Kats hit road for tests at Lamar, McNeese
9/28/2017 12:36:00 PM | Soccer
Matches 10-11
Friday, Sept. 29 • 7:00 PM • Beaumont, Texas • Lamar Soccer Complex
Sam Houston State (4-5-0, 1-2-0) vs. Lamar (7-3-1, 2-1-0)
Live Stats • @BearkatsSOC on Twitter
Sunday, Oct. 1 • 1:00 PM • Lake Charles, La. • Cowgirl Field
Sam Houston State (4-5-0, 1-2-0) vs. McNeese (7-2-1, 3-0-0)
Live Stats • Watch • @BearkatsSOC on Twitter
BEAUMONT – After three-straight weeks at home, Sam Houston State soccer hits the road this weekend, beginning a challenging three-match road trip at Lamar on Friday night.
The Bearkats split action in their recent four-match homestand and are coming off a 1-1 weekend. The squad defeated A&M-Corpus Christi, 2-0, on Friday before dropping the finale 1-0 to Houston Baptist on Sunday.
Carlota Suarez Crespo continued her tear, posting seven shots, including three on goal in the two matches while notching her fifth goal of the season on Friday. The mark is tied for the lead in the Southland Conference while ranking second with 0.56 goals per match.
Anna Kaiser recorded an equally impressive pair of starts, garnering the clean sheet against the Islanders while permitting just the lone goal Sunday. In the two starts, the sophomore recorded a combined 12 saves while moving her record to 2-1-0 on the season.
The Bearkats' back line was largely effective on the weekend, helping by Jessica Hernandez, who also got it done offensively. The sophomore netted her first-career goal on Friday, coming off a corner, while playing 147 total minutes in the two starts.
Sam Houston heads into Friday looking for its fifth-straight win against the Cardinals. The Bearkats, who rank second in the league with 2.11 goals per game, will be tested against a resurgent Lamar team that has allowed the third-fewest goals per match (1.09).
Meanwhile, no team is hotter than Sunday's opponent, McNeese. The Cowgirls have won four straight including the first three in conference action. The team has permitted just 0.29 goals per match while boasting a conference-best seven shutouts.
The Bearkats, who had defeated the Cowgirls eight straight times before falling 1-0 in Huntsville a season ago, looking to continue their strong play in Lake Charles. The team has won four consecutive at Cowgirl Field with the last two coming in overtime.
QUOTEABLES:
Head coach Tom Brown on hitting the road for the first time since Sept. 2…
“The team has enjoyed not having to travel the past three weeks. We are approaching this trip as a trip to earn some points that we dropped at home. Both Lamar and McNeese State have done very well this season and we know that we will have to perform at our best.”
Head coach Tom Brown on the defensive performance a weekend ago…
“I think the team defended pretty well this past weekend. Our team continues to develop the defending style that our game model demands. We know that our defending style demands hard work and compacting space. We need to eliminate some our individual mistakes and trust our teammates more.”
Head coach Tom Brown on the strong tests this weekend against Lamar and McNeese…
“Both teams have dangerous scorers that we will have to keep an eye on. They are not giving up very many goals so we know that we must finish the few chances that we will get.”
