LAKE CHARLES – Second year head coach Drew Fitzgerald and his Cowgirls opened up Southland Conference play Friday night, playing host to Southeastern Louisiana and claimed the 2-0 shutout victory.
 
"I feel like tonight, we played a complete game as a team. As soon as the whistle blew, the girls came ready to compete," Fitzgerald says.
 
The first goal of the match came from senior Savannah LaRicci, who was able to net her third goal of the season in the 11^th minute of play, after receiving a pass from teammate Gabi D'Alesandro.
 
The Cowgirls solidified their first period lead with another goal, this one being score by junior midfielder Nola Prickett. Prickett was able to head the ball into the net with the assistance of Rebecca Adcock and Savannah LaRicci. LaRicci saw the opportunity to score and passed to Adcock who was able to send the ball deep into the box, putting Prickett in scoring position.
 
McNeese outshot Southeastern 15-3, allowing no shots in the first 45 minutes. LaRicci led all players with five shots, but seven of her teammates tallied shots during the match as well. McNeese was able to maintain possession of the ball for a majority of the match, freshman goal keeper Emma Roccaforte faced only two shots on goal and earned another win for her stat book.
 
"We did an exceptional job at controlling the tempo of the match. Today, compared to last weekend, I saw a purpose in the team's playtime," Fitzgerald and his crew advance to 5-2-1 on the season after tonight's win.
 
McNeese has not earned a win over Southeastern since a shutout victory in Hammond in 2011, in addition to their first victory in their conference opener since 2014. "We have a lot a depth to our roster which allows us to make quality substitutions without sacrificing talent, and our substitutions are able to keep up the intensity of the game," Fitzgerald says.
 
The Cowgirls will travel to Northwestern State in Natchitoches, LA for their next conference match up. The game is slated for 7:00PM on Friday, September 22^nd.