BEAUMONT, Texas – Marie Lund couldn't remember ever jumping higher or scoring a bigger goal in her life than what she did Sunday afternoon to lift the Lamar University Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the visiting Abilene Christian Wildcats at the LU Soccer Complex.
 
The senior defender outleaped the opposition to score on a header with 2:17 remaining in regulation to snap a 2-2 tie and give the Cardinals their school-record 12^th win of the season.
 
"I just wanted it more," Lund said of her game-winning goal. "It was a great feeling when the ball went in."
 
"It looked Marie was on a trampoline," LU coach Steve Holeman said. "That was a great effort on her part."
 
The play started when freshman Lucy Ashworth launched a corner kick from the right side into the box. Lund managed to get higher than the ACU defenders and headed it past ACU goalkeeper Erin Smith.
 
Lucy gave mea great pass," Lund said. "It was right where I wanted it."
 
With the win, the Cardinals (12-3-1 overall, 7-1-0 Southland Conference) remained tied with McNeese for first place in the conference standings with three games remaining. LU's seven conference wins this season are also a school record.
 
"This is a very special group," Holeman said. "Every game we play we have some special motivation. It's great to set the record, but we're motivated to win the conference."
 
LU had a 2-0 lead on Sunday, only to see the Wildcats (6-9-0, 4-4-0) score twice within a span of 9:20 late in the second half to tie the game at 2.
 
"We knew this wasn't going to be a 1-0 game," Holeman said. "They do a good job of controlling the ball, and they can be dangerous. We knew this wouldn't be easy."
 
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead just 36 seconds before halftime when Juli Rocha's header off a corner kick by Rubi Villegas somehow trickled through Smith's legs and over the line.
 
"Getting that goal just before half was huge," Holeman said. "That gave us some confidence."
 
The Cardinals made it 2-0 a little more than 15 minutes into the second half on Kelso Peskin's team-leading sixth goal of the year. Peskin took a pass from Juliana Ocampo and blasted it past Smith from close range.
 
The Wildcats got on the board a little less than seven minutes later when Shay Johnson scored from a scramble in front of LU goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy. ACU tied it with 13:20 remaining in the second half when Christina Arteaga launched a rocket that beat Lovejoy inside the far post.
 
"We didn't adjust well to their possessions at times," Holeman said. "But give ACU credit. They played well."
 
And just when it appeared that the Cardinals were headed to their first overtime game in conference play this season, Lund came through in the clutch.
 
"We have been great on set pieces this season," Holeman said. "We scored two from corner kicks today. Give Lucy and Marie credit for that goal. It was a beautiful serve and a beautiful finish."
 
Lovejoy made nine saves as she picked up her school-record 12^th win of the campaign. Smith made four saves for ACU, which outshot LU 22-12.
 
Having already clinched a berth in next month's Southland Conference Tournament, the Cardinals now have their sights set on the first regular-season conference title in program history.  LU is at Houston Baptist on Friday and at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Oct. 22 before closing out the season against archrival McNeese in what could be a huge showdown at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the LU Soccer Complex on Senior Night.
 
"This is a special group," Holeman said. "I am so proud of them. What they have accomplished this season is tremendous."
 
For tickets to the McNeese game, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. Tickets are available at the Montagne Center ticket office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets are available at the LU Soccer Complex one hour prior to kickoff. LU students receive free admission with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Card Club members are admitted for free with their membership badge.