BEAUMONT, Texas – Another solid effort was enough for the Lamar University Cardinals in a 1-0 loss to visiting Sam Houston State in a Southland Conference women's soccer game Sunday.
 
For the second straight game, one breakdown proved to be costly for the Cardinals. The Bearkats scored the game's only goal just 50 seconds into the second half as Mariah Titus lofted a free kick toward the LU goal that somehow managed to elude everybody but Sam Houston State's Maddy Panozzo, who slammed the ball into the gaping open net for her first goal of the season.
 
"We took a bad foul and then we couldn't clear the ball," lamented LU coach Orlando Cervantes. "I've said before that good teams punish you for your mistakes, and that's what happened again today."
 
The Cardinals (6-8-0 overall, 2-3-0 Southland) have lost three straight games, while Sam Houston State (7-4-1, 4-1-0)  won its third consecutive game to remain in a tie for second place in the conference.
 
Both teams had their opportunities on Sunday in a game that saw both goalkeepers come up with some enormous saves. Lu goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy made 10 saves as she pushed her conference-leading total to 98 on the season. Kylie Hambleton made seven saves to get the shutout for Sam Houston State.
 
"Give their goalkeeper some credit, she made some big saves," Cervantes said of Hambleton. "It could have been a different game if we score on one of those early opportunities."
 
LU's best chance in the first half came a little more than 14 minutes in when Alexus Aviles' header had Hambleton beaten, but clanged off the post to LU's Morgan Burden, who was robbed by Hambleton.
 
Lovejoy made some sparkling saves of her own, twice stoning Sam Houston State's Allie Johnson, who had glittering scoring opportunities.
 
Ocampo led LU with three shots on goal. Marie Lund came up with two enormous blocked shots defensively for the Cardinals.
 
LU returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday when it travels to Southeastern Louisiana for a game on the artificial turf of Strawberry Stadium, the school's football stadium which is serving as the temporary home for the Lady Lions while Southeastern Louisiana's soccer facility is being refurbished.
 
"I'm hoping we can practice on the turf at Provost Umphrey Stadium one day this week so we can get used to being on turf," Cervantes said. "It's a much different, much faster game on that surface."