LAKE CHARLES – An early goal by McNeese senior midfielder Krista Steinbeiser proved to be the game-winner as she rocketed a shot past the goalkeeper in the 22^nd minute to deliver a 1-0 season opening victory for the Cowgirls over Prairie View A&M on Friday night at Cowgirl Field.
 
The Cowgirls (1-0) scored their first season opening victory since 2012 and first home opener win since 2011.  They also extended their winning streak to four-straight against the Lady Panthers (0-1) since the series began in 2002.
 
"I thought it was a great night for our team to be able to come out and play in front of a home crowd and bring a lot of excitement with our victory tonight," said head coach Scooter Savoie.  "Getting that opening win was important for us tonight.  I thought we played to what we trained throughout preseason so we were excited to see the results."
 
With both teams at a stalemate early in the first half, Steinbeiser rallied the troops as she rocketed a shot from 20-yards out and netted a goal at the 22:01 to break the tie and give the Cowgirls a 1-0 lead.
 
"I thought Krista did a great job in looking up and keeping the goalie out of position to score that goal," said Savoie.  "She was able to recognize and hit the right shot to get the goal and wound up being the difference in the game."
 
After the break, McNeese came out to open up its offensive attack on Prairie View A&M.  The Cowgirls, who attempted 14 total shots in the match, recorded 11 in the second with two coming in the last 10 minutes of the match.
 
Senior Tori Lasiter and freshman Gabi D'Alesandro led the way with three shots apiece.  In all, eight different Cowgirls attempted at least one shot.
 
The McNeese defense limited the Lady Panthers to just five total shots in the match including one shot in the first half.  Junior Maggie Marks saved two of Prairie View A&M's shots on target to record her fifth career shutout.
 
"The shutout was big for us tonight," said Savoie.  "We stressed all spring the importance of our backline so getting the shutout is important to us as a team and especially our defense and keeper."
 
The Cowgirls finished the evening with a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks over Prairie View A&M.  
 
McNeese will be back in action on Sunday as they welcome American Athletic Conference opponent Houston to Cowgirl Field for a match that is slated to kick off at 1 p.m.  The match will feature free hotdogs for all student athletes provided by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.