Southeastern’s Lady Lions soccer team lost its home opener against Jackson State this past Sunday, 2-1.
Although this game resulted in a loss, the Lady Lions fought hard throughout and scored their first goal of the season.
Sophomore midfielder Charlotte Lewis scored her first collegiate goal with a corner for Southeastern to take the lead early in the second period.
SLU played fiercely on defense against the Lady Tigers, but got worn out. The team’s minor missteps left opportunities for Jackson State to navigate the ball to their side of the pitch.
Head Coach Nathan Gillespie said he was disappointed they came up short, but the loss has “given us things we need to work on and create more dangerous opportunities.”
The Lady Lions are attempting to take more risks with the plays they run, according to Gillespie. “It’s not leaving them open for more counterattacks,” he said.
SLU started the first half of the game strong and physical, but Jackson State amped up the energy and aggression, resulting in several yellow cards against them.
In redemption for the Lady Tigers’ mistakes, their senior forward Caylah Williams scored twice past the 60-minute mark and took the lead away from Southeastern.
After the loss, it’s apparent the Lady Lions still have a lot to improve on through the season to fill the shoes left by the seniors.
Since their first match against ULM, players have made adjustments to correct their missed cues on defense in practice; however, the coaches anticipated that some mistakes would occur.
Gillespie said, “The mistakes were expected,” as he continues to try and fire up the young team’s “heart and desire for the ball.”
Even though this season began with a loss, Gillespie is looking forward to the future of the program and helping his team overcome challenges for the rest of the season.
The Lady Lions hit the road for their match against South Alabama at 6 p.m. this Sunday, Aug. 31. Fans can watch live on ESPN+.
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