Lamar enters Thursday’s home match against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi atop the Southland Conference after a 1-0 win over UIW. The Cardinals will look to extend their momentum as goalkeeper Keely Thomas and forward Marissa Gross lead a strong start to conference play.

By the Numbers
  • Lamar is 7-4-2 overall and 4-1-1 in conference play; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is 4-7-4 and 1-4-2.
  • Gross has 8 goals, including 5 game-winners; Thomas leads the conference with a 0.51 goals-against average.
  • Lamar is 10-5-1 all time against the Islanders and 4-1-1 at home.
Yes, But

The Islanders have won the last two meetings, including a 3-2 victory last season despite conceding a goal just 25 seconds into the match. Lamar’s stronger home record gives the Cardinals a chance to reverse that recent trend.

State of Play
  • Lamar moved into first place after beating UIW 1-0; Gross scored in the fourth minute, and Thomas made 4 saves.
  • Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is coming off a 1-1 draw with East Texas A&M. Katie Porter leads the Islanders with 7 goals.
  • Coach Nathan Kogut is one win away from his 50th career victory.
What’s Next

The teams meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at the LU Soccer Complex, with the game streaming on ESPN+. Lamar then travels to face Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday at 5 p.m., also on ESPN+.

Bottom Line

First place is within Lamar’s control, but the Islanders’ recent edge in the series makes this a meaningful test of the Cardinals’ ability to turn conference momentum into a home win.