Soccer hosts Northwestern State in opener Friday

HUNTSVILLE — After the 2020 fall season was postponed until 2021, the Sam Houston soccer team is ready to finally take the field Friday in its first match in over a year.

The Bearkats will host Northwestern State at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Pritchett Field. It is the first of 11 Southland Conference matches Sam Houston will play this spring in hopes of advancing to the league's postseason tournament for the second consecutive season.

"The team is excited about playing its first game since November of 2019," head coach Tom Brown said. "We were able to get in some really good training during the fall semester. The positive of playing this spring is that our freshmen are better prepared to contribute right away since they have been working with the team for an extended period of time."

The Southland Conference made the decision in the fall to only play league matches with a limited number of nonconference games if teams chose to do so leading up to the beginning of the regular-season schedule Friday due to the coronavirus pandemic. Eight teams will still qualify for the SLC postseason tournament April 13-17 at a site to be determined.

The Bearkats, who were picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll, hit the road following Friday's match for contests at Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 19 and Nicholls on Feb. 21. Sam Houston returns to Prichett Field for matches against Incarnate Word on Feb. 26 and Abilene Christian on Feb. 28.

Three straight road games dominate the schedule following the homestand with matches at Central Arkansas on March 12, Houston Baptist on March 19 and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 21. The Bearkats host McNeese on April 1 and Lamar on April 3 before concluding the regular season at SFA on April 9.

Sam Houston returns 16 letterwinners off of last year's squad, including preseason All-SLC selection Kalynn Bickford, that placed seventh in the league at 7-11-1. Bickford scored five goals to lead the team with three of her goals being match winners against UCA, McNeese and Nicholls.

Tickets will be sold this season and must be purchased in advance like the other sports this year. There will be no walk-up sales on game day and all tickets, including student and faculty/staff tickets, must be purchased/reserved in advance either online, in person or over the phone by contacting the Bearkat Ticket Office at 936-294-1729 before 9 a.m. on game day.

Bearkat One Cards and faculty/staff ID's will not be allowed for entrance on game day. Complimentary student and faculty/staff tickets must be reserved or claimed by 5 p.m. the day before each game. Students may pick up their tickets in the Student Activities Office located in the Lowman Student Center in suite 215 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Soccer hosts Northwestern State in opener Friday

Players Mentioned

Kalynn Bickford

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