HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana women's soccer team will host in-state rival Grambling on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the Southeastern Soccer Complex.

Friday's match will be the non-conference finale for Southeastern (6-1-2). The defending Southland Conference Tournament champions will look to head into league action with some momentum after its meeting with the visiting Lady Tigers (0-6).

Southeastern set a new school record by opening the season with an eight-match unbeaten streak before suffering a 2-0 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette last Sunday in Hammond. ULL scored two goals in the first 12 minutes to get past the Lady Lions.

Through the first nine matches of the season, Southeastern has used a balanced attack on the way to 18 goals on the season. Senior Natalie Santana and sophomore Maiya Cooper share the team lead with three goals apiece, as both Santana (21, 6th) and Cooper (17, 10th) rank among the school's leading career goal scorers.

In all, 10 different Lady Lions have found the net in 2010. Sophomore Kerry McWhirter, sophomore Lauren Stillians and freshman Cambri Prevost have two goals apiece, while a quintet of Lady Lions – sophomore Tabitha McReynolds, freshman Kelsey Salcido, freshman Jaci Teresinski, sophomore Dana Songe and junior Kyle MacIntosh – have also scored this season for Southeastern.

McWhirter continues to lead the Southland and rank among the national leaders with six assists. Santana follows with three assists and needs two to match the league career record of 25 held by Southeastern Athletics Hall of Famer Becca Weingartner. Senior Brittany Prieto and sophomore Karly Dagys have two assists each for the Lady Lions.

MacIntosh, Prieto, senior Nicole Brannigan, freshman Shanyce Shaw and junior Lauren Crawford make up a Southeastern back line that has allowed just six goals this season. Junior Lacey Bockhaus has handled all the goalkeeping duties for the Lady Lions and has a 0.64 goals against average with four shutouts this season. Already the school's career shutout leader with 25, the San Leandro, Calif. native needs one shutout to become the Southland career leader.

Bockhaus and the Lady Lions will be facing a Grambling team looking for both its first win and first goal of the season. The Lady Tigers have been shut out in each of their first six games, which include losses to Southeastern's Southland Conference rivals McNeese State (8-0), UTSA (6-0), Texas State (5-0) and Sam Houston State (2-0).

Defensively, Grambling has allowed 33 goals in 2010. Jordan Taylor has handled the majority of the goalkeeping duties for the Lady Tigers and comes to Hammond with a 5.00 goals against average. Erin Molinaro (8.00 GAA) has also spent time in net for GSU.

Southeastern will be meeting Grambling for only the second time in school history. Last season, the Lady Lions took a 3-0 win over GSU behind goals from Santana, Dagys and former Lady Lion Candice Wallace. Stillians also posted two assists in that win.

Following Friday's match, Southeastern will open Southland Conference play with three straight road matches. The Lady Lions' league opener at McNeese State is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.