LAKE CHARLES—McNeese women's soccer let a 2-0 second half lead slip away here Sunday in a 3-2 Southland Conference loss to Sam Houston State.
 
"I think our team fought hard and we are pretty dinged up, but we have to find a way to close out a game when we are up 2-0, we will fix what need to fix and move forward," said head coach Drew Fitzgerald.
 
The loss is the first conference setback of the season for McNeese as they fall to 9-4-0 overall and 5-1-0 in league play. The win lifts SHSU to 5-7-1 overall and 3-2-1 SLC).
 
McNeese held a 1-0 halftime lead following a Carissa Adams goal in the 43^rd minute then Anna Watson's goal in the 51^st minute put McNeese up 2-0 and the Cowgirls held that lead for the next 16 minutes.
 
A McNeese foul inside the box resulted in a Bearkat penalty kick in the 66^th minute and Katy Johnson sent the ball into the net to cut the Cowgirl lead in half.
 
 
Two minutes later SHSU tied the game up at two apiece on a Sammi Maycock goal that soared above the outstretched arms of Cowgirl goalie Emma Roccafortes hands.
 
From this point on, the momentum shifted to SHSU. Despite McNeese outshooting the Bearkats 10-7 in the second half with SHSU goalie Tatum Krueger picking up seven in the final 45 minutes.
 
The Bearkats took the lead and scored the eventual game winning goal in the 76^th minute on an unassisted Kalynn Brickford goal that was a high shot in the center of the net.
 
McNeese will return to action this Friday to host Incarnate Word in a 7 p.m. Southland Conference game.