NATCHITOCHES—A late goal by McNeese's Havana Johnson gave the Cowgirls a 2-1 victory against Northwestern State Sunday afternoon at the Lady Demon Soccer Complex.

On the winner, Johnson drove past the defense and shot the ball to the back of the net in the lower left of the goal in the 82^nd minute.

That was eight minutes after the Lady Demons scored on a free kick by Natalee Henry from outside the box on the right side. It was her second goal on the season and second in as many games.

It was the second consecutive contest that NSU scored late to tie up the game, after scoring with less than three minutes left in regulation in the overtime win against Lamar on Friday.

"It was a tough game," co-head soccer coach Jess Jobe said. "It was a tough, hard-fought game. We're obviously disappointed. The way we fought back to get the equalizer and then give the goal back up was tough."

NSU (5-6 overall, 2-1 Southland) saw its five-match winning streak come to an end. It was the sixth consecutive one-goal contest the Lady Demons have been involved in, and eight of their 11 have been decided by a single goal.

McNeese (7-3, 3-0) won its fifth consecutive game, and stayed unbeaten in conference. All three of its conference wins have been by one goal.

The Lady Demons began the contest putting pressure on the Cowgirls defense, but it remained scoreless.

McNeese had the game's first big chance when Johnson had a chance right in the box, but she was denied by NSU goalkeeper Kayla Bomben.

The best opportunity for either team in the score came in the 20^th minute for the Cowgirls. On a cross into the box, a handball was called, and they were awarded a penalty shot. Keely Morrow took the penalty kick, but it was wide right and the game remained scoreless.

It was that score at halftime. All three conference matches for the Lady Demons have been scoreless after one half.

McNeese cashed in on a chance nearly midway into the second half on a shot by Brianna Mascia right in front of the net on a pass from Alexis Rodriguez, and Mascia snuck it in the bottom right corner of the goal to give the Cowgirls the edge.

But like against Lamar, the Lady Demons showed their resiliency once again, tying the contest in the 74^th minute. Henry took a free kick, and booted it in the top right corner past the outstretched arms of McNeese goalkeeper Emma Roccaforte.

After scoring one goal in her first year and a half with the Lady Demons, she has scored in each of her past two contests.

Immediately after NSU's goal, McNeese turned up the pressure and controlled the action in NSU territory the next five minutes. That led to Johnson's winner in the low left corner shot from the right side of the box. The assist was credited to Carissa Adams.

The Lady Demons had late shots by Olivia Mattsson and Alexis Weaver, but Mattsson's shot was stopped by Roccaforte and Weaver's was high and wide right.

McNeese won the shot battle 11-7, and it is the first time NSU was outshot since the opening two contests.

"Our heads are up," Jobe said. "We're excited about moving forward with this team and we're very proud of how they fought. We're going to continue to move forward and have the same confidence and same belief that we've had. This won't change anything."

NSU heads across the border next weekend, as the Lady Demons play at Abilene Christian Friday before playing at Incarnate Word on Sunday.