LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese State soccer team's regular season finale on Friday will be one that fans will not want to miss as the Cowgirls prepare to celebrate Senior Night while also going to battle with league rival Lamar for a chance at clinching the coveted last spot in this year's Southland Conference Tournament.
 
McNeese (6-10, 3-7 SLC) has nine points, three behind Nicholls, who sits in sixth place, with one game remaining. The Cowgirls must win their season finale against Lamar on Friday and Central Arkansas and Nicholls must lose their remaining match to help McNeese punch its ticket to the SLC Tournament in Conway, Arkansas.
 
The five-member senior class will be honored on the field following Friday night's match. The members of the Cowgirls senior group are Sarah Bricker, Kelsie Greenough, Maggie Marks, Michelle Petrarca and Lauren Sestak.
 
The Cowgirls struggled on the road last weekend dropping a pair of matches to both Houston Baptist and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Sophomore Gabi D'Alesandro provided the only goal scored on the weekend.
 
D'Alesandro continues to lead the way offensively for McNeese with a team-high four goals and four assists this year. Junior Bettina Brulhart has been a game-changer for McNeese this year controlling the midfield while also recording three goals and providing three assists.
 
Lamar (7-11-1, 3-6-1 SLC) picked up a huge victory over Houston Baptist on Wednesday night to keep its postseason hopes alive. The Cardinals took a 2-1 victory over the Huskies on the road after struggling to win four of their last five matches. Like McNeese, Lamar must post a win on Friday along with some other help around the league to make it into the SLC Tournament.
 
Jordan Mulnix has paced the Cardinals offense this season with 12 goals and four assists. Alexus Aviles has netted nine goals and assisted on one play while five other Lamar players have scored two or more goals this season.
 
Lauren Lovejoy has seen a majority of the minutes in net this year where she has posted seven wins, a shutout and 150 saves.
 
Friday's match marks the eighth all-time meeting between McNeese and Lamar, with the Cowgirls leading the series 5-2. McNeese posted a 1-0 overtime victory over the Cardinals in Beaumont last season while Lamar eased past the Cowgirls, 2-0, in the last meeting that took place in Lake Charles.
 
Fans who are unable to attend Friday's match can follow the action by clicking on the Live Stats link under the soccer schedule on McNeeseSports.com. A Live Stream will be available for the match as well for a minimal fee on McNeeseSports.com/watch.
 
In addition, fans can also get in-game updates as well as behind the scenes coverage of the Cowgirls by following @McNeeseSoccer on Twitter and by liking the McNeese Sports page on Facebook.