Lamar soccer has been on a tear as of late. They are undefeated in October and have propelled themselves to the top spot in the Southland Conference. With one game left in the regular season, it is shaping up for them to enter the Southland Conference tournament as top dogs.
After clinching at least a tie for the regular season title with a 1-1 draw against HCU, Sunday, the team round out the regular season today against rivals McNeese. Game time is 7 p.m. at the LU soccer complex.
The team swept the SLC weekly honors, announced Oct. 27, with senior Marissa Gross winning Offensive Player of the Week, senior Riley Wilson winning Defensive Player of the Week, and senior Keely Thomas winning Goalkeeper of the Week.
Going into the tournament as a top seed, it is easy for the intensity to waver, Thomas said, but the team’s thought process has stayed the same.
“The mindset has stayed similar for the most part throughout the season,” she said. “We are super proud of where we are at the moment, it’s been what we’ve been working towards since late June. It’s all about taking games one at a time and letting the team’s grit, bravery, character and talent carry us through it.”
The SLC tournament is being played in Commerce at East Texas A&M on a grass field as opposed to the team’s usual turf. Thomas said the gameplan going in changed based on the quality of the field, but either way it won’t affect how they play.
“There’s a range for length, width or type of grass any complex can have, and that affects how use our formation and which parts of the field to stress on our attack or defense,” she said. “Purely playing away versus home, honestly has had no effect on us. We’ve won the last five games — three away and two home. Our team really leans on each other and, impressively, has handled the intense energy of games on the road really well.”
Thomas said that she is grateful for winning multiple Goalkeeper of the Week awards, but it does not affect her in a positive or negative way.
“At the end of the day I play for an audience of one,” she said. “No matter how I perform, it doesn’t affect my mindset. I’m very grateful that I’ve been performing in a way that benefits my team, and any personal awards are just an added bonus”
Gross is the team captain and is leading the team in goals, scoring many game winners this season. She said she needs to take her Offensive Player of the Week awards as confidence going into the postseason.
“I think it’s about staying confident in myself and in my team,” she said. “Taking that same energy into the postseason, and staying focused on the bigger picture will definitely help us continue to succeed as a team.”
If the team clinches the first seed, they will have a bye in the first round. Gross said there is much importance to getting the bye.
“It means so much to us,” she said. “Not having to play that first game would save us a few days of traveling and give our legs a break from an extra game. It would be huge for our recovery and preparation.”
The team is excited to go into the postseason, and they have high aspirations for themselves.
“I’m super excited, and I know the team is as well,” Gross said. “We have worked really hard to get to this point. I’m super excited to see what we can accomplish and play for that ring.”
The SLC tournament begins Nov. 10 at noon, with the championship set for Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.