Box Score BEAUMONT, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University women's soccer team fell 1-0 to the Lamar Cardinals Thursday evening at the LU Soccer Complex.
SLU (3-6-3, 2-2-1 SLC) suffered its second Southland Conference loss of the season against Lamar (5-5-4, 2-1-3 SLC) as it opened week four of league play. The Cardinals struck first late in the first half of the match as the Lady Lions fell short on the road with its first conference shutout loss of the season.
Lamar came out aggressive on their home field to control the tempo of the match in the opening minutes. The Cardinals early in the first half worked to pressure Southeastern's defense with multiple threatening offensive attacks around the net. SLU quickly worked to match the hosts' intensity with a series of counter attacks of its own. Freshman Alexandra Knight looked to carry over her momentum from the last match and provided a spark of momentum for the Lady Lions with a shot on goal, but could not connect.
Lamar remained poised as it continued to be aggressive with an 8-3 shots advantage in the first half, keeping Southeastern goalkeeper Kendall Curran busy all 90 minutes of the match with seven saves. The Cardinals pushed to formulate an attack midway in the first half as Lauren Fincher connected in the net in the 29th minute for the first time this season to secure the lead, 1-0. SLU sensed the shift of momentum in Lamar's favor as it attempted two more shots to close out the first half, but could not capitalize to equalize the match before halftime.
The Lady Lions returned to the pitch from the halftime break with a different level of intensity as they fought to put pressure on the Cardinals' defense. Southeastern settled into the rhythm of the match early in the second half as it quickened the tempo of offensive attacks. SLU battled to launch five shots with three shots on goal in the second half alone. Senior Emma Ramsey and junior newcomer Loegan Alia worked to strike in the net, but Lamar goalkeeper Eloise Bywater denied both opportunities to finish with three saves in the match. Both teams continued to fight midway in the second half as the Cardinals remained relentless in working to extend their lead.
Southeastern gained promising possessions late in the second half as freshman Aja Nelson broke free with a solid push up the field, but Lamar worked to stop the run short. The Cardinals held strong to defend its home field with an 11-5 shot advantage in the second half to close out the match. Though SLU refused to back down, the visitors could not connect with promising opportunities around the net. The Lady Lions finished the match with eight shots, four shots on goal and four corner kicks on the road.
SLU will return back to Hammond, America to host Nicholls Sunday at 5 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium for the fifth annual Crystal Cup rivalry. Fans are encouraged to support the Lady Lions for bragging rights as they look to keep the Crystal Cup trophy in Hammond, La. Sunday's match against the Colonels will be streamed on ESPN+.
SLU – 0 0 – 0 - 0 (3-6-3, 2-2-1 SLC)
LU – 1 1 – 0 – 1 (5-5-4, 2-1-3 SLC)
Scoring Summary
1. 29:49 – LU – Lauren Fincher (1) – Assist: Lauren Smith
Shots – LU 19, SLU 8
Saves – SLU 7 , LU 4
Corner Kicks – LU 6, SLU 4
Fouls – LU 8, SLU 8
Offsides – SLU 2, LU 0
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.
