Team pregame
Leighton Chamblee

Third-seeded McNeese to face Southeastern in SLC Tournament opening round

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LAKE CHARLES - Third-seeded McNeese soccer (8-7-3, 5-3-2 SLC) and Southeastern (6-10-1, 4-5-1 SLC) are scheduled to open up the Southland Conference Championships at 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at Dr. Jack Dugan Soccer and Track Stadium.

"We are thrilled to be the first match of the tournament," said head coach Drew Fitzgerald. " We know Southeastern is going to be ready and look forward to the challenge."

The Lions and Cowgirls faced each other on October 15 with the two dueling for a 1-1 draw on Cowgirl Field.

"When we played them a couple weeks ago, they were the stronger team for much of the match so I know our team will be focused and ready to play. We've had a good couple days of training, the weather is going to beautiful, and our group is excited to perform."

The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. and is available to watch on ESPN+ with a subscription with live stats available as well.

McNeese Notes
- The Cowgirls saw five members of the team named to the All-Southland Conference Teams.
- Kaile Kukaua - First Team, Kiana Kukaua - Second Team, Morgan Schooley - Second Team, Magalie Depot - Second Team, Jackie Kelly - Second Team
- McNeese outscored its opponents 28-18 during the regular season.
- The Cowgirls have the third-least goals scored on them this season in the conference at 18.
- Jackie Kelly earned her second SLC Goalkeeper of the Week honor (10/17) after posting a shutout against Northwestern State and allowing one goal to Southeastern. Her former honor came the week of 9/26 where she faced TAMU-CC and Nicholls.
- Alexi Pitt was the second player to earn SLC Defensive Player of the Week recognition (10/17) after scoring her first collegiate goal to tie Southeastern.
- Martine Ellefsen was named SLC Defensive Player of the Week (9/26) after scoring her first collegiate goal against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to force a tie.
- The Cowgirls have taken and made three penalty kicks this season after not having a single attempt a year ago.
- Morgan Fiedler is second in the conference with three game-winning goals which places her 70th in the nation.
- Kaile Kukaua is one of nine known returners in D1 soccer to enter the season without a collegiate goal to go on to score multiple.
- Jackie Kelly is 11th in the nation with a save percentage of .881 which also leads the conference.
- McNeese holds the ninth-best shot accuracy percentage in the nation at .565.
- The team's save percentage of .852 places them 23rd in Division I soccer.

Southeastern Notes
- The Lions have been outshot 14-23 on the season.
- SLU and McNeese tied 1-1 in an earlier meeting this season.
- The Lions closed out the season with a 1-1-1 record, tying the Cowgirls, beating Nicholls, and falling to Lamar.
- McNeese holds the all-time record between the two teams at 24-10-7.
- The last time both teams have met at a neutral site, it was in 2007 in Natchitoches, La.
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