Adversity gets best of Lamar in 3-0 loss to Ole Miss
Published 8:13 pm Sunday, August 27, 2017
Lamar sports information
OXFORD, Miss. – The Lamar Cardinals couldn’t overcome Mother Nature and the Ole Miss Rebels as they dropped a 3-0 decision in a non-conference women’s soccer game Sunday.
“This whole trip has been a lesson in dealing with adversity,” LU coach Steve Holeman said. “Thursday night the team learns Friday’s home game has been postponed and we have a short amount of time to get ready to get on a bus to head to LSU on Thursday night for a game on Friday. Then today, we have a weather delay of more than two hours shortly after the game starts. I think this team handled it well. We definitely grew up this weekend.”
Ole Miss (3-0-1) got a goal and an assist from Channing Foster. Foster leads the Rebels with four goals on the season. Grace Waugh and Molly Martin also tallied for the Rebels.
“I think they’re going to be a top-25 team by the end of the season,” Holeman said. “We had our hands full, but we had some chances.”
LU’s Kelso Peskin was robbed twice by Ole Miss goalkeeper Marnie Merritt, who finished the day with three saves.
“Those were two tremendous saves,” Holeman said of Merritt’s stops of Peskin. “The first one would have tied the game at 1-1. “They came back and scored shortly after that.”
Lauren Lovejoy made six saves for the Cardinals (2-2), who were outshot 23-6. Rubi Villegas had the other shot on goal for LU.
Despite the loss, Holeman and the Cardinals remained optimistic.
“We definitely got better playing two quality teams in LSU and Ole Miss,” Holeman said. “This is a good way to prepare for those tough conference road weekends.
The Cardinals left Oxford immediately after the game for Shreveport, Louisiana, where they planned to spend Sunday night before returning home. LU returns to action with a pair of games at the UTRGV Tournament in Edinburg. The Cardinals face Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 4 p.m. Thursday before taking on the host Vaqueros at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Cardinals’ next home game is 7 p.m. Sept. 15, when they host Nicholls State in the Southland Conference opener for both squads.
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
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