HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana women's soccer team will open the 2012 season with a tough test when they head to Mississippi State for a 7 p.m. match Friday night at the MSU Soccer Field.
 
An experienced Lady Lion squad will make the trip to Starkville, as Southeastern returns 16 letter winners – including 11 seniors – from last year's team which finished 11-7-1 overall. Live stats and video (subscription required) for Friday's match will be available at www.hailstate.com.
 
Southeastern returns the top eight scorers from an offense that ranked eighth in the nation with 2.53 goals per game in 2011. A trio of preseason first team All-Southland Conference selections pace the Lady Lion offense. Senior forward Maiya Cooper returns after leading the team with 12 goals and 30 points a season ago, along with a pair of fellow 2011 team leaders in junior midfielder Kelsey Salcido (10 goals, eight assists) and senior forward Karly Dagys (five goals, single-season school record 12 assists).
 
The Lady Lions allowed less than a goal per match a season ago and are expected to be strong defensively once again in 2012. Junior Shanyce Shaw, a preseason All-Southland second team choice, is the top returner on the back line. Versatile senior Lauren Stillians, primarily a midfielder during her Southeastern career, will also solidify the team's last line of defense.
 
In net, Southeastern will feature one of the top tandems in program history. Senior Lacey Bockhaus returns after missing 2011 and enters her final campaign with a Southland record 30 career shutouts. Fellow senior Cassie Northrup also returns after posting a 0.98 goals against average and five shutouts in place of Bockhaus last season.
 
Southeastern will be facing a Mississippi State squad that returns 15 letter winners from last season's 6-10-3 team. Junior forward Elisabeth Sullivan (five goals, three assists in 2011) and senior midfielder Jasmine Simmons (five goals, two assists) are the top returning scorers for the Bulldogs. Senior Skylar Rosson is back in net for MSU, having posted a 1.55 goals against average and four shutouts in 2011.
 
Southeastern is 0-2 all-time versus Mississippi State, having fallen to the Bulldogs in 1995 and 1996. The Lady Lions are facing a Southeastern Conference opponent for the first time since a 4-1 home loss to Arkansas on Aug. 27, 2006. Southeastern's only win against the SEC in program history was a 3-1 win at LSU on Aug. 29, 1999.
 
The Lady Lions are 12-5 all-time in season openers. Southeastern has won its last six season openers, outscoring opponents 28-1 in those victories.
 
Following Friday's match, Southeastern will return to action on Friday, Aug. 24, when it travels to Alcorn State for a 4 p.m. match in Lorman, Miss.