BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar Cardinals, looking to make a heroic run to the Southland Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament, travel to McNeese State at 7 p.m. Friday for a conference game.

Lamar (5-9-1 overall, 2-5-1 Southland) has seven points with four games remaining. Sam Houston State, Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas are in a three-way tie for the sixth, and final, spot with nine points each. Those three teams all have six games remaining. Abilene Christian, which is currently 5-3-0 in the conference, and Incarnate Word, currently, 3-4-0, are ineligible for postseason play as they transition from Division II to Division I.

“Every game is important,” Lamar coach Orlando Cervantes said. “We have to come out ready right from the beginning.”

The Cardinals hope to carry the momentum from their last game, a 3-0 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday.

“That win doesn’t mean anything if we can’t win on Friday,” Cervantes said. “I think that was our best game of the year. Now we have to build off of that. We just have to play the way we can play.”

Kimmy Albeno had a goal and an assist to lead the Lamar offense against the Islanders. Albeno is Lamar’s all-time leader with 24 goals and 56 points. Freshman Zoey Stephenson picked up her first win and first shutout in her second career start.

McNeese State (5-9-1, 0-7-0) is still looking to pick up its first point in conference play this season. The Cowgirls have lost seven straight since battling to a 0-0 tie at Baylor, which was ranked 13^th, on Sept. 15. The Cowgirls have been outscored 13-1 in Southland contests. McNeese State scored its first SLC goal of the season in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Northwestern State.

Tori Lasiter leads the Cowgirls in scoring with four goals and eight points. Haley Lyons has seven points on one goal and three assists. Lauren Sestak (2-5-1, 1.25) and Maggie Marks (3-3-0, 1.31) have been splitting time in goal for the Cowgirls.

McNeese State leads the all-time series 4-2. Lamar is just 1-3 against the Cowgirls in contests at McNeese State. Last season, McNeese State claimed a 1-0 home win over Lamar in the conference opener for both teams. Bailey Fontenot made eight saves for Lamar, which went on a five-game winning streak following the loss.

After Friday’s game, Lamar is idle until closing the home portion of its schedule with a pair of games next weekend. The Cardinals host Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 and Incarnate Word at 1 p.m. Oct. 27. Lamar is at Central Arkansas on Nov. 1 in the regular-season finale.

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