MESQUITE, Texas – LSU Eunice Women's Soccer continues its hot start to the 2024 campaign with a pair of wins in Texas over the weekend. The Bengals (5-1) finished a four-game stretch in the Lone Star State by outscoring their opponents 18-1.
The Bengals have had at least a four-game win streak in each of the last three seasons. The program record is a seven-game streak set in 2019.
LSUE started the pair of games by using a second half surge to push past Western Texas College, 3-1, on Thursday. The Bengals, again, used a strong finish after intermission on their way to a 4-0 decision over Eastfield College. Both games were played at Eastfield's Soccer Field.
September 6 vs. Western Texas – W, 3-1
LSU Eunice broke a tie late in the game with a pair of goals to secure a 3-1 win over Western Texas. The Bengals offense was driven by a pair of assists by
Luna Kristiina Kullas (Copenhagen, Denmark, Gefion Gymnasium).
Kullas ignited the LSUE offense in the tenth minute, sending a cross into the box that bounced off a deflection to a charging
Nova Eskelinen (Burträsk, Sweden, Kanalskolan Skellefteå). The freshman would flick the ball past the keeper for her third goal of the season.
The Westerners would knot the game up before intermission with a 37th minute tally.
That would set the stage for a dramatic Bengal victory. Off a quick restart in the 81st minute,
Alivia Buckhalter (Monroe, LA, Ouachita Parish HS) raced down the near sideline, beating her opponent into the box. She would flip it to a wide-open
Emily Poste (Copperas Cove, TX, Copperas Cove HS) who buried the easy goal. Kullas produced her second helper of the day in the waning minutes, intercepting a WTC pass before sending it up ahead to
Lily Whitefoot (Wrexham, Wales, Darland HS). The Welsh freshman raced past the defense before lofting a long distance shot that went over the Westerner goalkeeper's head.
Anais Coyne (Mansfield, TX, Mansfield Legacy HS) provided another steady hand in net, grabbing five saves in the victory.
September 7 vs. Eastfield – W, 4-0
It took longer than normal, but the high-octane LSU Eunice offense came to life in a 4-0 win over Eastfield College to wrap up the weekend.
Salomé Deneubourg (Chalo-Saint-Mars, France, Jean Pierre Timbaud HS) led the offensive output, scoring her first brace of her LSUE career. The French import scored in the 46th and 66th minute off assists from Emily Poste and
Maria Maravilla (Houston, TX, Cypress Lakes HS), respectively.
Nova Eskelinen finally put LSUE in the scoring column right before the end of the first half, heading in a long pass by
Marta Gonzalez Martinez (Vigo, Spain, IES A Guia) following a failed clearance on a LSUE corner kick.
Lily Whitefoot capped the scoring with an 88th minute finish thanks to a cross by Gabby Stone after an interception in the Eastfield end.
Hannah May (Gonzales, LA, East Ascension HS) went the distance in net for LSU Eunice, producing a three save clean sheet.