BEAUMONT, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University women's soccer team suffered a 2-1 loss to Lamar in the quarterfinals of the Southland Conference Women's Soccer Championship Tournament Tuesday night in the LU Soccer Complex.

No. 3 Southeastern (6-8-4, 5-3-2 SLC) ended its 2025 season in an upset loss against No. 6 Lamar (7-7-5, 4-3-4 SLC) to cut its SLC Tournament run. The Cardinals gained the early advantage as they worked to extend their lead later in the second half. Sophomore Lainey Connell stepped up for SLU as she posted the lone goal of the match, in an effort to provide a spark of momentum late in the match. Lady Lion goalkeeper Kendall Curran finished with six saves, playing all 90 minutes in the net.

Both teams came out aggressive in the opening minutes of the match, battling to find their rhythm early. Southeastern gained the upper hand, securing the tempo of the match as Lamar battled to contain its offensive attacks. The Lady Lions pressured Cardinal goalkeeper Eloise Bywater with a busy night in the net as she recorded 10 saves. SLU posted a 7-6 shot advantage in the first half, but could not capitalize. 

Lamar struck first in the 30th minute of the match as Kamryn Harvey connected in the back of the net off a header to gain the lead, 1-0. Southeastern fought to answer, but the Cardinals maintained their defensive pressure to limit opportunities around the net. Lamar tightly held on to its momentum throughout the first half, as the Lady Lions battled to equalize the match with narrow misses. SLU closed out the first half with six shots and a 1-0 edge in corner kick opportunities over Lamar.

The Cardinals turned up their intensity early in the second half as they worked to extend their lead. Kaitlyn Niemeyer claimed her first goal of the season off an assist by Anneliese Switzer in the 68th minute of the match, 2-0. Niemeyer compounded Lamar's lead in the second half with all the momentum in its favor. Southeastern quickly battled to chip away at the Cardinals lead, but the offensive woes continued with empty attacks around the net.

In the final minutes of the contest, Connell launched a shot in the back of the net in the 82nd minute of the match to keep the Lady Lions hopes alive. SLU turned up its pressure in the last few minutes as it fought to equalize the match down the stretch. Southeastern claimed an 18-10 shot advantage in the second half, but could not tie the match to force overtime.

SLU closed out the 2025 season with 21 goals and 92 shots on goal off 196 shots around the net. The Lady Lions recorded 14 assists and 85 corners along with their best conference record under head coach Nathan Gillespie's leadership. Freshman Alexandra Knight led SLU with four goals and one game winner while Curran led the team with 1,620 minutes played this season.

SLU – 1 0 – 1 - 1 (6-8-4, 5-3-2 SLC)

LU – 2 1 – 1 – 2 (7-7-5, 4-3-4  SLC)

Scoring Summary

1. 30:13 – LU – Kamryn Harvey  (1) – Assisted: Sydney Williams

2. 68:43 – LU – Kaitlyn Niemeyer (1) – Assisted: Anneliese Switzer

3. 82:11 – SLU – Lainey Connell (1) – Unassisted

Shots – SLU 25, LU 16

Saves – LU 10, SLU 6

Corner Kicks – SLU 5, LU 4

Fouls – LU 10, SLU 10

Offsides – LU 1, SLU 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
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