BEAUMONT, Texas – Marissa Gross scored her 11th goal of the season as Lamar University celebrated Senior Night by clinching the Southland Conference regular-season title outright with a 1-0 victory over McNeese Thursday evening. This win marked the Cardinals' ninth shutout of the season and the 41st in the Nathan Kogut era.
LU (10-2-5, 7-1-2 SLC) also finished the regular season with an undefeated home record (6-0-2) at the LU Soccer Complex, marking the first occurrence since 2017.
Big Red fired 19 shots, with 10 being on goal. Kamdyn Jalayer and Sofia Wilby both assisted on the goal to Gross while goalkeeper Keely Thomas picked up one save to complete her sixth shutout of the year.
It took 35 seconds before Gross found the back of the net. Wilby delivered a pass between defenders right to Jalayer, who then fed Gross to score with her right foot. The Cardinals added 10 more shots in the first half while their defense didn't allow a shot from McNeese.
LU looked to extend its lead early in the second half but was unable to capitalize on several opportunities. The Cowgirls recorded their first shot in the 53rd minute and nearly equalized in the 77th when a header got past Thomas, but Lillian Beckham made the stop before the goal line. The Cardinals held off one last McNeese attack in the final minutes to clinch the title.
With the win, Big Red secured the top seed and a first-round bye in the Southland Conference Tournament, which will be hosted by East Texas A&M.
LU will next compete in the tournament semifinals Thursday, Nov. 12, against the winner of the first-round match between fourth-seeded UIW and fifth-seeded Nicholls. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
#PeckEmCards
