COMMERCE, Texas – McNeese Cowgirl soccer (9-7-3, 4-3-3 SLC) fell 1-0 to No. 3 Northwestern State (10-9-0, 6-4-0 SLC) in the Southland Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon in Commerce. The Cowgirls finished the season with a winning record for the first time since the 2023 season.
Northwestern State controlled much of the offensive action in the first half, outshooting McNeese 12-3. Sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Dempsey recorded five saves to keep the match scoreless heading into halftime.
The Demons broke through in the 52nd minute when Emily Gundin found the back of the net off a rebound following an initial save by Dempsey. Maliya Maldonado was credited with the assist to give Northwestern State a 1-0 lead.
McNeese looked to find the equalizer in the second half, outshooting the Demons 14-7 after the break. Rhiannon Maynes-Tourond nearly tied the match in the 58th minute, but her shot struck the crossbar. The Cowgirls continued to apply pressure, finishing with 17 shots and nine corner kicks.
Seventeen Cowgirls saw action in the match, with Anna Beth Korhonen, Caitlyn Trosclair, Alexandra Arvanitis, Ella Grace Davis and Dempsey each playing all 90 minutes.
Dempsey finished with seven saves on the afternoon, bringing her season total to 70.
