LAKE CHARLES – After a loss to Louisiana Tech this past Friday evening, the Cowgirls will be taking 165 North to Monroe to match up against the Warhawks of the University of Louisiana at Monroe in their second game of the season.
McNeese leads the series against ULM, 11-8-2. Last year's match against the Warhawks was played at home and resulted in a 0-1 loss for the Cowgirls. They dominated offensively, sending off 16 shots to ULM's nine, but was bogged down by eight fouls, five of which fell in the second period. Savannah LaRicci had five shots in the match, the team's other eleven shots were dispersed between five other Cowgirls.
"It is nice to see the girls achieving more cohesiveness as we practice and play together." Head coach Drew Fitzgerald stressed during the preseason how important it would be for the team to find their groove and work as a single unit considering one-third of the players are new to the program. Comparing their performances from early games last season to last night's game versus Louisiana Tech, it is obvious that the team has a higher level of chemistry. While the Cowgirls averaged four to five players with shots per game in 2016, in Friday's season opener, ten players got a chance at the goal.
When McNeese faced the Warhawks in 2015 in their season opener, they claimed victory with a 2-1 final score. After ULM had the 1-0 lead at halftime, the Cowgirls returned to the pitch for the second period and sent two goals to the back of the net, one of those coming from returning senior and preseason all-conference selection, Gabi D'Alesandro.
"I am glad we have the opportunity to match-up against so many non-conference opponents before conference play begins." Head coach Drew Fitzgerald is looking to take his squad to the conference tournament for the second year in a row. The Cowgirls will not begin Southland conference play until September 15 when they host Southeastern Louisiana.
Sunday's game is slated for 4:00PM at ULM's Soccer Complex. You can follow the match on Twitter at @McNeeseSoccer, a final game score and box score will be available postgame at McNeeseSports.com.
