BEAUMONT, Texas - The Lamar University soccer team (5-6, 2-1 SLC) returns to the LU Soccer Complex this weekend as they host Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State.
 
The Last Time Out - at Northwestern State and at Central Arkansas

Over the weekend in a conference double header, the Cardinals conceded an agonizing goal in the seventh minute of overtime against Northwestern State (5-6, 2-1 SLC) to lose 2-1 on Friday evening. Big Red bounced back to secure a very physical 3-2 victory against Central Arkansas (1-8-1, 0-3 SLC) on Sunday afternoon.

Friday evening's game saw sophomore Esther Okoronkwo score the game's opening goal with a 59th minute effort to break up a scoreless tie. It appeared Okoronkwo's goal would serve as the difference in the game until Northwestern State's equalizer in the closing minutes of regulation. Northwestern State went on to score the crucial goal in the 97th minute of overtime to condemn LU to their first conference defeat of the season.
 
Sunday's game at Central Arkansas proved to be an entertaining match for the fans who traveled to Conway, Ark., with a five-goal thriller and a game which tallied 34 fouls and four yellow cards. Trailing 2-0 in the second half, Lamar survived a determined start from Central Arkansas, stringing together three straight goals to win 3-2 in overtime. Goals from Lucy Ashworth and Anna Loftus meant the Cardinals were all square heading into overtime. The decisive goal came when LU drew a foul in the box, forcing a penalty kick from Okoronkwo. The redshirt junior from Richmond, Texas, made the shot and ended the game with a golden goal, giving Lamar a 3-2 win.

Lamar vs. Stephen F. Austin - October 4 at 7 p.m. - LU Soccer Complex

Friday evening's game against Stephen F. Austin will have big rivalry implications. LU is just 3-12 all-time against the Lady Jacks, but all three of those wins have come under current Big Red head coach Steve Holeman. The Cards are 3-2 against SFA under Holeman and had won three in a row before narrowly losing to the Jacks, 2-1, in the 2018 SLC tournament in Beaumont.

SFA is 4-6 overall and 1-2 in SLC play this year after losing to Northwestern State (1-0) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-0) at home and winning at home against Houston Baptist (1-0).

Wally Crittenden has been the head coach of SFA since 2013 and has led the Lady Jacks to at least 10 wins in four of those seasons. He's also won the SLC regular season title three times with two more second place finishes. Crittenden has a 77-43-10 record in that time including a 50-14-6 SLC record.

Katelyn Termini is one of the biggest offensive weapons for SFA, ranking third in the conference in shots attempted per game at an average of 4.09. Sophia Fondren is fifth in the SLC in shots attempted per game with an average of 2.91 for a total of 32 shot attempts. Fondren has had roughly a third of those shots on target, the eighth-best mark in the SLC. Kenady Carlile and Fondren are each tied for third in the conference in total assists with four apiece, and Morgan Wessling is third in the conference in game-winning goals with two so far this year. Allyson Halliday has 861:23 minutes in net this year and has a 1.776 goals against average. She's had three shutouts this year and 41 saves.

Lamar vs. Sam Houston State - October 6 at 1 p.m. - LU Soccer Complex

The 14th meeting between LU and Sam Houston State (4-5-1, 2-0-1 SLC) will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. with the Bearkats holding an 8-4-1 all-time lead. The lone tie in the series came in 2018 when LU and Sam Houston State worked a 1-1 draw through two overtime periods in Huntsville, Texas.

SHSU is 4-5-1 overall and 2-0-1 in SLC play this year with a 3-2 OT victory over Central Arkansas at home, a 2-1 win over HBU in Huntsville, and a 1-1 draw with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in Huntsville.

The Bearkats are led by Tom Brown, who is in his 12th season as the head coach. He's 87-117-21 in that time.

Sam Houston sits middle of the pack offensively with just 14 goals and 12 assists on the year, a full 10 goals and eight assists less than SLC offensive leaders Lamar (24 goals and 20 assists), and their defense is also just slightly above league average with 1.80 goals surrendered a game.

Abby DeLozier and Tatum Krueger are about a 50/50 shot at which will be starting in the net for the Bearkats, and Sammi Mayock is the goals leader with three so far this year. Courtney Pawlik, Carlota Suarez Crespo, and Briana Woodall each have two goals this season, and Pawlik is also the assists leader with three so far in 2019.