NATCHITOCHES -- The term "bounce back" is one that's used often around the Northwestern State soccer team in the past couple of weeks.

The Lady Demons (6-5, 0-3 Southland Conference) are looking for their first home conference win when Incarnate Word (1-5-1, 1-0-1) visits Friday at 6 p.m., but NSU's record doesn't tell the tale of a season where positives aren't hard to find with a team that features 19 underclassmen.
 
NSU's three league losses (Stephen F. Austin, McNeese and Lamar) have been to teams that finished in the top three of the 2017 regular season standings.
 
Moreover, the Lady Demons outshot SFA (18-4) and Lamar (22-17) in a pair of 1-0 losses.
 
"We try to keep things in the perspective of having tough opponents up front in our schedule … and we're proud of our team and how we've handled some stiff challenges," said first-year co-head coach Jess Jobe. "We think at least two of those games could have gone differently, and we're sitting in a different position.
 
"This weekend at home is an opportunity to bounce back. After Friday's game at McNeese (4-0 loss) which didn't go our way at all, we're really happy with the way our players bounced back with a good performance at Lamar."
 
Admission is free to all fans courtesy of the Demons Unlimited Foundation, and fans not attending the game can watch via a paid video stream on nsudemons.com.
 
NSU is sitting in last place in the league as the only 0-3 squad, but junior Jayden Wheeler said belief among the players is high because of the way the Lady Demons have competed.
 
"I told the girls after Sunday's game (at Lamar) that even though we didn't get the weekend that we wanted, this is the most talented team I've been on at NSU," Wheeler said. "This team has so much heart and talent, it's just about putting goals in the back of the net now.
 
"We're outshooting our opponents, but the difference is they are outfinishing us. We have to finish our chances when we get them and make the most of our moments."
 
The Lady Demons are clawing for one of eight SLC Tournament spots in the 12-team league.
 
NSU may be facing a one-win UIW squad, but the Cardinals come in with a lot of confidence after a strong start to conference play.
 
UIW opened with a 2-1 win against Nicholls before tying a Southeastern team that topped McNeese.
 
Jess and Anna Jobe know first-year UIW coach Emma Wright-Cates through the Olympic Development Program in Texas, and they expect a well-organized squad to step onto the Lady Demon Complex field on Friday.
 
"This conference is tough from to bottom, and we'd knew that'd be the case," said Jess Jobe. "We're trying to figure out where we fit in all that, but we feel like we've made a statement despite not getting the results that we want so far.
 
"There are things the stats don't tell you like the fact that we hit the crossbar four times against Lamar. We believe we just need to continue to go in the direction that we're headed, and we'll be rewarded for our hard work."
 
NSU's offense still ranks sixth in the nation with 30 goals this season, but the Lady Demons are looking to scratch the scoreboard for the first time in conference play Friday.
 
Jobe said drills in front of the goal that focus on finishing shots continue to be a priority.
 
"We're doing specific things in training to make sure that's part of every day's practice," Jobe said. "We're getting an opportunity to get on goal and see the ball hit the back of the net over and over again.
 
"The margin of our results so far are so fine, but that's part of soccer. We're continuing to get better."