew we had to do a better job doing heading into this year. We still have some work to do to polish off a few of the key moving pieces, but overall I thought it was good for both teams."

The shots were almost even with white holding a slight advantage of 13-12 in that category but the red team landed more on goal. Kristen Rudge made six saves for the white team while Natalie Mayes had three for red. Both sides playing to a near draw showed that the Cajun roster is deep heading into the year.

"I felt like everybody had a moment that stood out, I think it was a real team effort on both sides," added McBride. "Both teams played well and we asked the team a lot to play as a group and move as a unit. We saw that offensively and defensively, it wasn't just one player that stood out."

The regular season starts next Thursday, August 15, on the road against McNeese. After that, the Cajuns return home for five in a row starting on Sunday, August 18 against Louisiana Tech.

"We have a really deep squad this year," said McBride. "We have a lot of good players at multiple positions so I think we're going to be able to rely on team cohesion and depth. It's something we've not had as much in the past so I'm excited to see it in action this year."

FOLLOW THE CAJUNS
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.

Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsSoc), Facebook (Ragin' Cajuns Soc) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsSoc) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Soccer.

White Bests Red, 2-1, In Preseason Tune-Up

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sydney Byrnes

Sienna Hurrell

Natalie Mayes

Chloe Mueller

Adeline Nemeth

Sophie Placke

Kristen Rudge