The UH soccer team will battle the Southland Conference this weekend in search of its first win of the season. The Cougars, who will face two SLC foes, will battle the Sam Houston State Bearkats at 7 p.m. at Huntsville’s Pritchett Field before returning home to face the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Tom Tellez Track at Carl Lewis International Complex.
After the team dropped its season opener to the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners last Friday 1-0 in overtime, Cougar head coach Susan Bush said her team looked sharp in practice and expects the players to perform well this weekend.
"We dominated last week, but the ball just didn’t bounce our way," Bush said.
Maybe that ball will bounce just right on Pritchett field. The Cougars have never lost to the Bearkats. In the five-year history of the SHSU soccer program, the two teams have endured three intense matches with the Cougars, losing to UH by 1 point each time. But with nine returning starters, six letter winners and a season opening 2-0 loss at Rice on Friday, the Bearkats will be hungry for a win.
SHSU finished last season by winning four of its final six regular season matches and earning a berth into the Southland Conference tournament. Led by senior midfielder Raquel Bueno, who ranks third all-time in goals (16) at SHSU and was a member of the Under-19 Brazilian National Team, the Bearkats could prove a challenge to the Cougars.
But despite all the weapons the Bearkats may throw at them, the Cougars feel that if they play with the same intensity as they did during the season opener against UTSA, they will be just fine.
"We plan to stick with the same game plan, reinforce our style of play and attack as a team," Bush said.
After battling the Bearkats, the Cougars will return home to face the SFA Lumberjacks at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Lumberjacks were tied for the regular-season Southland Conference title, but earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament by winning the SLC Tournament title. The Lumberjacks return with 69.5 percent of last season’s high-powered offense, including junior midfielder Kelli Wilson and sophomore forward Kesia Broome, who will anchor a loaded Lumberjack attack.
