Soccer flips script

What a season-ending finish.
After a winless streak of Southern’s soccer team’s first eight games, the Lady Jaguars have not lost yet.
On Friday, it extended its three-game winning streak to four when they defeated Alcorn State 5-1. Now Southern (4-8, 4-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is ranked third in the western division in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Their only divisional lost was to Prairie View A&M.
“The ladies are feeling very good about themselves,” said interim head coach John Knighten. “We are peaking at the right time of the year going into the SWAC soccer championship. They know they have worked very hard to make it to this point.”
Against the Lady Braves, freshman midfielder Almarie Soto-Ortiz had the best game of her young career when she recorded a hat trick, putting in three goals.
“We are finally winning some games, so we are feeling really good,” Soto-Ortiz said. “It’s really exciting and we are ready to go and continue our winning streak.”
Southern’s three seniors, midfielder Jennifer Johnson, defender LaToya Harvey and defender Khrystina Pindle, were recognized at the last home game. Pindle scored two goals, while Knighten said Pindle is a leader and has stepped as captain by teaching leadership to her teammates.
“I think we got a chance to at least play for first,” Pindle said. “I know everybody is going to go out there and play to win.”
The Lady Jaguars will leave Wednesday for the conference tournament in Grambling.
“We set a goal for the season to play in the championship match and they are focused and ready to play,” Knighten said. “We always put God first in our lives and this is what I tell them: ‘Jesus, commitment and dedication equal to success.’ ”
The win streak has been a morale builder for the team, said Pindle.
“Everybody can say that we lost all our games, but the games that mattered, we won,” she said. “Now we are going to SWAC.”