NATCHITOCHES—The time has come.

For the first time in the 2025 season, the Northwestern State soccer team is playing in front of the home crowd when it hosts Alcorn State on Sunday at the Demon Soccer Complex.

The match kicks off at 1 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.

"It's really exciting to finally play at home," goalkeeper Kennedy Rist said. "That is something we all look forward to is to play in front of family and friends and the people in the community who support us. Our entire team is excited about it, and it is going to be a fun one."

It is the first game in a string of three out of four in front of the friendly crowd and first of four against the SWAC, also playing at Mississippi Valley State (Aug. 31) and at home against Grambling (Sept. 4) and Prairie View A&M (Sept. 25).

It is the first meeting between the two teams since 2015 when the Demons rolled to a 10-0 victory. All three wins in the series have come by double digits, out-scoring the Lady Braves 33-0 in the process.

NSU (1-1-1) had chances to come away with a 2-1 record on the road but could not find the big goal and had to settle for a scoreless draw in a weather-shortened game at Tarleton State on Thursday.

Alcorn State (0-1), on the other hand, has only played one game so far—a 3-1 loss at home to Troy this past Sunday.

"It's always hard playing a team that is kind of a mystery since they've played only one game," head coach Ian Brophy said. "We have film on them from that one game, but it is hard to see what they're made of from one game. We know that the focus is going to have to be on us and us doing the right things and playing the way we want to play."

That comes after the Lady Braves had their entire 2024 season canceled.

After earning the Southland Conference Goalkeeper of the Week award, Rist backed that up with her first ever shutout in the scoreless draw at Tarleton, stopping one shot.

Rist's 20 saves total are the most in the conference, as are Emily Senatore's two goals, which she is tied with two other players.

Senatore's two goals are joined by freshman Hosane Soukou's one as the Demons goal scorers, which tied the game in the upset win at Texas.

While the Demons have been shut out the past two games, NSU knows it has plenty of goal scoring threats.

"I think we have a different mindset this season offensively," Senatore said. "We came into preseason ready to play and worked really hard. I think we're connecting well with all of the new players who came in and fitting in really well and I think we're coming together really well."

Alcorn State's goal scorer was Michelle Lesmes Diaz in its first game of the season, which tied the score midway through the first half at 1-1.

Following the match, the Demons take a trip to the state of Mississippi to take on Mississippi Valley State on Aug. 31 before coming back home for two, beginning with a visit from Grambling on Sept. 4.