Aug. 19, 2011

CONTACT: Pat Murray

OFFICE: (409) 880-2323

CELL: (409) 651-0521

E-MAIL: pat.murray@lamar.edu

 

LU soccer opens season at TCU on Sunday

 

BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women’s soccer team opens its fifth season of competition when it travels to TCU for a non-conference game at 1 p.m. Sunday.

 

Lamar looks to build off of last season’s 5-11-3 record, the best mark in program history. The Lady Cardinals return eight starters from that squad, including senior forward Lisa Hance, the program’s all-time leading scorer (28 points on 10 goals and eight assists). Hance is a second-team preseason All-Southland Conference selection.

 

Senior goalkeeper Jennifer Gibbs returns for her final season. Gibbs has registered all 13 wins and six shutouts in Lamar history.

 

This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools in soccer. TCU, a member of the Mountain West Conference, went 7-10-2 last season. The Horned Frogs return seven starters from last season’s squad that went 1-5-1 in conference play. TCU is scheduled to open its season Friday night at No. 14 Oklahoma State.

 

“This will be a good test for us to start the season,” said Lamar coach Dewi Hardman, who enters his fourth season at the helm of the Lady Cardinals. “TCU is an improving program. It will be a good measuring stick for us.”

 

The heat could be a factor in Sunday’s game, with the National Weather Service predicting a high temperature of 103 for the Fort Worth area.

 

“That’s something we have to be aware of,” Hardman said. “The heat will definitely make it more difficult.”

 

Lamar opens its home season at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 with a non-conference game against Grambling State at the Lamar Soccer Complex. For ticket information, call (409) 880-1715, or visit LamarCardinals.com.

 

LAMAR