HOUSTON – Kelso Peskin's goal early in the second half was all the Lamar University Cardinals needed as they extended their school-record winning streak to seven games with a 1-0 victory over Houston Baptist in Southland Conference women's soccer action Friday night.
 
With the win, the Cardinals (13-3-1 overall, 8-1-0 Southland) remained tied with McNeese for first place in the conference. McNeese was a 2-0 winner at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday.
 
"This is just a special team," LU coach Steve Holeman said of the Cardinals. "We keep finding ways to win the close games."
 
Peskin's team-leading seventh goal of the season came 3:49 into the second half as she fired a shot off the far post and into the net behind HBU goalkeeper Alanis Guevara. Amelia Fullmer and Lucy Ashworth picked up the assists.
 
"Kelso got the ball near the penalty spot and showed a lot of composure in that situation," Holeman said. "It was a great finish."
 
The Cardinals survived an early scare when the Huskies (6-6-2, 5-3-1) were awarded a penalty kick when LU was called for a handball just 66 seconds into the game. HBU's Ellee Hall was off the mark with her attempt.
 
The Cardinals outshot the Huskies 10-6 over the opening 45 minutes.
 
"Both teams had some great chances," Holeman said. "This easily could have been a 2-2 game."
 
HBU outshot LU 8-6 in the second half as LU goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy made five of her seven saves after intermission to register her school-record seventh shutout of the season. The seven shutouts as a team tie the school mark set in 2012.
 
The game got a bit chippy at times as 27 fouls were called, 15 against HBU. In addition, there were three yellow cards issued, two to HBU and one to LU.
 
"We showed a lot of grit tonight," Holeman said. "It was a good, hard-fought physical game. We played some games in the non-conference portion of our schedule to get us ready for games like this."
 
The Cardinals return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday with a game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, while McNeese is at HBU at 1 p.m. Sunday. LU wraps up the regular season by hosting McNeese at 7 p.m. Oct. 27.
 
For tickets to the McNeese game, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. Tickets are on sale at the Montagne Center ticket office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets will be available at the LU Soccer Complex one hour prior to kickoff. LU students receive free admission with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Cardinal Club members are admitted for free when they show their membership badge.