FRISCO, Texas - Seven teams head to Commerce, Texas, this week with a Southland title and an NCAA Tournament automatic bid on the line. The 2026 Southland Conference Women's Soccer Tournament runs Tuesday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 15, at East Texas A&M's Lion Soccer Complex, with every match streaming on ESPN+.
Regular-season champion Lamar earned the No. 1 seed and a bye into Thursday's semifinals. HCU, the league's only team without a conference loss and the defending tournament champion, is the No. 2 seed. Northwestern State, UIW, Nicholls, McNeese, and host East Texas A&M round out the field.
Lamar won the regular-season title at 7-1-2 with 23 points, three clear of HCU. It is a sharp turnaround for a program that finished sixth (3-3-4) a year ago.
The Cardinals did it with defense, as six of their seven league wins came by a single goal, including four 1-0 results over UTRGV, UIW, Southeastern and McNeese. They closed the regular season unbeaten in their last eight league matches, and their only conference loss was a 2-0 setback at Northwestern State on Sept. 24.
What to Watch For
Top-seeded Lamar's attack runs through Marissa Gross, who leads the Southland with 11 goals and six game-winners. Goalkeeper Keely Thomas leads the league with a 0.42 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage, adding six shutouts and three Goalkeeper of the Week awards. The Cardinals have allowed just 11 goals in 17 matches, fewest in the conference. Emma Oubrik and Kam Jalayer each have five assists, and defender Riley Wilson earned Defensive Player of the Week twice.
No. 2 HCU returns the core of last year's championship team. Olivia Rossman, the 2025 tournament MVP, shares the league lead with eight assists. Paisley Barela, who scored three goals in last year's tournament, has seven goals and three game-winners, and Isabella Dillow adds six goals and five assists. Goalkeeper Emmy McKeon has 65 saves and four shutouts, and she carries a 14-match unbeaten streak into Commerce.
No. 3 Northwestern State leads the league with 53 goals, nearly three per match. Paige Baumgartner (eight goals, six assists) leads the conference in points per match and won Offensive Player of the Week twice. Emily Gundin has seven goals and seven assists, Tiana Cruz has seven goals, and Riley Stern has five goals and six assists. Kendall Hemperley, a 2025 All-Tournament pick, shares the league lead with eight assists.
No. 4 UIW leans on goalkeeper Hannah Alexander, a two-time Goalkeeper of the Week with 83 saves and six shutouts. Scoring is spread around: Zaiba Ishaque leads with three goals and two assists, and Peri Olmo and Tyler Coker each have two goals and three assists. Defender Montanna Mathews earned a weekly honor in October.
No. 5 Nicholls is the league's second-highest-scoring team with 37 goals. Alyssa Wheeler leads the way with eight goals and seven assists, and her 23 points tie Gross for the league lead. Jezlyn Nelson has five goals, and Olyvia Pugh, Kate Guillory and Angelina Rispone each have four. Aislinn Wright has made 73 saves in goal.
No. 6 McNeese has the league's leader in shutouts. Goalkeeper Shannon Dempsey has seven, with a 0.72 goals-against average and an .875 save percentage. Rhiannon Maynes-Tourond and Sumayah Brown each have six goals, and Brown's four game-winners rank second in the league. Morgan Fiedler has five assists.
No. 7 East Texas A&M, the host, brings the league's most dangerous shooter. Allyson Reed has eight goals and leads the conference in shots (85) and shots on goal (32). Kristen Sueltz adds five goals, Addisen Ramirez has five assists and goalkeeper Emmy Finlinson has four shutouts. Reed and defender Judith Nandwa swept the final weekly honors after the Lions clinched the last berth.
Whether it’s Lamar finishing off a breakthrough season, HCU defending its crown or a lower seed catching fire, one team will leave Commerce on Sunday with a Southland championship and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Six matches in six days stand between seven teams and that prize, and it all begins Tuesday at noon.