PINEVILLE, La. – It wasn't the cleanest of starts for the Louisiana College women's soccer team in its battle with Jarvis Christian College, finding themselves trailing at halftime, but a four-goal burst inside of a ten-minute span in the second half ended any upset hopes as the Wildcats put themselves on the brink of history with a 5-2 win over the Bulldogs Thursday night at Wildcat Field.
 
Things started just as the Wildcats hoped, with plenty of possession and attempts at goal, including an early score. Martina Terra Garcia took a shot that was saved right back to her. After getting her own rebound, Terra Garcia sent the ball back out wide to Emma Monnet, whose one-touch cross found the head of Laura Baú Magleau and Baú Magleau steered the ball into the net for a 1-0 LC lead in just the fifth minute of the match.
 
But hopes of an easy night at the office were shunted by a pair of quick-hitter goals from the Bulldogs that put the underdog Jarvis Christian out front. In the 26^th and 27^th minutes, the Bulldogs got goals from 50 and 40 yards out, respectively, to suddenly find themselves in front, 2-1, a lead that would hold under intense LC pressure to halftime and into the second half.
 
However, LC kept attacking into the second 45, and suddenly a barrage of goals befell the Wildcats and left the Bulldogs bereft of their upset ideas. The barrage started in the 64^th minute as Laura Pérez Velasco won the ball from a Jarvis throw in, passed the ball into the box where Laura Baú Magleau was waiting, and Baú Magleau beat the goalkeeper just under the crossbar to tie the match at 2-2.
 
The match would not remain level for long. LC won a corner kick, which Lindsey Jacobs went to take. Jacobs sent the ball into the box, which the Jarvis goalkeeper knocked down, but she knocked it right to the foot of Laura Pérez Velasco, who tapped the ball into the open net to put the Wildcats back out front at 3-2 in the 68^th minute.
 
Two minutes after that, a mistake in the back proved extremely costly for the Bulldogs. A bad first touch by a Jarvis player off of a simple pass found the ball headed right for the foot of Martina Terra Garcia, and with nothing but turf and the goal in front of her, the team's top scorer unleashed a shot from 22 yards out that found the top left corner and LC's lead was extended to 4-2 in the 70^th minute.
 
Any hopes for any kind of comeback were extinguished in the 73^rd minute, thanks to a fortunate hop and a lesson in always follow the shot. Laura Pérez Velasco got an open look, which she took. That look resulted in a save by the Jarvis goalkeeper, but the save was spilled, and Stephanie Doran won the race to the free ball against two Jarvis defenders and tapped it into the open net to close out the scoring in the second-to-final match of the regular season.
 
Laura Baú Magleau scored her fourth and fifth goals of the season as she took a total of eight shots and put four on target in the match. Laura Pérez Velasco put in her fifth goal of the season and second game-winning goal on nine shots with three on frame while also collecting both her third and fourth assists of the season. Martina Terra Garcia collected her team-leading 16^th goal of the season on nine shots with eight on target while also being credited with her sixth assist on the year. Stephanie Doran netted her 12^th goal of 2021 as she took ten shots and put six on target. Lindsey Jacobs collected her team-leading tenth assist of the year while Emma Monnet was credited with her sixth helper of 2021. Louisiana College peppered the Jarvis Christian net with 56 shots total in the match, putting 28 on target.
 
Jessica Carro Pedreira (13-1-1) was caught off her line on both Jarvis Christian goals, which represented the Bulldogs' lone two shots total in the match, though she picked up the victory in net, continuing to break her own record for wins in goal with each victory.
 
With Thursday's win, the Wildcats (13-1-1, 9-0-1 RRAC) are now one draw or win away from collecting the program's first ever conference regular season championship. They look to accomplish this goal on Senior Day this Saturday as Texas College comes to town to close out this historic regular season. Kickoff of Saturday's match against the Steers (0-11, 0-10 RRAC) is set for 6:00 P.M., following the football game, at Wildcat Field.