CONWAY, Ark. – Maggie Ramsey scored an early goal off a pass from Gisenia Utreras and Hope Sabadash and the Southeastern Louisiana defense staved off a barrage of shots by top-seeded Stephen F. Austin to advance to the Southland Conference Tournament championship game with a 1-0 semifinal victory at Central Arkansas' Bill Stephens Soccer Complex Friday evening.
 
The Ladyjacks out-shot the Lady Lions 20-13 but Sabadash came up with seven saves to preserve the shutout, her ninth of the season, tied for fourth most in school history.
 
"It was a great defensive effort by everyone," Southeastern head coach Blake Hornbuckle said. "A lot of time when a shutout occurs, it's really the whole team's effort. The back line was fantastic. They bent but they didn't break. The entire team's defensive effort was big-time tonight because Stephen F. Austin is a very talented team."
 
Fourth-seeded Southeastern (13-4-3) will play No. 3 Sam Houston State, a 2-0 winner over No. 2 Houston Baptist later Friday, in the finals Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner gets the conference's automatic bid into the first round of the Women's College Cup, scheduled for Nov. 15-17.
 
The Lady Lions will be out for its fourth conference tournament title after winning in 1998, 2009 and '13.
 
Southeastern got on the board 7:24 into Friday's match when Ana Zadro played a ball in the corner and sent it across the box. Utreras flipped it to Ramsey who headed it past Allyson Smith into the left side of the net for her seventh goal of the season and second of the tournament, giving the Lady Lions a 1-0 lead. Utreras recorded her ninth assist of the season, tying her for eighth on the Lady Lions' season list while also moving into fourth with her 33rd point.
 
"That was big-time in the game," Hornbuckle said of the goal. "We had a great shot in the first five minutes of the game their keeper saved and to finish one about eight minutes in really set a great tone for us."

After Sabadash saved a shot by Chantal Curry at the 10:01 mark, Southeastern nearly made it 2-0 when Katie Noonan sent a long throw in from the right corner to Ramsey in front of the net. Ramsey headed in the shot but had it go off the left post at the 23:40 mark.
 
Stephen F. Austin (9-8-3) also had a close call at the 26:36 mark as Bailey Bosley took a corner from Hanna Barker and headed it just wide of the left post.
 
Smith stopped a shot by Sofia Olsson at 29:12. The Ladyjacks then sent in a flurry of shots two minutes later. A header by Amanda Doyle off a Barker corner was deflected away by the Southeastern defense. After Sabadash knocked away a shot by Kelly Ann Craig, Doyle had another header off a corner from Barker saved by the Lady Lions. Sabadash then saved a third attempt by Doyle at the 33:47 mark.
 
SFA out-shot Southeastern 8-4 in the half, including 5-2 on shots on goal.
 
The shots kept coming as the second half opened. Lillie Ehlert in for Smith at keeper, pulled in a corner from Zadro at the 48:27 mark. Sabadash then saved an attempt by Craig before Ehlert stopped one by Zadro at 51:50.
 
On the counter, Sabadash dove to her left to stop of a shot by Lauren Hall at the 52:51 mark after she took a cross from Madison Hall. Lauren Hall then missed high on a header before Madison Hall sent one wide at 54:25.
 
Sabadash came away with another save of a Craig shot at 60:30. A header by Rachel Owens was blocked and Madison Hall sent the follow up wide at 63:59. Ehlert stopped a header by Elizabeth McMurray at 68:14, then saved an attempt by Utreras three minutes later.
 
Ehlert made a diving stop at the net as Utreras came in one-on-one with 12 minutes remaining. After Sabadash denied an attempt by Curry at 81:23, Southeastern regained control as Ehlert saved a shot by McMurray and Marisa Rodrigues sent a shot wide. Ehlert finished with six saves.
 
Stephen F. Austin sent in one last flurry in the final minutes. A shot by Madison Hall was knocked out by the Southeastern defense. Owens then had her header blocked off the corner by Hall and Craig's follow was deflected away with 1:34 remaining.