Ladyjacks Advance to Southland Conference Tournament
10/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 31, 2001
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With three consecutive shutouts, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team has advanced to the Southland Conference Championships. The fourth-seeded Ladyjacks will face top-seeded Southwest Texas in the opening round. The match is scheduled to begin Friday at 6:00 p.m., in San Marcos, Texas. If the Ladyjacks get by the Bobcats they will take on the winner of Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana-Monroe. The championship match will take place Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
The Ladyjacks are making their first trip to the Southland Conference Championships since the 1998 season. That year, SFA entered the tournament as the regular season conference champion. SFA also entered the 1997 tournament as the league's top seeded team.
Freshman Kendra Cannon (Kilgore, Texas) had a reccord-setting rookie season for the purple and white. She set SFA single-season records for goals (14), points (32) and game-winning goals (four). Cannon has also tied the career records for goals and game-winning goals. She has an outside shot to break the career points record with a strong showing in the league tournament. Cannon, along with freshmen Christy Mestayer (Houston, Texas) and Nicole Richardson (Mansfield, Texas) are on pace to break the single-season assist record. Senior Elizabeth Evatt broke career records for minutes played (4781:02) and shutouts (20.5)
Sophomore Kendra Cannon is leading the conference in goals (14) and goals per game (.77). She is second in the conference with 18 points and 1.50 points per game. Cannon is leading the league (in conference matches only) in shots per game (4.00), points (32), points per game (1.72), goals (14), goals per game (.78) and is tied for first in game-winning goals (four). She is also second in the league with 72 shots.
Freshman Kendra Cannon was named Southland Conference offensive player of the week for her performance in the Ladyjacks final week of the season. Senior Elizabeth Evatt earned league defensive player of the week honors for her role in the Ladyjacks matches the week of Sept. 4 and Oct. 2.
The champion of the Southland Conference Championships will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Championships.
"This team is a 360 degree turnaround from last season's team," said SFA head coach Lance Noble. "This says a lot for our young players, because we are a young team. This also says a lot for our senior leadership."
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