Box Score NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State head coach Jimmy Mitchell was awarded a plaque for his 200th career victory he garnered last week in a pregame ceremony.  The Lady Demons rewarded him with win No. 201 after freshmen Julia Ranalli and Alex Petermann led the Lady Demons to an impressive 2-0 win over Conference USA foe Southern Mississippi Friday night.

The win was the fifth in the last seven games for the Lady Demons as they improve to 5-3.  They'll next head to TCU on Sunday for a 1 o'clock contest that will be televised nationally on the Mountain West Conference Television Network.  USM fell to 3-4-1 on the year and suffered its first defeat at the hands of NSU in five tries.

“After not playing too well last week, we really focused this week by trying to make a statement,” said Mitchell

In the 42nd minute, midfielder Ranalli took a shot from 40 yards out and put it just above the reach of Golden Eagle goalkeeper Hannah Vanderboegh for her first goal of the season to put the Lady Demons up 1-0.

The lead ran to 2-0 in the 54th minute after Rachel O'Steen led Meghan Hunter with a pass from the centerfield line.  Hunter took a shot at the goal but it was deflected to Haley Chesier who passed it out to Petermann who knocked it in for her second goal of the season.

That goal ties her for second place on the team in goals scored with Yanci Johnson, who had to sit out the game after she received a red card against Tulsa last Sunday.

“We gave a lot of energy and our work rate was very high,” Mitchell said. “We really challenged our kids and watched a ton of video of last week's games to break down and correct our mistakes.”

Goalkeeper Jessica Danku had several great saves in the game including one on a shot from Southern Miss midfielder Mary Margret Underwood late in the contest that could have given the Golden Eagles momentum.  But Danku, who notched her second shutout of the season, made a remarkable diving save to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard.

“We got in trouble a few times, but Danku was always there to make the save,” Mitchell said.

Danku had six saves on 13 shots in the game.