CONWAY – Havana Johnson and the Cowgirls remain undefeated in conference after the freshman forward connected on a long pass from senior defender Nikki Schaaf in the 80^th minute for a 1-0 game winner against Central Arkansas.
 
The game remained scoreless for all but the final 10 minutes, with the Cowgirls dominating the pitch, both offensively and defensively. Entering today's match, head coach Drew Fitzgerald knew they would have to play more aggressively than in the past if they wanted to go toe to toe with the defending Southland Conference champions.

"I thought we gutted one out against the run of play.  First half was pretty even, but they had the ball for much of the 2nd period. We did a great job of just being gritty enough to hold on and create a few chances," Fitzgerald says.
 
Alexis Rodriguez passed the ball back to Schaaf, who got a boot on the ball around the edge of center circle, sending the ball deep into UCA territory. Johnson needed only one touch to send the ball into the back of the net. The goal was Johnson's fifth of the season and Schaaf's second assist. Havana Johnson led all players with six shots and five on goal, while seven other Cowgirls also took shots at the goal.

Johnson on her performance in today's match, "All throughout the first half Savannah LaRicci was sending me passes through, that I should have finished two to theee times easily, but the game wasn't falling my way. So as a team, we kept grinding and creating chances up top and Nikki played a ball over the back line that I was able to run down and score back post. We stayed working the whole time and it resulted in a goal."

Freshman Emma Roccaforte continues to show her strength in the net, recording seven saves in today's win. Only one other time this season has Roccaforte made more saves, at Air Force (8) earlier this month. The shutout is her fourth of the year, bringing her save percentage to .944- still the best in the Southland Conference.

First year assistant coach, Kaitlyn Collin says, "Emma has continued to push herself in training, and the big saves she continues to make that keep us in games are a product of that training and just her passion for the game."

Today's victory pushes the Cowgirl win streak to five games, a feat that has not been done at McNeese since 2013. The final stats for the win show that the Cowgirl offense was not hindered by the pressure of the Bear defense, still racking up 17 shots and six on goal.
 
The win tips McNeese to 7-2-1 overall and an undefeated 3-0 in conference play. UCA drops to 5-6 on the season and 2-1 in conference rankings. Next on the schedule for the Cowgirls are the Lady Lumberjacks of SFA, who will be coming to Lake Charles on Friday, with a game time slated for 7:00PM.
 
Friday's game at Cowgirl field is free admission, courtesy of the American Press. Live stream and stats are available at McNeeseSports.com. Fans are encouraged to follow Cowgirl soccer on Twitter at @McNeeseSoccer for live in-game updates and more information on all things Cowgirl soccer.