NATCHITOCHES – Continuing the trend of tough, defensive-minded matches with Incarnate Word, the Northwestern State soccer team gutted out a 1-0 win Sunday to complete a weekend sweep.

Senior defender Patry Carrion drilled a penalty kick to the right side of the net in the 81^st minute for the match's only goal.

Carrion's penalty kick was created by junior forward Cache' Haley, who collided with UIW goalkeeper Sydney Huntsinger as she attempted to connect on a cross into the penalty box.

Carrion scored her second goal of the season, lifting NSU (7-5, 4-1 SLC) to its fourth consecutive win in Southland Conference play.

"I think the team is gaining confidence, and we are connecting more passes and growing closer together," said Carrion, who has two goals this season and in her two-year NSU career. "Hopefully we can keep improving, and maybe we can get to a point in which every game isn't so tight."

All four wins have come by one goal – winning at Lamar (1-0) and McNeese (2-1) before taking home matches against Abilene Christian (2-1 in OT) and UIW (1-0).

The four straight wins is the most since 2012 and the longest conference winning streak since 2005, the last time NSU won the Southland Conference Tournament championship.

The seven overall wins also ties the best mark in NSU coach George Van Linder's four seasons after the Lady Demons won seven in 2013.

The Lady Demons pulled out the win despite UIW (4-8-1, 2-3 SLC) holding a 19-10 shot edge but only a 7-6 advantage in shots on goal.

"Sunday is a gut check day, and I've got to hand it to Incarnate Word after they had a tough night Friday," said NSU coach George Van Linder. "We practiced penalty kicks this week, and Patry made 10 out of about 15, so I felt pretty confident.

"UIW had a good plan of attack and put our backline under stress, and we had to remember all the basic things we worked on to hold up."

Junior goalkeeper Alex Latham made six saves in the win, including a Sam Batley penalty kick in the fifth minute. Latham made a save on a breakaway attempt and came off her line to eliminate another breakaway chance.

The shutout is Latham's fifth of the season and second in the SLC season.

NSU also had a few missed opportunities, including a Brittany Caserma blast that ricocheted off goalkeeper Sydney Huntsinger's hands and dinged the cross bar.

Carrion attempted three shots with Caserma and sophomore April Trowbridge added two each.

UIW's Huntsinger started at keeper in the second half, making two saves. Starter Haley Nelson made three saves in a clean first half.

Against the Cardinals, NSU improves 2-1-1 all-time against UIW after a scoreless tie in 2015 and a 1-0 win in 2014.

With four straight wins, NSU moves into the sole possession of third place in the Southland Conference with a road trip to Sam Houston State (2-10-1, 2-2-1 SLC) on Friday at 7 p.m.