Kats play Huskies Friday at 4:30 PM
11/6/2014 7:55:00 PM | Soccer
Second-seed Sam Houston State will play No. 3 Houston Baptist in the semifinals of the Southland Tournament Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Lamar Soccer Complex in Beaumont. The Huskies defeated Southeastern Louisiana 2-1 in double overtime Thursday night.
SHSU and HBU played to a scoreless draw after two overtime periods on the final Friday of the regular season.
The Bearkats earned their highest ever seed in the league tournament this season. Sam Houston went 8-2-1 in league play to finish runner-up and claim the No. 2 seed.
The Kats' reward for earning the second seed was a bye into the semifinals of the tournament, which SHSU has only reached four times before.
Sam Houston is one win away from reaching the finals for just the second time in school history. Another win would be the 10th for the Bearkats, which would set a school mark. A 10th win would also ensure that Sam Houston finishes the season with a winning record for just the second time in program history.
After starting the season 1-7, the Bearkats went 8-1-1 over the final 10 games to finish second in the Southland with their highest win total in school history. Sam Houston had never finished higher than fourth in the league standings prior to this season. The Bearkats had never scored more than 18 goals in a conference season before this year when they scored 23.
SHSU went 3-1-1 against the five other tournament teams during the regular season. No. 4 McNeese took a 2-0 lead on the Kats before SHSU rallied for a 4-2 win. The four-time league champions No. 1 SFA rallied from 1-0 down to beat Sam Houston 2-1. The Kats took down No. 6 Southeastern La. 1-0 on the back end of a five-game road swing. After tying HBU Friday night the Bearkats closed conference play with a 2-0 win over Nicholls.
Allie Johnson, Ashley Alonzo and Shelby McDaniel were named to the All-Southland first-team, while Mariah Titus earned second-team honors.
Johnson finished the regular season tied for the Southland lead in goals (seven) with the Player of the Year Zuri Prince. Alonzo was second on the team with six goals while also assisting on two goals. McDaniel scored five goals and dished out two assists playing as the team's creative force in the midfield. Kirby Zak was previously the only Bearkat player to be named to the first team (2010). Titus, who led the team with eight goals last season, has a team-high four assists this season.
The Bearkats also placed three players on the Honorable Mention list, with all three being vital to Sam Houston's recent defensive renaissance. Defenders Caitlyn Schwartz and Megan Bennett and goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton have combined to post five shutouts in the last six games.
The Bearkats are playing to make their first ever trip to the Women's College Cup held Nov. 15-17. The 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship bracket will be announced the second weekend in November, prior to First Round competition.
Tickets are available through the Lamar ticket office.
Pricing information:
Two-Day Session Pass: $15.00
Single-Day Pass: $10.00
Championship Pass: $8.00
Southland Student (with ID): Free
Children 5 and Under: Free
