LAKE CHARLES – The
Alexsis Cable coaching era of McNeese Cowgirl soccer continued its perfect start Sunday night as the Cowgirls defeated Southern Miss 1-0 at Cowgirl Field to improve to 2-0 on the season.
The victory marked the first win in program history over the Golden Eagles
, while McNeese opened a season 2-0 for the first time since 2016. The shutout also marked the Cowgirls' first clean sheet of the 2026 season.
"Opening the season 2-0 for the first time since 2016 and earning the program's first win over Southern Miss. is a huge accomplishment for this group," said Cable. "It was a hard-fought battle from start to finish, especially in that heat, and I couldn't be prouder of the effort from everyone. Our bench was electric tonight and played a huge role in helping us grind out the win. It took every single one of us tonight. Everyone contributed, everyone fought, and that's what it took to get this win."
The lone goal of the night came in the 35th minute when
Sumayah Brown found the back of the net for her first collegiate goal, giving the Cowgirls a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
An all-out defensive battle ensued in the second half as both teams battled through the heat and physicality. After just one foul was called in the opening half, the two teams combined for 10 fouls in the final 45 minutes.
Southern Miss' Ryan Smith received the lone yellow card of the match in the 83rd minute, but the Cowgirls' defense held firm through the final minutes to preserve the 1-0 advantage and secure the historic victory.
With the win, McNeese moves to 2-0-0 on the season and has now opened the year with consecutive victories for the first time in a decade.
Match Notes
- Cowgirls picked up first win in program history over Southern Miss.
- McNeese begins the season 2-0 for the first time since 2016
- Sumayah Brown netted the soul goal of the game in the 35th minute for her first collegiate goal.
- 22 Cowgirls saw action on the pitch today against Alcorn State
- Kayla Pelter made her Cowgirl debut today seeing 36 minutes on the pitch
- Shannon Dempsey and Celeste Marijnissen combined for the shutout tallying a total of 4 saves on the afternoon
- Second consecutive game that Alexandra Arvanitis saw all 90 minutes out on the pitch
- Rebecca Romero also saw all 90 minutes on the pitch
Next Up
The Cowgirls return home Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. to take on Jackson State. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
