For Immediate Release Nov. 11, 2019
 
NCAA Tournament Date Set with UCLA
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Lamar University – champions of the Southland Conference – will be headed to Los Angeles, Calif., Friday to take on second-seeded UCLA in the opening round of the NCAA Championships announced the NCAA Monday afternoon. The Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Championships by beating Northwestern State Sunday afternoon in the finals of the Southland Conference tournament.
 
"We're very excited to still be playing soccer," said LU head coach Steve Holeman. "Obviously, we couldn't anticipate being paired up with UCLA, but our girls were excited when it was announced and it was great to hear the cheers in the room. Most of our team has never been to Los Angeles so that will be a great experience for them. From a soccer standpoint, UCLA is going to be a tremendous challenge. They're one of the best teams in the country."
 
The Cardinals (16-6) enter the postseason riding a 12-game win streak after rolling through the Southland schedule with a 10-1 (.909) mark.
 
Big Red enters the NCAAs with a high-powered offensive attack that includes two of the nation's leading scorers – Esther Okoronkwo and Lucy Ashworth. Okoronkwo leads the country with 25 goals while Ashworth is second nationally in assists. Both players are ranked among the nation's top five in points per game.
 
The Bruins are ranked 14^th in the most recent top 25 poll and finished second in the Pacific 12 standings (to No. 1 Stanford) with a 14-4-1 overall record. UCLA enters the week riding a five-game win streak. The other half of the four-team pod consists of Clemson and Vanderbilt.
 
The Cardinals open Championship play Friday from Wallis Annenberg Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.