Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT — Two of the hottest teams in the nation clash in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament at 7:30 p.m. Friday when the Lamar Cardinals travel to College Station to take on the host Texas A&M Aggies. The game will be shown on the SEC Network+.

The Cardinals (18-3-1) bring a 12-game winning streak into the contest, while the Aggies (17-2-1) have reeled of 13 straight wins.

“Texas A&M is a tremendous team,” LU coach Steve Holeman said. “They have won 13 in a row against some of the best teams in the country.”

The Aggies are 7-1-1 on their home field, 3,500-seat Ellis Field, one of the best college soccer venues in the nation. The Aggies averages almost 2,800 fans per home game.

“It’s a great soccer environment,” said Holeman, who coached games at Texas A&M while at Ole Miss and Georgia. “This should be a tremendous experience for our players.”

The Cardinals, who went 2-14-3 last season, are just the second team in NCAA women’s soccer history to have 16 more wins than the previous season. They are making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in their 11-year history.

“This has been such a special season,” said senior midfielder M.J. Eckart, a first-team All-Southland Conference selection. “The past few seasons were tough, but this makes it all worthwhile. I’m excited to get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.”

Junior forward Kelso Peskin, a transfer from Tyler Junior College, leads the Cardinals in scoring with 27 points on eight goals and 11 assists. Her 11 assists are a single-season school record, while her 27 points are one shy of the single-season LU mark. Freshman forward Lucy Ashworth is second on the team in scoring with 16 points on four goals and eight assists. Eckart (6-3-15) and freshman forward Madison Ledet (4-7-15) of Nederland are tied for third in scoring. Ledet was the MVP of the Southland Conference Tournament.

“We have such a great chemistry on this team,” Holeman said. “The returning players really bought into our system, while the newcomers wanted to be part of building a successful program and being part of history.”

Senior goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy, who has played every second for the Cardinals this season, enters the tournament with a 0.90 goals-against average and a school-record 10 shutouts this season. Lovejoy said this team fully believes in each other and the coaching staff.

“We couldn’t have won the regular-season championship and the tournament unless everybody did their part,” Lovejoy said. “Not just the starters, but the reserves. Not only in games, but in practice. I am so proud to be part of this team.”

The Aggies have outscored their opponents 43-15 this season. Ally Watt leads Texas A&M in scoring with 24 points on 11 goals and two assists. Goalkeeper Cosette Morche, like Lovejoy, has played every second this season. She sports a 0.73 goals-against average with seven shutouts.

The winner of Friday’s game advances to the round of 32 next weekend to meet the winner of this weekend’s IUPUI at Notre Dame game at a site to be determined.

“We know we have a tough task, but we’re still playing soccer in November,” Holeman said. “More than 260 teams already had their season come to an end. No matter what happens, this has been a season to remember. We’re going to do our best to make even more memories.”