BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's soccer team looks to stay alive for a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament when it travels to Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. Wednesday to open the final week of the regular season.
 
LU wraps up the regular season with a game at McNeese State at 7 p.m. Friday. Wednesday's game against HBU was originally scheduled for this past Sunday, but was postponed because of heavy rains in the Houston area.
 
The Cardinals (6-11,-1 overall, 2-6-1 Southland) need to win their remaining two games and get some help on the out-of-town scoreboard to get into this year's tournament. LU has seven points, five behind Nicholls, which currently holds the sixth, and final, tournament berth with 12 points. The Cardinals must also leap past Central Arkansas (10 points), McNeese State (nine points) and Northwestern State (nine points). All of those teams have just one game remaining.
 
"We've got our work cut out for us," LU coach Orlando Cervantes said. "We've played some close games, where we just haven't had things go our way. We need to make things happen this week."
 
It won't be an easy task against HBU, the defending Southland Conference Tournament champion. The Huskies (9-4-1, 7-20) are in second place in the conference. They have already secured a first-round bye in the tournament, but are just two points behind Stephen F. Austin for the regular-season title.
 
The Huskies are led offensively by freshman Sabriah Spencer, who has 19 points on nine goals and one assist. Ellee Hall has 12 points on three goals and six assists.
 
"HBU is a good team," Cervantes said. "We can't worry about that. We just have to play the way we are capable of playing."
 
The Cardinals, who have scored a school-record 43 goals this season, are led offensively by freshman Jordan Mulnix, who set the LU single-season scoring record with 28 points when she picked up an assist in Friday's heartbreaking 2-1 loss at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Mulnix's 12 goals this season are tied for the school record with Kimmy Albeno, who set the standard in 2012.
 
"Jordan has had a great freshman season," Cervantes said. "She just keeps getting better."
 
LU goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy is on the verge of setting a school record for most saves in a season. Lovejoy's 140 saves, which are second in the nation this season, are seven shy of the school mark of 147 saves set in 2007 by Kelsie Binetti.
 
Cervantes hopes that Friday's finale at McNeese State proves to be a crucial game. LU is 3-5 all-time against the Cowgirls, but claimed a 2-0 win the last time the teams met at Cowgirl Field, back on Oct. 18, 2013.
 
"McNeese State is a rivalry game, but Friday could be for more than just bragging rights," Cervantes said. "I could be a crucial game for both teams."
 
The Cowgirls are led offensively by Gabi D'Alessandro, who has 12 points on four goals and four assists.