BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women’s soccer team puts its five-game unbeaten string on the line with a pair of Southland Conference road contests this weekend. The Cardinals (6-2-1 overall, 1-0-0 Southland) are at defending regular-season champion Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. Friday before visiting Northwestern State at 1 p.m. Sunday.

 

LU is 4-0-1 over its last five games, and opened conference play with a 3-1 home victory over Nicholls last week. The five-game unbeaten streak matches the school mark set back in 2012 when the Cardinals won five in a row. The Cardinals enter the weekend with an RPI of 126, tops among Southland Conference schools.

 

“We played a tough non-conference schedule to get us ready for tough conference road trips like this,” LU coach Steve Holeman said. “We know this is a huge challenge ahead of us this weekend.”

 

LU’s Kelso Peskin is tied for the conference lead in scoring with 10 points. Her six assists lead the SLC and rank sixth in the nation. Lucy Ashworth has seven points on a team-high three goals and one assist. Ashworth has two game-winning goals for the Cardinals this season, including the winning tally against Nicholls.

 

At the other end of the field, senior goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy leads the conference with five shutouts. Lovejoy, who had her school-record streak of not allowing a goal end at 458 minutes, 27 seconds, is one shutout shy of the LU single-season record set by Jennifer Gibbs in 2011 and equaled by Bailey Fontenot in 2012. Lovejoy, who has played every second for the Cardinals this season, has a 0.76 goals-against average and a save percentage of .848.

 

Central Arkansas (4-5-0, 1-0-0) has won two straight, including a 2-1 victory at Sam Houston State in the SLC opener last week.  Dayna Mounie leads the Bears in scoring with seven points on three goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Lauren Mercuri is 4-2-1 with a 1.32 goals-against average and .795 save percentage.

 

The Bears, who were picked to finish first in the conference’s preseason poll, dominated the preseason all-conference team with five first-team selections and one second-team choice.

 

“Central Arkansas has also played a tough non-conference schedule,” Holeman said. “They’re the team to beat in the Southland. If we are to get respect, we have to beat them.”

 

The Cardinals left Thursday for their 430-mile trip to Conway, Arkansas, for Friday’s game.

 

“It’s a trek to Conway, but we will have plenty of time to rest before the game,” Holman said. “Right now our focus is on Central Arkansas. We will think about Northwestern State on Saturday.”

 

The Cardinals will stay in Conway after Friday night’s game before departing for Natchitoches, Louisiana, on Saturday. Holeman plans to have the team watch film of the Lady Demons during the 310-mile bus ride from Conway to Natchitoches.

 

Northwestern State is 4-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference heading into Friday night’s home game against McNeese. The Lady Demons lead the Southland Conference with 23 goals scored, but a dozen of those came in a season-opening 12-0 win over LSU Shreveport, a first-year NAIA program.

 

The Lady Demons have three players with eight points apiece. Gabriella Gamboa has four goals, while April Trowbridge and Caché Haley each have three goals and two assists.

 

Alex Latham has seen the bulk of work at goalkeeper for the Lady Demons. Latham has a 1.65 goals-against average, three shutouts and save percentage of .815.

 

Following this weekend, the Cardinals return to Beaumont for a two-game homestand that sees them hosting Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 and Stephen F. Austin at 1 p.m. Oct. 1.

 

For ticket information for all LU home games, please call 409-880-1715, or visit www.LamarCardinals.com. Tickets are available at the Montagne Center ticket office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets are available at the LU Soccer Complex one hour prior to kickoff.

 

LU CARDINALS