BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar Cardinals moved into the sixth and final spot for a berth in next month’s Southland Conference Tournament after battling to a scoreless tie with visiting Incarnate Word on Sunday. However, Lamar (7-9-2 overall, 4-5-2 Southland) will still need some help on the final week of the season.

Lamar, which wraps up its regular season at Central Arkansas on Friday, has 14 points with one game remaining. Northwestern State (4-5-1) has 13 points, but has a game in hand on the Cardinals. The Cardinals sit one point5 behind Sam Houston State and Nicholls, who both have 15 points with two games remaining. Those two teams meet on the final day of the season on Nov. 3.

“We just have to win and see what happens,” Lamar coach Orlando Cervantes said. “Obviously, it would have been big to get the win and three points today.”

Bailey Fontenot made nine saves for Lamar for her fourth shutout of the season and the 10^th of her career.

“I thought Bailey came up big for us,” Cervantes said. “She played with a lot of confidence.”

Lamar appeared to have taken a 1-0 lead late in regulation when Kristin Bos rifled home a perfect pass from Jannet Hernandez past Incarnate Word goalkeeper Heather Kowalik, but the play was ruled offside. It was one of seven times the Cardinals were whistled for being offside on the day.

Kowalik made eight saves on the day, including the only two in overtime for Incarnate Word (9-6-2, 3-5-2), to keep the Cardinals at bay.

“I thought we looked a little tired today,” Cervantes said. “We had such a big win on Friday (2-1 over Abilene Christian on Senior Night). Maybe that took a little out of us. We had a couple of chances early. If we bury one of those, I think it’s a different game.”

Now the Cardinals set their sights on Central Arkansas and hope for some help on the out-of-town scoreboard.

“We’ll get back to work on Tuesday, and we’ll be ready for Central Arkansas,” Cervantes said.

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