CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas women's soccer team will play its final two home games of the season this weekend, hosting McNeese State at 3:30 Friday afternoon and Lamar at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The games will be pivotal for the Bears as they attempt to make their first Southland Conference tournament as UCA currently sits eighth in the standings with McNeese and Lamar holding the two spots immediately above the Bears at seventh and sixth respectively. The top six teams advance to the conference tournament.
UCA is 1-3-1 in league play while the Cowgirls are 1-3-2 and Lamar is 2-3-1. UCA's final two games of the regular season are at Nicholls – the last-place team at 0-5 – and Southeastern Louisiana, which is third in the league at 3-1-1.
McNeese (4-10-2 overall) comes into Friday's match winless in its last four outings, having suffered losses at Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin before tying UTSA and dropping a 1-0 decision to Texas State in their most recent match. It was the sixth time the Cowgirls have been shut out this season.
Freshman midfielder Johna Germany leads the way for the Cowgirls, registering four goals to go with a team-high five assists to top McNeese with 13 points for the season. Audrey LaLanne has five goals to lead the team.
Lamar (4-9-2) has also come up empty in its last four games, losing to Sam Houston, SFA and UTSA and tying Texas State. Junior forward Lisa Hance has five goals to pace the Cardinals.
It will be the final weekend at home in the careers of outgoing seniors Randi Condley, Amanda Jocz, Cori Kaplinger, Kari Mars, Aly Murray and Brittney Warren – a group that has a combined 25 years at UCA, with Kaplinger in her fifth year and each of the others in their fourth.
Entering their final two games at home, the group has combined for 31 goals, 21 assists, seven game-winning goals and has been part of 31 wins and 21 shutouts during their career in UCA uniform.
The Bears come into the game looking for their second consecutive conference win having defeated Northwestern State 1-0 last weekend. Junior defender Julie Foerster was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week, the first weekly award for the Bears so far this season.
