NATCHITOCHES—A game-deciding goal in the 105^th minute by Lauren Shaw sent Texas A&M-Commerce to the Southland Conference Tournament title match over Northwestern State 3-2 in double overtime on a windy day at the Lady Demon Soccer Complex.

The season ends for NSU at 12-4-3, finishing with a better overall record than in 2021 when it won the conference regular season and tournament titles and tied for the second-most wins in a season since 2006.

"It's a tough one to take, but the team and the staff gave everything they had today," NSU women's soccer coach Stuart Gore said. "But it wasn't to be our day. The wind played a part in the game, but that happens. I like to say a special thank you to all our senior and graduates for all their hard work."

On the deciding goal, TAMUC's Melissa Storey maneuvered her way through the NSU defense and blasted a shot that hit the crossbar, but bounced down to Shaw, who headed it into the open net.

That capped off a wild final 65 minutes, one that saw four goals scored in a back-and-forth second half and two overtimes.

Down 2-1, NSU sent the game into overtime in the 79^th minute on a penalty kick from SLC Player of the Year Gracie Armstrong. Olivia Draguicevich, playing in her final game for the Lady Demons in her decorated career, was tackled in the box, giving NSU the penalty kick.

Armstrong tied the game on a boot to the bottom right portion of the goal.

The goal was Armstrong's second of the game and fourth of the SLC Tournament. She opened the scoring in a dominant first half for Northwestern State.

Draguicevich finished her career with 37 career goals, the most in school history, and 81 career points, the second-most in program history.

In the 30^th minute, she beat a pair of defenders to the ball and attempted a shot in the box and it was stopped by Lions goalkeeper Jen Peters, but the rebound came back to Armstrong and she headed it into the open net to put NSU in front first.

NSU out-shot TAMUC (9-8-2) 14-2 in the first half and won the battle for the game 27-11. It was the first time NSU has surrendered more than five shots in a game since the Lions did it on Sept. 25.

NSU had plenty of chances to widen the lead in the first half or take the lead prior to Armstrong's tally, but Peters was a brick wall in goal for the Lions.

The best chance came in the 16^th minute, starting with a shot by Delaney Wells. Her shot from the top of the right of the box was stopped. The rebound came out to Armstrong, whose shot hit the crossbar. That rebound came out to Draguicevich, whose shot was stopped by Peters.

Peters made seven stops in her 45 minutes of work before Gillian McKenzie took over to begin the second half.

The Lions came out strong in the second half and scored two goals in a span of 3:12 to take the lead in the 69^th minute.

TAMUC scored on a corner kick a Mindy Shoffit to tie the score. On the corner kick from Ashley Campuzano, the ball was headed by Shoffit and stopped by NSU goalkeeper Chloe DeShazer, but the ball was ruled over the line and the Lions tied the game.

Just over three minutes later, Campuzano scored on a wind-aided free kick from outside the box on the left side. The boot sailed top shelf of the goal, flying just over the out-stretched arm of DeShazer.

As a team, the Lions made 13 saves in 15 shots on goal for NSU.

Texas A&M-Commerce moves on to play Lamar on Sunday afternoon for the right to represent the Southland Conference in the NCAA Tournament.