NACOGDOCHES, Texas—Hollywood couldn't have written a much better script than this.

Northwestern State (10-6-2, 6-2-1) has a chance to win its second regular season Southland Conference title in four seasons.

"One of the things that drew me here was the ability to compete for championships and this program having a tradition of doing that," head coach Ian Brophy said. "Getting to build on that and add on that is huge."

The team that stands in its way is rival Stephen F. Austin (10-3-2, 7-2), which has dominated the SLC this season, out-scoring opponents 25-4 in league play and 49-8 overall.

"They're a good team," Brophy said. "They commit numbers to the attack, are very athletic and very driven. They are a very good team, very talented. They have taken advantage of the opportunities they get and they've put those away. There's a reason we're fighting them for a conference championship."

Northwestern State will be a top-four seed in the conference tournament for a sixth consecutive season. A win means the No. 1 seed, a tie means the No. 2 seed and other results will decide which seed it is with a loss.

After not winning a conference road contest in 2023, the Demons have gone 3-1 on the road during SLC play in 2024, scoring 10 goals in the process.

Three members of the team—Caroline Hilliard, Emily Mougia and Sara Fernandez—were a part of the team that made the NCAA Tournament in 2021.

For Hilliard, starting and finishing with championships would be incredible.

"To win another championship would be like a Cinderella ending," Hilliard said. "It would be awesome to do that as a freshman and as a senior. It would be a great honor to do it with this team as well. It was so awesome to do it as a freshman, and to do it as a senior would mean the world."

The offense has been lethal for both teams, as the contest pits the two highest-scoring teams in the league, as the Demons have scored 19 goals during conference play.

Taylor Spitzer, the reigning SLC Offensive Player of the Week, has been on fire since league play started. Her 16 points during conference play leads the league. She ranks in the top two in both goals (6) and assists (4).

Spitzer has recorded at least one point in seven of the nine SLC matches.

"Taylor (Spitzer) and Emily (Senatore) are two of the top players in the Southland Conference goal-wise," Emily Gundin said. "But I feel like it is a team effort, starting from the back of the field, moving forward. Us having 14 different goal scorers, looking to get more on Friday, is a huge accomplishment and I couldn't be more proud of it."

Overall, Northwestern State has scored in 13 consecutive games, the most in a single season since doing so in 17 straight in 2002. Overlapping seasons, the Demons scored in 13 straight from the 2021 season into the 2022 campaign.

On the defensive end, Emma Pethel was named the SLC Defender of the Week after leading a defense that only allowed one goal in the two wins.

"It is a big deal that Emma (Pethel) and Jessica (Spitzer) have won the conference defensive player of the week the past two weeks," Hilliard said. "Alina (Graf) has also won it and those three are all super strong and super skilled. Being part of a back line with them is an honor and they are probably the hardest workers I know."

Pethel also added three assists in the five goals scored and now has four assists in the past three games.

Her four assists during league play are tied for second in the SLC, tied with teammates Spitzer and Isabella Ruggiano.

On offense for SFA, the Ladyjacks have six players who have scored at least five goals this season. Jayme Bailey leads the way with eight goals and four assists. Maddie Bowers matches Bailey with 20 points, tallying six goals and dishing out eight assists.

Following the match, the Demons turn their sights to the conference tournament, which begins Tuesday in Corpus Christi, Texas.