Southland media relations

BEAUMONT – The Cinderella story rolls on for No. 7 Stephen F. Austin, who toppled host institution and defending Southland Conference champion Lamar 2-1 on Friday night at the LU Soccer Complex. The win seals the Ladyjacks’ third-straight trip to the league’s championship match.

With SFA keeping the ball primarily in Lamar’s half, sophomore Katelyn Termini collected a loose ball and fired one past the right side of Sandra Nygard to put the Lad on the board in the 21st minute with her second goal of the tournament.

In the 32nd minute, the Cardinals answered as a diving Kelso Peskin found herself in the right spot at the right time on the end of a Lucy Ashworth cross.

Just moments into the second half, SFA’s Sophia Fondren nearly put the Ladyjacks back on top with a shot off the bar and a rocket that was deflected away by Nygard. Over the next 12 minutes, three more attempts off the foot of Fondren found their way into Nygard’s arms.

On SFA’s 10th attempt of the half, Carli Arthurs registered just her second goal of the season, heading in a cross from Fondren to go ahead 2-1 in the 83rd minute.

The Ladyjacks (7-8-3) will face No. 5 Abilene Christian in Sunday’s Southland Conference Championship Match, the highest combination of seeds in the title game in league history.