LAFAYETTE—Aila Swinton's 55^th minute goal sunk the Northwestern State soccer team in a hard-fought 1-0 road loss at the Home Bank Soccer & Track Complex.

Swinton scored right in front of the net off a pass from Tatum Beck early in the second half to give the Ragin Cajuns the lone goal of the contest.

Her shot came from just outside the box, scoring bottom right side of the net.

NSU (0-4) finishes a difficult road trip to begin the season, while ULL (3-0-2) remains undefeated.

"I thought we played a good game overall," head coach Ian Brophy said. "The second half I thought was more of what we were looking for, even though we ended up conceding the goal.

I liked the chances we created in the second half. I just wish we would have created a few more."

ULL controlled possession much of the game, but the NSU defense did stood tall throughout.

The Ragin' Cajuns started fast, trying to score the first goal of the game, recording five shot attempts in the first 15 minutes, but NSU was equal to the task.

For the half, ULL had 10 shots, but the NSU defense limited the home team to just a single shot on goal, which Libe Banuelos stopped.

Sisley Stephens attempted four of the 10 shots for the Ragin' Cajuns.

After a quick start for ULL, NSU calmed down and limited the possession of ULL. The Lady Demons had a few chances in the first half but could not convert on their two corner kick opportunities.

Taylor Spitzer made her second appearance on the season and generated offense for NSU, but the ULL defense stood its ground.

While Spitzer made her return to the field in the previous meeting against Arkansas, graduate student Kassi Schoen made her official NSU debut in the first half against ULL, playing eight minutes in the first 45 minutes.

ULL started the second much like it started the first, applying pressure. While the Ragin' Cajuns only attempted one shot in the first nine minute, much of the action took place in the ULL offensive end.
Ultimately, the pressure paid dividends on Swinton's decisive goal.

The Ragin' Cajuns tried to double the lead, but Banuelos made two critical stops to keep the deficit at one, including one in which she leaped and tipped the ball off the crossbar.
It was one of three saves for Banuelos.

NSU had one last-ditch effort, but Paige Baumgartner's run down the flank and cross into the box was knocked away and Madison Murphy's shot was stopped in the final minute.

"Paige and Taylor are two we are glad to have back since they have been in and out recently," Brophy said. "They gave us a huge lift and a good spark off the bench."
 
While ULL outshot NSU 18-2, the Lady Demons defense held the Ragin' Cajuns to just four shots on goal.

"I think the 18 shots allowed is a little bit deceiving," Brophy said. "Only allowing four shots on goal put us in a much better position. I thought defensively we didn't give up too many dangerous opportunities. Overall, the game might have deserved to be 0-0, but I thought we played a good game defensively."

Murphy and Julia Pinho Magno attempted the two shots for NSU.

Finally, NSU returns home for its first regular season home match of the year against Abilene Christian on Sunday. The contest is the first match of a string of five of the next six games at home, including the first Southland Conference match of the year against Nicholls.