BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University junior
Sydney Williams' first-half goal and a stingy Cardinal defense kept the reigning Sun Belt Conference regular season champions, UL Monroe, off the scoreboard in a 1-0 exhibition victory Sunday evening at the LU Soccer Complex. The Cardinals conclude their preseason play 2-0, having outscored the opposition, 6-0.
Williams' goal was assisted by
Christina Guzman and was also one of seven shots Big Red took throughout the contest. The Warhawks fired eight, but didn't find the back of the net as goalkeepers
Keely Thomas and
Maddie Rich recorded a save apiece.
From the opening moments, the Cardinals went on the offensive as they fired four shots in the first 14 minutes. LU broke through in the 20
th minute when Williams fired one past the ULM goalkeeper, who was outside the box. The Warhawks were held without a shot until the 41
st minute, but went into halftime trailing 1-0.
As the second half commenced, LU sought an opportunity to double its lead in the 62
nd minute, but couldn't get the ball through. ULM dominated possession in the final 28 minutes, outshooting the Cardinals, 6-1. The Warhawks had two opportunities to equalize in the 80
th and 88
th minutes, respectively, but Rich came up big both times and Big Red preserved the shutout.
The Cardinals are set to began their regular season on the road in El Paso against UTEP Wednesday evening. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. Central and be streamed on ESPN+.
