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    Ladyjacks Travel to El Paso
    SFA Head Coach Nicole Nelson
    SFA Head Coach Nicole Nelson

    Sept. 18, 2002

    NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team will be in El Paso, Texas for two games, beginning Friday. SFA opens up against Texas-El Paso Friday at 7 p.m. The Ladyjacks will be right back on the field Sunday to take on UC Riverside. The game against the Highlanders is slated to get underway at noon. SFA will be looking to improve upon a two-game win streak that includes 2-1 victories over Tennessee-Martin and Murray State.

    Stellar Defense: The Ladyjacks' defense has smothered opponents during the 2002 season. In the Ladyjacks five contests, SFA is surrendering only 1.8 goals per game. Freshman goalkeeper Natascia Michalezki (Calgary, Alberta) has been a big reason for the Ladyjacks success. Michalezki has been stellar in net, playing all 450 minutes of action for SFA and recording 47 saves. The 47 saves is already the ninth-best single-season mark in SFA history.

    Spreading the Wealth: After All-SLC sophomore Kendra Cannon (Kilgore, Texas) went down with a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season, the rest of the Ladyjack squad would had to pick up the slack offensively, and that is exactly what the Ladyjacks have done. Of the team's four goals this season, each has been scored by a different player. Junior Michelle LaPointe (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), sophomores Sarah Johnson (Ft. Worth, Texas), Lauren Matkin (Wimberley, Texas) and freshman Kim Gray (Spring, Texas) have each netted a goal. Even the Ladyjacks two assists have been recorded by different players (Allison Lawrence and Christy Mestayer).

    On Deck... The Ladyjacks return home for the first time since the season opener when they host SLC-rival McNeese State. The game slated to begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 24, at Homer Bryce Stadium.

    -SFA-