NATCHITOCHES—Every season, one of the most emotional games of the season comes on Senior Day.

This season, five players who have poured their heart and soul into the program are being honored following Thursday's Senior Day game against Prairie View A&M.

The group of Paige Baumgartner, Jessica Spitzer, Madison Murphy, Dawson Marrs and Annie Stook are being honored, as NSU faces off with Prairie View in the final non-conference match of the season. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. and fans can watch on ESPN+.

NSU (5-2-3) enters the match following a positive start to Southland Conference play, winning at UTRGV before tying rival Stephen F. Austin in Natchitoches.

Spitzer and Murphy, along with Riley Stern and Emily Mougia, are only holdovers from the Stu Gore era still left on the team, and Spitzer and Murphy were vital in aiding the coaching transition to the Brophy era.

A team captain, Murphy has played in 67 games at NSU, starting 51 and has been one of the best players at her position in the Southland Conference during her time.

A defender before transitioning to midfielder for her final two seasons, she has helped the Demons post 25 shutouts during her career, including five this season.

Murphy can also chip in offensively as well, posting one goal and six points during her career. Among her four assists, the most memorable came on a free kick to Sabrina Lopez for the game-tying goal at the 2023 SLC Tournament against Lamar.

Spitzer earned Second Team All-Conference honors in 2023 and has been the leader of the back line as a defender for the past three seasons, starting all 47 games in those three years and played every single minute of every game as a sophomore in 2023.

She also has three career goals, including one this season in the tie against UL Lafayette.

"With Murph, Jess, Riley and Mougia, I am really proud of the way they have bought into our system and culture and style of play," head coach Ian Brophy said. "Madison is a captain and even though Jess isn't a captain in title, she leads without the title. She is a great leader, and everyone looks up to her.

"The whole group is special and will be missed."

Baumgartner made her presence felt shortly after coming to Natchitoches, scoring 51 seconds into NSU's win over Jackson State last season for the Demons first goal of 2024.

During her 29 games, she has scored six goals and recorded 14 points, including scoring a goal this past week in the victory at UTRGV.

"It still hasn't hit me yet," Baumgartner said. "There's a lot of sentimental feelings going into it. I'll always remember being with the team and meeting my roommates."

Marrs has started 18 times during her two-plus seasons in Natchitoches. She scored one of the largest goals of the season last year, finding the back of the net in the second half at the SLC Tournament against Southeastern Louisiana, one in which NSU won in overtime.

Battling back from injuries throughout her career, Stook has recorded a pair of assists in 24 matches, including one in her NSU home opener against Rice in 2023.

"I am definitely looking forward to Senior Day," Stook said. "It will be a very special night. I will always remember this place. Every single day, there is always something funny that happens with my friends or my team, but beating Texas to begin this season is something that will stay with me forever."

In the past three seasons during the Brophy era, the team is 13-3-4 in front of the home crowd, and aim to notch one more non-conference regular season victory against Prairie View A&M (1-6-1).

Following the match, the Demons move back into SLC play for the remainder of the season, starting with a trip to Houston Christian on Sunday.