BEAUMONT, Texas - The Lamar University soccer team released a 2024 spring schedule featuring five playing dates, including four chances to see the two-time defending Southland Conference champs in Beaumont, head coach Nathan Kogut announced on Monday.

"We are really excited about the opportunities we have to play this spring," Kogut said. "The spring season is a huge part of our development process for our players and staff. We return a good group of players and we've been fortunate to bring in some newcomers that have stepped in and really raised the level of play the last few weeks. I am looking forward to seeing us start to apply what we've been teaching in game settings against someone other than ourselves. We really push for our spring season to be where we teach, develop, and earn the right to win trophies, and we show up in the fall ready to compete immediately in our championship segment."

The Cardinals will play a variety of foes across the Division 1 and junior college ranks, with 6 different opponents on the five dates, including 2023 Big 12 Regular Season champions Texas Tech and Southland Conference foe McNeese State.

Big Red opens the spring slate with a double header on Saturday, March 23, when they play host to McNeese State and Navarro College in Beaumont at the LU Soccer Complex with 60 minute tri-matches.

Lamar will follow that up with a March 28 date against Texas Southern in Beaumont.

The Cardinals will make the short trip to Houston on April 6 to take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech at a neutral site, and then quickly return home the following week with a matchup against American Athletic Conference foe Rice on April 13 at the LU Soccer Complex.

Lamar will wrap up the spring slate on April 19 at the LU Soccer Complex with a date against Blinn College.

"This is a really fun and challenging spring slate for our returning team. We will get a chance to play against a variety of different styles and opponents, some of whom we know and others we are seeing for the first time in a while. Getting a chance to test ourselves with Texas Southern, Rice, and Texas Tech will really allow us to see competitive sides against teams that are fighting for championships and it's exciting to see our group's ability to adapt to those challenges.

Fans will have the ability to see a large portion of the 2024 squad play this spring, with 25 returning players and two transfer additions. The returning Cardinals include five All-Southland Conference players in Trinity Clark, Isela Ramirez, and Caragan Childs, as well as 2023 Midfielder of the Year Alana Clark and two-time defending Defender of the Year Arely Alanz.
 

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