NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Senior Shelby Balmer thinks the Northwestern State soccer team is just a little different this season.
Balmer, one of five seniors who has never played in a Southland Conference tournament, isn't just thinking about helping the program appear in its first postseason since 2008.
Balmer believes the Lady Demons (3-4-1) have a chance to be a contender.
"We've been so close the last two years," Balmer said. "This is our last year as seniors, and we're so excited about what we've got.
"With the new group of girls (13 freshmen) and all the talent they bring combined with the talented girls we already had here, making the conference tournament is definitely achievable. I definitely believe we can win the whole thing."
NSU's conference opener at Stephen F. Austin on Friday at 7 p.m. could give the Lady Demons an early indicator of where they stand in the conference pecking order.
The Ladyjacks are 38-1-1 in Southland Conference regular season play since 2011, not having lost a regular season conference match in nearly two years (Oral Roberts on Sept. 21, 2013). SFA has won the last four regular season league titles although just one conference tournament title in that span.
Senior defender Natalie Pena said the SFA match is great way for the freshmen to experience the Southland Conference.
"If we win, we can build our confidence up really fast," Pena said. "It will set the freshmen's expectations high for our future conference opponents because we start with such a tough opponent.
"We've always come close to the conference tournament but haven't made it (in our careers). But this team is closer and is doing things we haven't done in the past. If we were close (to the postseason) then, I don't see how we don't make it now."
The top six teams in the conference standings advance to the conference tournament, and NSU hasn't finished better than eighth in the last three seasons.
But SFA (1-6) misses its top two goal scorers from 2014 in Chelsea Raymond and Zuri Prince (19 goals combined) as the Lady Jacks have scored just two goals in their first seven matches.
Four of SFA's losses have come to Power Five conference members, including No. 24 Arizona State.
"Stephen F. Austin has played a lot of tough competition, and they've had some injuries as well," said NSU coach George Van Linder. "But our schedule has prepared us, too.
"We've played (then-No. 5) Texas A&M, tied LSU and was competitive against SMU. We can confidently say that we won't see anybody better than who we've already played."
NSU is 0-1-1 against Power Five members but 0-3 against the Sun Belt Conference.
Since NSU's 1-1 tie at LSU, the first Power Five member in which the Lady Demons have scored a point in the standings, the Lady Demons are 2-3 with both wins coming against the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"We are still really young, but we have gotten a lot of valuable experience in our non-conference schedule," Van Linder said. "We've done a lot of good things against tough competition on the road, and we've done well facing enormous pressure.
"I don't know if crowds affect us like they used to when we play in front of 3,500 fans at A&M and 1,100 at LSU. On the flip side, we're frustrated that we haven't been more dangerous scoring goals without creating holes in our defense."
Freshmen continue to lead NSU in scoring as the five top goal scorers are all rookies. Kayleigh Phillips (four goals) and Brittany Caserma (three goals) top NSU's scoring list. Freshmen have accounted for 16 of NSU's 20 goals.
