BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women’s soccer team, fresh off its first victory of the season, continues its five-game road swing with a non-conference game at Southern Mississippi at 4 p.m. Friday.

The Cardinals (1-5-0) broke into the win column with a 3-0 victory at Southern University on Monday morning. M.J. Eckart scored twice for LU in the win, while freshman goalkeeper Rachel Gries made six saves to register her first career win and first career shutout.

Southern Miss (3-1-0) saw its three-game winning streak snapped with a 1-0 loss to visiting Mississippi State on Sunday. The Golden Eagles have been getting stellar play in goal from Brittany Taylor, who has a 0.50 goals-against average with two shutouts and a .917 save percentage.

The Golden Eagles, a member of Conference USA, have outscored their opponents 4-2 on the season, with four players each having one goal apiece. Beth Coleman leads Southern Miss in scoring with three points on one goal and one assist.

Eckart leads LU in scoring with eight points. She has scored four of LU’s five goals this season, with Samantha Moreno accounting for the other LU tally. Gries leads the Southland Conference, and ranks third in the nation, with 49 saves.

Friday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

“It was great to get that first win, but we can’t be satisfied with that,” LU coach Steve Holeman said. “I saw some good things in that game, especially in the second half, but we have to build off of that. Southern Miss is another one of those tough teams we have scheduled to make us better. I am anxious to see how we respond.”

Following the game at Southern Miss, the Cardinals are idle for a week until opening the Southland Conference season at Nicholls at 4 p.m. Sept. 16. LU wraps up the road swing and the non-conference schedule at 1 p.m. Sept. 18 at LSU.

The Cardinals’ next home game is at 7 p.m. Sept. 23 against Northwestern state in a Southland Conference battle at the LU Soccer Complex to open a two-game homestand. Central Arkansas comes to LU at 1 p.m. Sept. 25.

For ticket information for all LU home games, please call 409-880-1715, or visit www.LamarCardinals.com.

LU CARDINALS

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