Friday, September 29
Lake Charles, LA
7:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
at
McNeese
Ladyjacks Hit the Road for Matchups With McNeese, Lamar Over Weekend
9/27/2017 11:09:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SFA is tied for second in Southland Conference standings
Friday vs. McNeese
7:00 p.m | Lake Charles, La. | Cowgirl Field
Live stats | Video | Game Notes | 2017 Soccer Media Guide
Sunday vs. Lamar
1:00 p.m | Beaumont,Texas | LU Soccer Complex
Live stats | Game Notes | 2017 Soccer Media Guide
NACOGDOCHES, Texas—The Southland Conference regular season championship may be weeks away yet, but for the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team, a pair of weekend road matches stand in the way of proving they belong in the conversation. On paper, the matches against first-place McNeese and a successful Lamar squad look to be uphill battles for the Ladyjacks, who are looking to create separation in the league table in the midst of a five-way tie for second place at 2-1 in Southland play.
After capping off a four-game homestand with a conference win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Sunday, momentum is with SFA as they look to be the ones to spoil McNeese's undefeated record in Southland play. After taking care of business in Lake Charles, the team will travel to Beaumont to face a Lamar side that has turned some heads with a 7-3-1 record (2-1 Conf.) despite being picked to finish eighth in the Southland coaches preseason poll. Both teams have obvious strengths this season, as McNeese is ranked sixth nationally in goals-against-average and has allowed just three scores all season. On the flip side, Lamar is ranked second in Southland play in total goals this season with 22, a figure that ranks 37th nationally.
Friday's match will be a clash between two all-too-familiar opponents, as McNeese and SFA will square off for the 36th meeting between the teams all-time. SFA has historically gotten the better of the Cowgirls, owning a 26-6-3 record in the series, which includes 12 straight wins by the Ladyjacks dating back to 2007. The Cowgirls dropped both decisions to SFA last season, first a 2-0 loss in Nacogdoches and then again in a 4-2 loss in Corpus Christi in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinal.
The biggest strength for the Cowgirls this season has been a stalwart defense, which has yielded just 106 shots to opposing teams this season. Freshman goalkeeper Emma Roccaforte has done the rest, allowing just two goals in her six starts for a 0.30 goals-against-average. Just one of the Cowgirls three goals allowed has come in Southland play, as Northwestern State slipped one past Roccaforte in Friday's 2-1 win over the Lady Demons. The one goal allowed in conference play ties SFA for the lowest mark of all teams through the first three games, while the Cowgirls are far and away the overall leader in goals allowed among Southland teams on the season.
"They've shown good defensive tendencies in every year we play them", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "They're big, strong kids that compete hard and are physical. They're going to be very motivated and committed to make a major move, because they understand that this weekend is a very big weekend for them as well. Savannah LaRicci is a very good player, the type of player that has defined that program for several years now, and she's got some good talent around her. They attack well out of the back line, play really well at home and are going to challenge us."
Offensively, the Cowgirls bring a successful offense to bear, as a 1-2 punch of senior LaRicci and Havana Johnson, both five-goal scorers who are in the top five in points among Southland players. LaRicci has proven herself both a scorer and a distributor, dishing out four assists in addition to her five goals, and remains the focal point of the Cowgirl offense. The Cowgirls scored 10 of their 16 goals this season in a three-game stretch against SWAC opponents Southern and Prairie View A&M, and Southland opponent Southeastern Louisiana.
Sunday's opponent, Lamar, represents another tough test for the Ladyjacks. Lamar is a dangerous offense highlighted by Southland points leader Kelso Peskin and complimented by Lucy Ashworth. Both players have tallied four goals to tie for the team lead, but have also shown an ability to get teammates involved on the attack, as Peskin leads the Southland with six assists on the season, and Ashworth is tied for fourth with three helpers. While not as effective in limiting their opponents on offense as McNeese, Lamar (12 goals allowed this season) has relied on veteran goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy for every minute of action in net this season. Lovejoy has tallied five shutouts during that span, but has also given up multiple goals in three games this season, all losses.
"They have some really good players up front, and they've gotten some good results thanks to a dangerous front line", said Crittenden. "They'll be well organized on Sunday, they'll be confident and ready to play to try and make a statement in conference play."
Sunday's matchup will be made more interesting by the current state of the all-time series between the teams. SFA has won every one of the eleven total matches between the teams, including equal 5-0 records at home and away.
Heading into the weekend's matches, Lamar finds itself in the same five-way logjam for second place that SFA is part of. Five teams sit at 2-1 behind McNeese, and four of those teams (Central Arkansas, Lamar, Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin) will play another in one of the two matches this weekend, presenting an opportunity to shake things up in the league table. Of course, a win in either of the weekend's matches would be a solid result, but for SFA to carry momentum forward towards qualifying for the Southland Tournament, a win in both matches is absolutely and undoubtedly the goal.
Fans can follow along with live stats and video (when available) via the links at the top of this story, as well as through links on the SFA Soccer schedule page at sfajacks.com. Game progress updates in real time can be found by following @SFA_Soccer on Twitter.
-SFA-
7:00 p.m | Lake Charles, La. | Cowgirl Field
Live stats | Video | Game Notes | 2017 Soccer Media Guide
Sunday vs. Lamar
1:00 p.m | Beaumont,Texas | LU Soccer Complex
Live stats | Game Notes | 2017 Soccer Media Guide
NACOGDOCHES, Texas—The Southland Conference regular season championship may be weeks away yet, but for the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team, a pair of weekend road matches stand in the way of proving they belong in the conversation. On paper, the matches against first-place McNeese and a successful Lamar squad look to be uphill battles for the Ladyjacks, who are looking to create separation in the league table in the midst of a five-way tie for second place at 2-1 in Southland play.
After capping off a four-game homestand with a conference win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Sunday, momentum is with SFA as they look to be the ones to spoil McNeese's undefeated record in Southland play. After taking care of business in Lake Charles, the team will travel to Beaumont to face a Lamar side that has turned some heads with a 7-3-1 record (2-1 Conf.) despite being picked to finish eighth in the Southland coaches preseason poll. Both teams have obvious strengths this season, as McNeese is ranked sixth nationally in goals-against-average and has allowed just three scores all season. On the flip side, Lamar is ranked second in Southland play in total goals this season with 22, a figure that ranks 37th nationally.
Friday's match will be a clash between two all-too-familiar opponents, as McNeese and SFA will square off for the 36th meeting between the teams all-time. SFA has historically gotten the better of the Cowgirls, owning a 26-6-3 record in the series, which includes 12 straight wins by the Ladyjacks dating back to 2007. The Cowgirls dropped both decisions to SFA last season, first a 2-0 loss in Nacogdoches and then again in a 4-2 loss in Corpus Christi in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinal.
The biggest strength for the Cowgirls this season has been a stalwart defense, which has yielded just 106 shots to opposing teams this season. Freshman goalkeeper Emma Roccaforte has done the rest, allowing just two goals in her six starts for a 0.30 goals-against-average. Just one of the Cowgirls three goals allowed has come in Southland play, as Northwestern State slipped one past Roccaforte in Friday's 2-1 win over the Lady Demons. The one goal allowed in conference play ties SFA for the lowest mark of all teams through the first three games, while the Cowgirls are far and away the overall leader in goals allowed among Southland teams on the season.
"They've shown good defensive tendencies in every year we play them", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "They're big, strong kids that compete hard and are physical. They're going to be very motivated and committed to make a major move, because they understand that this weekend is a very big weekend for them as well. Savannah LaRicci is a very good player, the type of player that has defined that program for several years now, and she's got some good talent around her. They attack well out of the back line, play really well at home and are going to challenge us."
Offensively, the Cowgirls bring a successful offense to bear, as a 1-2 punch of senior LaRicci and Havana Johnson, both five-goal scorers who are in the top five in points among Southland players. LaRicci has proven herself both a scorer and a distributor, dishing out four assists in addition to her five goals, and remains the focal point of the Cowgirl offense. The Cowgirls scored 10 of their 16 goals this season in a three-game stretch against SWAC opponents Southern and Prairie View A&M, and Southland opponent Southeastern Louisiana.
Sunday's opponent, Lamar, represents another tough test for the Ladyjacks. Lamar is a dangerous offense highlighted by Southland points leader Kelso Peskin and complimented by Lucy Ashworth. Both players have tallied four goals to tie for the team lead, but have also shown an ability to get teammates involved on the attack, as Peskin leads the Southland with six assists on the season, and Ashworth is tied for fourth with three helpers. While not as effective in limiting their opponents on offense as McNeese, Lamar (12 goals allowed this season) has relied on veteran goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy for every minute of action in net this season. Lovejoy has tallied five shutouts during that span, but has also given up multiple goals in three games this season, all losses.
"They have some really good players up front, and they've gotten some good results thanks to a dangerous front line", said Crittenden. "They'll be well organized on Sunday, they'll be confident and ready to play to try and make a statement in conference play."
Sunday's matchup will be made more interesting by the current state of the all-time series between the teams. SFA has won every one of the eleven total matches between the teams, including equal 5-0 records at home and away.
Heading into the weekend's matches, Lamar finds itself in the same five-way logjam for second place that SFA is part of. Five teams sit at 2-1 behind McNeese, and four of those teams (Central Arkansas, Lamar, Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin) will play another in one of the two matches this weekend, presenting an opportunity to shake things up in the league table. Of course, a win in either of the weekend's matches would be a solid result, but for SFA to carry momentum forward towards qualifying for the Southland Tournament, a win in both matches is absolutely and undoubtedly the goal.
Fans can follow along with live stats and video (when available) via the links at the top of this story, as well as through links on the SFA Soccer schedule page at sfajacks.com. Game progress updates in real time can be found by following @SFA_Soccer on Twitter.
-SFA-
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