Georgia soccer found a way to leave Baton Rouge with a point Sunday night.
The Bulldogs trailed LSU with less than 10 minutes remaining, but sophomore defender Maddy Herniter delivered the equalizer in the 86th minute, heading home a free kick from graduate forward Emma Pettersen to secure a 1-1 draw at LSU Soccer Stadium.
The goal was Herniter’s first collegiate goal and came at a critical moment for a Georgia team that had been held without a shot on target until the late finish.
Georgia finished the night with 14 shots to LSU’s 13 and earned seven corner kicks, but only one of those attempts found the frame. LSU put three of its 13 shots on target.
The draw moves Georgia to 3-3-5 overall and 0-1-3 in SEC play, giving the Bulldogs another conference point during a demanding stretch of the schedule.
Herniter Comes Through When Georgia Needed It Most
Georgia spent much of the opening half trying to find its footing.
LSU controlled the first 45 minutes with an 11-4 advantage in shots, forcing Georgia to absorb pressure and head into halftime scoreless.
The second half looked much different.
The Bulldogs generated a 10-2 shot advantage after the break and began creating more consistent pressure around the LSU goal. Junior midfielder Kieryn Jeter nearly helped Georgia find the breakthrough when her 54th-minute cross struck the post and remained dangerously close to the goal before LSU cleared it away.
Georgia continued to push, but LSU eventually found the opening goal.
Ava Amsden converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute after a challenge involving Georgia defender Virginia Odom was reviewed.
The Bulldogs had only a few minutes to respond.
They did.
Five minutes later, Pettersen delivered the set-piece service and Herniter rose to meet it, heading the ball into the net for the 1-1 equalizer.
It was the kind of response Georgia needed on the road in SEC play.
Georgia’s Second-Half Response Matters
The final score doesn’t tell the entire story of the match.
LSU had the better of the first half, but Georgia flipped the script after halftime. The Bulldogs outshot the Tigers 10-2 in the second 45 and finished with a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Freshman forward Maya Woolforde was particularly active, leading all players with five shots.
Herniter and fifth-year defender Assa Kante added two shots apiece, while graduate goalkeeper Jordan Brown finished with two saves.
Still, Georgia’s biggest challenge was turning that attacking pressure into shots on target.
The Bulldogs generated plenty of opportunities but ultimately needed their lone shot on frame to find the back of the net.
That makes Herniter’s late finish even more important.
Another Road Point in a Difficult SEC Stretch
Georgia’s SEC schedule has already tested the Bulldogs.
The team opened conference play with a 1-1 draw against No. 2 Vanderbilt, played No. 24 Oklahoma, then traveled to Arkansas before heading to LSU.
Georgia’s recent results have included draws against Vanderbilt, Arkansas and LSU, along with a loss to Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs have shown they can compete in difficult matchups, but the next step is turning some of those performances into three-point results.
The LSU draw also continues a theme from Herniter’s sophomore season.
As Atlanta Soccer News recently reported, Herniter entered the year with increased expectations after starting 17 of 19 matches as a freshman and gaining experience with the U.S. U-19 program. Her role has continued to grow as Georgia navigates a demanding schedule.
That development took another step forward Sunday.
This time, it showed up on the scoreboard.
What This Means for Georgia Soccer
Georgia leaves Baton Rouge with a point, but there is a feeling that the Bulldogs had an opportunity to take all three.
Head coach Keidane McAlpine acknowledged as much after the match, praising the comeback while saying he felt Georgia had let the game get away.
That assessment fits the numbers.
Georgia was outplayed in the first half, responded strongly in the second and created enough pressure to avoid defeat. But with 14 total shots and seven corners, the Bulldogs will likely want more attacking efficiency moving forward.
The encouraging part is that Georgia continues to find ways to respond.
Against Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs dealt with playing a player down for much of the match and still earned a point. Against LSU, they conceded a late penalty and immediately answered.
Those moments matter during an SEC season.
The next challenge is converting that resilience into wins.
ASN Take
This feels like a point Georgia needed, but also one the Bulldogs will look back at as a missed opportunity.
The first half wasn’t good enough. LSU controlled the game early, and Georgia struggled to create anything dangerous in front of goal.
But the response after halftime was much better.
The Bulldogs completely changed the flow of the match, generated 10 second-half shots and eventually found the equalizer just minutes after LSU took the lead.
And Herniter’s goal is worth highlighting beyond the result.
The sophomore defender has been taking on a bigger role this season, and now she has her first collegiate goal — one that directly rescued a conference point on the road.
That’s the kind of moment that can become part of a player’s development.
For Georgia, however, the bigger question remains attacking efficiency. The Bulldogs are creating chances, but one shot on target isn’t going to be enough against many of the teams still waiting on the schedule.
The resilience is there.
Now Georgia needs to turn more of those performances into wins.
Up Next
Georgia returns home Friday, Oct. 2, to face Texas A&M at Turner Soccer Complex.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, with admission free for spectators. The match will stream on SEC Network+.
The Aggies enter the matchup at 4-7-0 overall and 0-4-0 in SEC play.
For Georgia, it is another opportunity to turn a hard-earned point into something bigger.
Related Georgia Soccer Stories
- Georgia Soccer’s Maddy Herniter Embraces Bigger Role as Bulldogs Navigate Tough SEC Schedule
- Georgia Soccer Hosts No. 24 Oklahoma in Ranked SEC Showdown Friday
- Georgia Soccer’s Honoka Hamano Earns SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Honors
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Author: Quique Lopez
Quique Lopez doesn’t just cover soccer—he deconstructs it with the precision of a veteran and the wit of a storyteller. A former player who sees the pitch as both a tactical chessboard and a cultural stage, Quique balances sharp critiques with a genuine love for the game’s soul. He’s as quick to call out the ego of a superstar as he is to find the hidden beauty in a local derby.