CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University women's soccer closed out its 2024 season in overtime with a tough 2-1 loss to Northwestern State in the opening round of the SLC Soccer Tournament Tuesday afternoon in Dugan Stadium.
Southeastern (6-9-2) gained an early advantage and held Northwestern State (11-7-2) scoreless the entire first half, but could not contain the Lady Demons surge of momentum in overtime. Newcomer of the Year
Kendall Curran closed out the match with a heroic effort in the net to tie her season high of seven saves for the third time this season.
The Lady Lions came out to an aggressive start in the opening minutes to set the pace of the contest. Southeastern worked to pressure Northwestern State early with a defensive press to create chaos for the Lady Demons. SLU'S aggression proved to be rewarding in the 21
st minute of the match as
Katie Brown showcased exceptional footwork to connect in the net, 1-0. SLC Second Team All-Conference Selection
Hannah McCord coordinated the attack to set up Brown for her second goal of the season.
With a spark of early momentum, SLU continued to stay aggressive with a few narrow shots on goal to keep Northwestern State on edge. Southeastern's backline of defense hustled to interrupt every opportunity for the Lady Demons around the net. The Lady Lions valued each possession while managing the clock to keep their lead going into the halftime break.
Southeastern returned from the break with the same intensity in the opening minutes of the second half looking to secure its 1-0 lead. SLU's defensive front continued to deny Northwestern State's opportunities with its scrappy defense. In the 73
rd minute of the match, the Lady Demons break free to equalize the game with a goal by Dawson Marrs.
The Lady Lions worked quickly in hopes to break Northwestern State's newfound momentum to regain the lead. Both teams fought to gain the upper hand to close out the match, but was forced into overtime.
Northwestern State came out aggressive in the opening minutes of the first quarter of overtime with multiple corner kick opportunities. Southeastern's defense held strong and blocked any opportunities around the net. The Lady Lions formulated multiple counter attacks, but could capitalize to secure the win.
Southeastern continued to hold Northwestern State scoreless in the start of the second quarter of overtime, but the Lady Demons would not be denied. SLC First Team All-Conference selection Taylor Spitzer found the net in the 104
th minute of the match from an assist by Alina Graf to claim the win for NSU. SLU would have no opportunity to equalize the game, as Spitzer's golden goal sealed the deal.
Northwestern State goalkeeper Libe Banuelos finished the match with three saves as the Lady Demons advanced to the semifinals of the SLC Soccer Tournament to face SFA Thursday at 4 p.m.
The Lady Lions end the 2024 season in the SLC Tournament and have clinched a bid the last four years.
SLU – 1 0 – 0 - 1 (6-9-2, 5-4-1 SLC)
NSU – 0 1 – 1 – 2 (11-7-2, 6-3-1 SLC)
Scoring Summary
1. 21:30 – SLU –
Katie Brown (2) – Assist:
Hannah McCord
2. 73:47 – NSU – Dawson Marrs (2) – Assist: Paige Baumgartner
3. 104:03 – NSU – Taylor Sptizer (7) – Assisted: Alina Graf
Shots – NSU 13, SLU 8
Saves – SLU 7, NSU 3
Corner Kicks – NSU 12, SLU 1
Fouls – NSU 11, SLU 10
Offsides – SLU 4, NSU 1
SCORE ONE MORE CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the women's soccer program are encouraged to join the Score One More Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners. All membership fees and donations to Score One More Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern soccer program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at
laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting
www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Soccer, follow @LionUpSoccer and @Nathan90G on X, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and follow slusoccer on Instagram.
