Thompson relives magical freshman season at LSU

TFAE helps bring the Gators to see Shakespeare classic
January 23, 2019
Atwell relieved of coaching duties at Vandebilt
January 23, 2019
TFAE helps bring the Gators to see Shakespeare classic
January 23, 2019
Atwell relieved of coaching duties at Vandebilt
January 23, 2019

The LSU soccer team had one of the most memorable seasons in program history this past fall, winning the SEC Championship and hosting a First-Round Match in the NCAA Tournament.

And a Houma native was right in the middle of it all, playing a huge role in helping the team reach its new peaks.


Vandebilt Catholic graduate and LSU forward Molly Thompson was a huge part of the Lady Tigers’ successes, playing 24 matches with 9 starts, recording 3 goals and a game-winner during the course of the season.

Thompson said the freshman season was memorable — a magical ride that has her motivated and hungry for the rest of her career in Baton Rouge.

“My freshman season was one I will never forget,” Thompson said. “I had so much fun meeting all of my teammates and coaches. Everyone was so welcoming. Our team was so special because we were selfless; it didn’t matter who scored, as long as it went in the back of the net to win the game.”


And LSU did win a whole bunch of games — though there was some adversity along the way.

LSU started the season hot, posting a 6-1 record in non-conference games.

Thompson started the season as a reserve — a role she enjoyed for the first seven matches of the year.


Thompson said right away, she learned that the difference between prep soccer and college soccer is steep, adding that the players at the SEC level are so much more competitive than anything she saw at Vandebilt.

“There is a major difference between the high school and college level,” Thompson said. “There is more commitment and the pace is much faster. If you don’t perform, you don’t play. Knowing that everyone on the team is talented makes me push myself even harder so I can see the field.”

Thompson’s words hold merit. That’s exactly what she did.


In mid-September, Thompson earned her place in the starting lineup as an attempt to give a spark to a Lady Tigers’ team that lost its non-conference momentum at the start of conference play.

The Tigers started SEC play poorly and were near the bottom-half of the standings heading toward the final month of the regular season.

Thompson’s first SEC start game on Sept. 23 against Florida — a 4-1 Gators victory.


But after that game, LSU started to gel and gradually turned its season around. The Lady Tigers won five of their final seven matches of the regular season to punch a ticket into the SEC Tournament.

Thompson had a huge hand in that turnaround. She scored two goals in SEC play and helped the Lady Tigers right the ship and win some of the close matches that the team had lost early in the conference slate.

Thompson’s biggest moment of the season came in a 2-1 win against Missouri. With the score tied at 1 in the first half, Thompson finished a cross into the back of the net — the final goal of the match and a game-winner.


In the final regular season match of the season, she also recorded a crucial goal in a 2-1 win against Mississippi State, which gave LSU momentum going into the SEC Tournament after the slow start.

“Starting SEC play was definitely rough,” Thompson said. “We knew that we couldn’t keep getting those results and had to change in order to win. We grew from our losses and started to play better as a team. I think that we were new to each other’s playing styles and had to adjust to that in the beginning.”

In the SEC Tournament, LSU made magic happen.


The Tigers were just the No. 7 seed — not even earning a first-round bye into the 10-team field.

They beat No. 10 Missouri 3-2 in double overtime in the opening-round match, setting the stage for a battle with No. 2 Tennessee. LSU also won that match, pushing into the Semifinals after playing even with the Lady Volunteers in both regulation and two overtimes, scoring the win in penalty kicks.

Riding adrenaline, fumes and emotion, LSU made the finals the next day with a 1-0 victory over No. 6 South Carolina, which set the stage for a Championship Match with No. 4 Arkansas.


Again, LSU needed extra time, playing a 1-all match with the Razorbacks after regulation and overtimes. The Lady Tigers dominated penalty kicks 4-1 to secure the SEC Championship — a dramatic comeback for a team that was written off by many in the early portion of the season.

With the victories, the Lady Tigers made the NCAA Tournament where they again relied on late-game magic. LSU hosted Boston in the Opening Round with neither team scoring in regulation or overtimes. LSU advanced 2-1 in penalty kicks. Thompson played 48 minutes in that match, recording a shot on goal.

The Lady Tigers’ run ended five days later at USC in a 2-0 defeat. Thompson said the loss was difficult, but added that the team was proud of its turnaround.


“Making the NCAA Tournament and getting home-field advantage for the first round was an accomplishment in itself,” Thompson said. “We said at the end of that game that even though it wasn’t our best performance, we still pulled off a win. That’s just a testament to our team and how much better we can be. Coach Brian Lee kept saying throughout the season, ‘We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re getting closer and closer every day.’”

And the same can be said for Thompson.

She said despite the freshman success, she’s hungry for more, adding that this offseason will be crucial for her development. Thompson said she is working hard every day and has plans on continuing to evolve as a player with hopes of being a bigger, faster and stronger version of herself next fall.


That’s scary news for opponents, because as folks in the Houma-Thibodaux area know — Thompson is already one heck of a talent and an amazing player.

“This offseason is going to be essential for me to get better as a player,” Thompson said. “There’s a lot I need to improve on and this is the perfect time. This offseason is when we have a lot of individual work which will help me. Conditioning, lifting and technical work will be a big part of my schedule and I’m excited to keep working and see where the next season takes us.”

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