Lamar soccer draws LSU in first round of NCAA tournament

The Lamar University women’s soccer team didn’t wait long to learn its first-round opponent in the upcoming NCAA tournament. 

Just minutes after the national selection show began, the Cardinals heard their name called as the third team announced in the bracket. Some players were just settling into their seats at the watch party on campus when Lamar’s logo popped up on the screen. 

A cheer from the gathered crowd was followed by a gasp when Lamar’s opponent showed up next. The Cardinals will play No. 8 seed LSU on Friday in Baton Rouge. 

“You get nervous even though you’re already in. It’s a very weird feeling,” Lamar head coach Nathan Kogut said of the short wait. “But at the end of the day, it’s like a kid on Christmas because you’re one of 64 teams that gets to keep playing.”

It’s been a “dream” season for the Cardinals first-year coach. He led Lamar to the Southland’s regular-season and tournament championships, and was named as the league’s coach of the year last week. 

Kogut stopped short of saying he expected this type of success in his first year as a head coach, but said he always had a hunch Lamar could compete at the highest level. 

“I would be lying if I said (this moment) didn’t cross my mind,” Kogut said of winning the league titles. “I knew we’d get here. I just didn’t think it would happen as fast as it did.”

Lamar last qualified for the for NCAA tournament in 2019 under previous coach Steve Holeman. The Cardinals drew UCLA that year, losing 4-1 to a Bruins team seeded No. 2.  

Nederland native Meg Sheppard was a member of that 2019 Lamar squad. She recalled a star-struck feeling when the Cardinals were matched up with UCLA. 

Related: Lamar soccer team hangs in Hollywood

This time around, Sheppard said the mood was much different at the watch party.

“Getting LSU this year, we definitely think we can compete with them,” Sheppard said. 

Kogut said his Lamar coaching staff is very familiar with their next opponent, LSU. He’s seen the Tigers play multiple times, and has previous relationships with a few members of the LSU staff. 

LSU went 9-3-7 overall this season. The Tigers lost in a shootout to Ole Miss during the first round of the Southeast Conference tournament. The game included a late brawl between the teams, after which multiple LSU players were issued red cards. 

Lamar (15-1-2) won the Southland Conference championship on Sunday with a 4-1 victory over Texas A&M Commerce. The game against LSU is set for Friday at 5:30 p.m. 

“Sometimes I don’t even think our players know how good they actually are,” Kogut said. “I think we’ve got a great group that is very capable of rising to the occasion.”

MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/mattGfaye