BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University's soccer team got the new athletics calendar out to a good start Wednesday by knocking off Conference USA preseason favorite Rice in an exhibition at the LU Soccer Complex. Big Red posted a 3-2 victory over the Owls in front of the hometown fans.
 
The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Rice battled back to tie the game in the 50^th minute of action. The rally would go no further as LU closed out the game with a goal in the 84^th minute.
 
"What a great exhibition this was tonight," said LU head coach Steve Holeman. "Rice is one of the top teams in Conference USA. They were picked to win it all again this year and the way they played tonight they may do that. This is a confidence builder for us, but at the end of the day we know it's just an exhibition."
 
Sophomore Lucy Ashworth got the offense started with a goal in the 15^th minute of action on a pass from classmate Madison Ledet. It was one of two first-half goals for the Cardinals who never trailed and took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.
 
The Cardinals' second goal came just 12 minutes later when sophomore Hailey Loupe came in off the bench and inserted herself into the offense. Loupe took a pass from Michele Scholz and buried it in the back of the net.
 
Rice answered with goals from Madison Kent and Marissa Topolski to even things up at 2 with just over 40 minutes remaining in the contest. The game would stay knotted at 2 for more than 33 minutes as the contest appeared to be headed for overtime. Ledet put any thoughts of an extra stanza away when she scored the gamewinner with less than seven minutes on the clock.
 
"I think we did a nice job of putting the ball in the back of the net, but our defense isn't quite there yet," said Holeman, who is entering his third year with the team. "From our midfield defending to our back four, we still need to be more organized. We also need to be able to organize our forwards. There was about a 25-30 minute span where Rice dominated us in the midfield and that is where we need to be a little stronger.
 
"Having said that, I was pleased with our efficiency and being able to finish. We got to see a lot of newcomers tonight, and started three freshmen, including Juana Plata, who is a freshman forward but we had to put her at left back tonight due to some injuries and she did extremely well," added Holeman.
 
The Cardinals will now have nine days to prepare for the season opener Friday, Aug. 17 against Grambling State. The 7 p.m. contest against the Tigers will be one of two homes games to start the season before a two-game road swing through the state of Oklahoma.
 
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