FRISCO, Texas - After clinching the double in 2022 by claiming the Southland Conference's regular season and conference titles, Lamar University's soccer team will get ready to reign as the defending champions for the 2023 season. As further proof of their success from the previous year, the conference unveiled their preseason rankings and all-conference awards. While seven Cardinals were honored with all-conference, LU enters the season picked by the conference to repeat as conference champs.

The Cardinals received 14 of 16 first place votes from the entire conference with the reason being LU posting a 15-2-2 record as well as a 10-1-1 conference record. LU survived a SLC Tournament semi-final game 1-0 versus Houston Christian with a Laura Linares free kick before Carriel Ellis scored half of LU's four goals in the title game against Texas A&M-Commerce 4-1 in the Championship game. In their third ever NCAA tournament appearance, LU would fall to LSU 3-1 to end their season.

Ellis was one of six Cardinals named first team alongside Arely Alaniz, Trinity Clark, Kaisa Juvonen, Nicole Panis, and Isela Ramirez.

Alaniz helped the Cardinals' defense  to 10 shutouts while earning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors and also to their first team. She tallied two game-winning goals at UIW (9/30/22) and the regular season-title clincher at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (10/23/22) while assisting on two goals.

Clark was elevated to first team after earning second-team honors from 2022. She scored a goal against Louisiana (9/1/22) and assisted on one goal at Nicholls (9/25/22) in 19 matches played.

Ellis was second on the team with 10 goals while also tied for first with six assists. With four game-winners last season, Ellis would have two games scoring twice against Commerce (10/14/22, 11/6/22) with the latter being in the title game. A member of the SLC All-Tournament Team, she was also twice named Offensive Player of the Week.

Juvonen was involved in nine shutouts for the Cardinals' defense while also assisting on a goal against Southeastern (10/2/22). Her play would get her SLC first team honors from last year after twice being named second team.

Panis set school records in wins and shutouts last year as she was in goal for all 15 victories. Recording a .66 goals against average helped her become the SLC goalkeeper of the year and a first team selection.

Ramirez scored two goals last season while also posting six assists, including two in games vs. Houston (8/21/22) and Louisiana (9/1/22).

Linares was the only Cardinal named to the preseason second team. Another member on the all-tournament team, Linares scored four goals and also dished out an assist against Commerce (10/14/22).

The Cardinals open their season next Friday night against Abilene Christian ay 7:00 p.m. The game will take place at the LU Soccer Complex.
 

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