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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — After securing their first win of the season, the Northwestern State soccer team aims for a weekend sweep as they head to Alabama A&M on Sunday.
The match kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Bulldog Soccer Field.
The Demons (1-4-1) achieved a breakthrough with a strong four-goal display, defeating Jackson State 4-0 on Friday night.
Once the team got their first goal, players and coaches believed that more would follow.
Paige Baumgartner, a junior from Rowlett, Texas, opened the scoring just 51 seconds into the match, setting a dynamic tone for the Demons.
Emily Senatore contributed two goals, while Riley Stern netted her first collegiate goal to complete the tally.
Senatore stands out as the only player on the team to score multiple goals in a game this season, having done so twice, including a similar feat against Nicholls in last year’s regular-season finale.
Kora Fry, against her former team, made three saves to help secure a combined shutout after stepping in for Libe Banuelos.
Fry has played in the last two encounters against her old school, making four saves in over 66 minutes of shutout play.
In their last three matches, the Demons’ defense has allowed only one goal, successfully limiting scoring threats against UL Lafayette, Abilene Christian, and JSU.
Alabama A&M (1-5) is currently on a four-game homestand, with a record of 1-1 so far, having defeated West Georgia 3-2 before losing 5-1 to Middle Tennessee.
“It will be a challenging game,” said head coach Ian Brophy. “They’ll come into this match with some confidence after beating West Georgia. We’ll need to excel in possession and maintain solid defense to win.”
The Demons hope to maintain their momentum against the Bulldogs, who have conceded 20 goals this season, allowing at least two goals in every game played.
This will be the second all-time meeting between the two teams; their first encounter last season ended in a 1-0 victory for the Demons in Natchitoches, with Taylor Spitzer scoring the only goal via a penalty kick in the 65th minute.
“We plan to use our performance against them last year as motivation to improve this time around,” said Jessica Spitzer. “However, they’re a different team now, so we need to stay alert.”
After this match, Northwestern State will return to Natchitoches for three consecutive home games, beginning with a matchup against Tarleton State on Thursday.