BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals look to keep their postseason hopes alive as they embark on their final road trip of the regular season this weekend.
 
LU (1-11-2 overall, 0-4-2 Southland Conference) is at Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. Friday and at Incarnate Word at 1 p.m. Sunday before returning home for the final three games of the regular season. The Cardinals are five points behind Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana, who have seven points apiece. Those two teams are tied for fifth place with five games remaining. The top six teams qualify for next month's Southland Conference Women's Soccer Tournament hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
"We still control our own destiny," LU coach Steve Holeman said. "We just have to go out and win games and not worry about what other teams are doing."
 
The Cardinals, who will have a full week of rest following last Friday's 1-1 tie vs. Southeastern Louisiana, expect to have a little more depth this weekend as midfielder Juliana Ocampo and defender Holland Ensminger have returned to the lineup from injuries. Forward Angelica Hernandez could return from injury this weekend as well.
 
"It's a good time to be getting some of these players back," Holeman said. "Playing games on Friday and Sunday is not an ideal situation, and when you don't have depth. We have some key players returning, and that is going to help."
 
M.J. Eckart leads the Cardinals in scoring with 10 points and in goals with five. Sophomore forward Jordan Mulnix, who tied a school record with 12 goals last season, has picked up a point in three of her last four games. She had an assist and a career-high seven shots in the tie against Southeastern Louisiana.
 
"Jordan created some opportunities in the last game," Holeman said of Mulnix. "She showed some good speed. We've been working on ways to get our players isolated, and she was getting chances because of that."
 
Junior goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy will make her fourth straight start for the Cardinals on Friday. Lovejoy had a season-best 11 saves in the tie against Southeastern Louisiana. For the year, Lovejoy (0-2-1) has a 1.98 goals-against average and a .795 save percentage.
 
"Lauren was solid. She made some big saves when we needed them," Holeman said. "There wasn't much she could do on their goal. A shot that deflects off the far post and bounces in is tough for any goalkeeper."
 
Abilene Christian (5-7-2, 4-1-1) would hold down the fourth spot in the conference tournament, but the Wildcats, who are in their fourth and final year of making the transition from Division II to Division I, are not eligible for the postseason.
 
Chloe Fifer leads ACU in scoring with 11 points on five goals and one assist. Natalie Throneberry is second in scoring with 10 points on three goals and four assists. ACU goalkeeper Sydney Newton is 4-4-2 with a 0.79 goals-against average. Newton has five shutouts and a save percentage of .870.
 
Abilene Christian leads the overall series with LU 2-1. Last season, the Wildcats were 6-2 winners over the Cardinals at the LU Soccer Complex.
 
LU and Incarnate Word (3-8-1, 2-4-0) will be meeting for the fourth time ever, with both teams looking for their first win over each other. The first three clashes of the Cardinals ended in ties, with the teams playing scoreless deadlocks in 2013 and 2014, before battling to a 1-1 draw last season.
 
Like Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word is in its final year of making the step up to Division I, meaning it will be eligible for postseason play beginning next season.
 
Mulnix had LU's goal in last year's tie with UIW, managing to get one past Sydney Huntsinger, who made 18 saves to keep Incarnate Word in the game.
 
Sam Bailey and Brooke Hanson share the UIW scoring lead. Both players have two goals and two assists for six points. Huntsinger is 1-6-1 with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .727 save percentage. Haley Nelson is 2-2-0 with a 1.73 goals-against average and a save percentage of .750. Each UIW goalkeeper has one shutout.
 
 
Following this weekend's road games, LU hosts a pair of Southland Conference contests next weekend. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is at the LU Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 before Houston Baptist comes to town at 1 p.m. Oct. 23. The regular season concludes when McNeese visits Lamar University at 1 p.m. Oct. 28.
 
For ticket information for all LU home games, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE.