Box Score
NATCHITOCHES – For the first time in school history, the Southeastern Louisiana women’s soccer team earned a berth in the NCAA Championships with a 2-0 victory over Texas State in the Southland Conference Tournament championship match Sunday afternoon at the Lady Demon Soccer Complex.
Making their eighth appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament championship match, the Lady Lions (13-4-2) won their second conference tournament crown in school history and first since 1998. When the Lady Lions first won the tournament title, the Southland Conference didn’t receive an automatic bid.
Southeastern will find out its NCAA Tournament destination on Monday. The selection show will be broadcast on ESPN News (Charter Channel 300 in the Hammond area/ DirectTV Channel 207) at 7 p.m.
“This is a tremendous moment for our program,” Southeastern head coach
Blake Hornbuckle commented. “We’ve waited a long time to reach the NCAA Championships, but this feeling makes it all worth the wait. Our student-athletes have worked so hard and we’re so proud to see them earn this well-deserved award against a very talented and well coached Texas State team.
“We did a masterful job defensively today and Lacey was outstanding in the net,” Hornbuckle added. “Karly and Maiya put a lot of pressure on them up top and we just put together an outstanding team effort today. It’s a great day to be a Lion!”
Southeastern picked up goals from junior
Natalie Santana and freshman
Karly Dagys and got another tremendous effort from its defense, which has allowed only nine goals all season and tied the Southland Conference record with its 13th shutout victory. Southeastern sophomore goalkeeper
Lacey Bockhaus earned Tournament MVP honors after securing her 12th shutout of the season and finishing with six saves. Bockhaus, Dagys and Santana were joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates
Kyle MacIntosh and
Maiya Cooper.
An exhausted Bockhaus was thrilled following the match.
“We had a total team effort throughout the season and it was no different today,” Bockhaus commented. “We’ve had each other’s backs all year and we won as a team.”
In the 11th minute, Santana gave the Lady Lions an early lead, netting a high shot over a leaping Mandi Mawyer after a pass from sophomore Lauren Stillians.
Texas State’s Britney Curry – the Southland Conference Player of the Year – nearly knotted the score several minutes later. Bockhaus made a diving stop and was able to run down a loose ball to preserve the Southeastern lead.
Texas State had another good chance near the end of the half, as Taylor Pearson hit a shot from just outside of the Southeastern box, but Bockhaus was in good position to snuff it out.
Neither team could get anything going for the rest of the half, as Southeastern maintained the 1-0 advantage into the break.
Curry nearly put Texas State on the board again midway through the second half. The speedy Bobcat junior streaked to the goal, but her shot sailed just wide right.
Bockhaus had to make a pair of outstanding saves in the final minutes to keep Texas State off the score. First, she outjumped Person on a corner kick and then saved a Pearson shot.
Southeastern secured the win in the final minute. Bockhaus drilled a deep punt over the heads of Texas State, which Dagys ran down and sent past a diving Mawyer to clinch the win.
2009 Southland Conference Tournament
Natchitoches, La. – November 5-8, 2009
First Round – Thursday, November 5
Match 1 – No. 3 Stephen F. Austin 5, No. 6 McNeese State 1
Match 2 – No. 4 Sam Houston State 3, No. 5 UTSA 2 (2 OT)
Semifinals – Friday, November 6
Match 3 – No. 2 Southeastern Louisiana 0, Stephen F. Austin 0 (2 OT)
Southeastern wins shootout, 4-3
Match 4 – No. 1 Texas State 2, Sam Houston State 1
Finals – Sunday, November 8
Match 5 – Southeastern Louisiana 2, Texas State 0
Southeastern earns automatic bid to the NCAA Championships
Southland Conference All-Tournament Team
MVP: Lacey Bockhaus, Southeastern Louisiana
Maiya Cooper, Southeastern Louisiana
Karly Dagys, Southeastern Louisiana
Kyle MacIntosh, Southeastern Louisiana
Natalie Santana, Southeastern Louisiana
Andrea Grifo, Texas State
Britney Curry, Texas State
Alissa Scott, Texas State
Kelsey Bernard, Texas State
Kylie Louw, Stephen F. Austin
Shelby Grissett, Sam Houston State