Pilots Edged by Xavier, 2-1

SHREVEPORT, La. — No. 22 LSU Shreveport women's soccer dropped a tightly contested Red River Athletic Conference matchup to Xavier University (La.), 2-1, on Monday afternoon at The Swamp. The Pilots move to 10-6 overall and 9-1 in RRAC play, while the Gold Nuggets improve to 9-2-3 overall and 8-0-2 in the conference.

Xavier opened the scoring in the 34th minute when Samira Roper found the back of the net off a pass from Amelia Thompson to make it 1-0. LSUS responded just five minutes later as Jade Derks equalized in the 39th minute, finishing a setup from Halee Hernandez to send the teams into halftime tied at one apiece.

The second half saw both sides battle for control, but Xavier broke through late when Anita Roese scored in the 84th minute with an assist from Eduarda Queiroz to secure the 2-1 win.

LSUS goalkeeper Elena Lopez played the full 90 minutes, recording seven saves while allowing two goals. Xavier's Luisa Bella went the distance as well, conceding once and making one save.

Despite the setback, the Pilots remain in contention for the RRAC regular season title. LSU Shreveport will close out conference play on the road against Louisiana Christian University on Saturday in Pineville, La. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.