SAN ANTONIO—With the clock ticking down, the game was destined for a tie.

Enter Emily Senatore.

In the first Southland Conference road game of the season, Senatore buried a shot to the back of the net in the 89^th minute to lift Northwestern State (6-4-1, 2-0) to a 2-1 road victory over UIW (3-5-2, 0-2) on Sunday afternoon at Gayle & Tom Benson Stadium.

Senatore, a sophomore from Oxford, Conn., received a pass from Isabella Ruggiano down the flank, out-racing Cardinals defenders and blasting a shot past UIW goalkeeper Erica Defferding for her team-leading fourth of the season, and most importantly, to give the Demons the lead in the contest with 1:32 remaining.

"It was a great ball by Bella," head coach Ian Brophy said. "She made a great run, setting Emily up nicely. Then, it was a heck of a goal by Emily."

While Ruggiano did not score in her fourth consecutive game, she did assist on both goals, including the game winner. Her 10 points (three goals, four assists) surpassed the high point scorer from a season ago when Taylor Spitzer tallied nine.

It is the sixth straight win for Northwestern State, the best since late 2022 when the team won seven in a row. The 18 goals are already more than the team scored all of last season and it didn't score its fourth goal in SLC play in 2023 until its sixth conference game.

"I am proud of how the girls fought today," Brophy said. "They showed determination, grit and fight to win the game, which was really nice to see."

The first goal came from a player who has done that before, the first one did not.

Tiana Cruz, a freshman from Woodbridge, Va., recorded her first career goal to start the game off.

In the 18^th minute, Cruz scored from the middle of the box off a terrific cross from Ruggiano.

Ruggiano dribbled up near the end the line and sent a cross right in front of the net to Cruz, who did the rest.

Cruz has tallied points in both conference games after recording an assist in the win over Nicholls.

Neither team found many dangerous chances in the first half, but when they did, they both cashed in.

The Demons surrendered their first goal in the month of September right at the end of the first half.

The ball was sent in and deflected to the bottom right of the goal, where Peri Olmo sent it past Libe Banuelos with two seconds to play in the half to send the game into halftime at 1-1.

While Banuelos could not stop that one, she had her hand in one of the most crucial plays of the game early in the second half.

A little more than five minutes into the second half, the Cardinals had their best chance to score outside of their goal.

From outside the top of the box, Abigail Wilson drilled the crossbar and landed in the box for Sierra Wannamaker, whose shot from the middle of the box was ticketed for the top of the goal, but Banuelos stuck her paw up and knocked it away.

"If Libe shows everyone every day why she is the best goalkeeper in the league," Brophy said. "She made a great double save on that one to keep it tied. She is just so reliable."

It was one of her six saves of the game.

Defferding did not record a save, as both Demons shots on goal found the back of the net.

UIW led in shots 14-5 and 7-2 in shots on goal.

The last dangerous chance for either team came in the final two minutes when Senatore put home the winner. The Demons burned off the remaining time to come away with the victory.

Cruz and Senatore each led the way for the Demons with two shot attempts apiece, while Wannamaker and Sinead Duffy recorded three shot attempts.

The Demons hit the road for two more against McNeese (Oct. 4) and Southeastern Louisiana (Oct. 6) before coming back to Natchitoches for an Oct. 11 date with Houston Christian.