Kats, Jacks battle on senior day Friday
10/29/2015 1:44:00 PM | Soccer
Sam Houston State soccer seeks to honor its 10 seniors in a big way Friday, welcoming Stephen F. Austin for the final home match of the season. First kick is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Pritchett Field with senior pregame ceremonies slotted for 6:15 p.m.
The event will also be 'athletes supporting athletes' and 'Free Food Friday,' with the first 100 students who have an active Bearkat OneCard receiving complimentary DoubleDave's pizza.
The senior class has helped total 32 wins, including a school-record eight Southland Conference victories a season ago. The squad will compete in its seventh straight league tournament next week in Conway, Ark., but for now is eyeing a big home match.
“I don't think we have to put a lot of motivation into a game against Stephen F. Austin,” eighth-year head coach Tom Brown said. “They should be ready to get out, compete and play. From there, we'll know if we have to travel to San Antonio.”
After its originally scheduled match last Friday at Incarnate Word was pushed to Tuesday due to weather, the match ended up cancelled because of a campus lockdown. The match will only be rescheduled if there is an impact on league tournament seeding.
In its last match, Sam Houston (7-6-3, 4-3-2 SLC) played to a 2-2 draw at Abilene Christian, finding the back of the net multiple times for the first time since downing McNeese State 2-1 on Oct. 2. As it stands presently, the Bearkats would be the No. 4 in the league tournament.
“We were able to go out on the road at a very good Abilene Christian team and get a point,” Brown said. “We scored two goals in a game and we hadn't done that in a while. That was a positive. I think it's continuing to build.”
Meanwhile, with results from around the league Wednesday, Stephen F. Austin (9-6-2, 8-0-2 SLC) clinched its fifth-straight regular-season championship. The Ladyjacks have won four straight and have not lost since hosting Texas State on Sept. 13.
“I think they have some good individual players,” Brown said. “They do a good job of winning their individual battles when you match up one of their players against an opponent. They are used to winning. I think that's ingrained because they have been winning for so long. That will be a challenge for us.”
Each of the previous three matches in the rivalry have been decided by one goal including a 2-1 Ladyjacks' win last season. Sam Houston's last win against Stephen F. Austin came in 2010, another program mark the senior class hopes to re-write on Friday.
“I think it's the best recruiting class we've had,” Brown said. “A lot of these players came in and competed and earned playing time as freshmen. They have been responsible for a lot of wins over the last four years. I hope this class can be able to continue to meet their goals.”
