NATCHITOCHES—Season one is complete. And now Northwestern State starts a new season within the season as it starts the Southland Conference portion of the schedule.

That portion of the schedule begins with games against arguably NSU's (3-5) two biggest rivals in the league.

Up first is Thursday against Lamar (4-1-3, 1-0), which has faced NSU in many big games over the past decade.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at the Demon Soccer Complex.

"We do like having one of our biggest games right away," head coach Ian Brophy said. "The way we're playing, we do like it, because we are coming in off some confident play and playing well, so I love when we're in form like this, getting a big game.

"That being said, this is a really tough test. Lamar is on a very good run and is a a really good team and we know they'll be fighting at the top of the conference with us. We had this last year with SFA early in the year, so hopefully we can get the conference season started off right,"

The game features two of the teams in the conference with a three-match winning streak. Lamar has already played in a league game, scoring in the closing seconds to knock off UTRGV 1-0 this past Thursday.

The Demons have been nearly unbeatable at the Soccer Complex under Brophy, as they have gone 13 games in a row without being beaten, tied for the best mark in school history.

Under Brophy, the Demons are 20-3-4 at home, including 15-1-4 since the start of the 2024 season.

NSU has also won seven straight Southland openers, dating back to 2019.

NSU is coming off three consecutive wins to wrap up non-conference play, winning its first road game of the season, a 4-2 victory at Grambling this past Thursday.

After dropping the first five, the Demons have rattled off three straight, scoring 33 goals in the process.

"We have really figured who we are as a team," Brophy said. "We've been able to put together some wins the last three games and build some confidence and figure out the kind of team we are. We have a pretty good identity now going into conference play."

Tiana Cruz is playing her best soccer of the season, starting the scoring in that win and has recorded four goals in the past three games.

While NSU's leading scorer Paige Baumgartner did not find the back of the net against Grambling, she did record a pair of assists to give her 20 points this season, and she has points in four consecutive games dating back to the game at Alcorn State.

"We just had to figure some things out offensively," senior forward Emily Gundin said. "Obviously, it is a brand-new team with new players, and we were kind of just adjusting to what works best. I think we found certain personnel and we finalized that chemistry up top and through the midfield and it is starting to show, and I am excited to see how many goals we can score during conference play."

The matchup features the top scoring offense in the Southland against the top scoring defense in the league, as NSU has scored 35 goals while the Cardinals have just given up four and have shut out the past three opponents.

Teams are also not able to attempt many shots on target against the Lamar defense, as the Cardinals are also last in the league in saves, a testament to the stingy back line.

Lamar goalkeeper Keely Thomas has been scored upon just twice this season and has a goals against average of just 0.43.

The Demons are searching for their first clean sheet of the season, but the defense has held opponents to 12 shot attempts per game in the last five.

One major bright spot has been the play of freshman Addi Lehnertz, who has adjusted well to play along the back line.

"Playing defensive midfield, you always are more defensive-minded," Lehnertz said. "So, it's not a huge change for me, but still a change, nonetheless. I talk to (goalkeeper) Audrey (Marfia) and (fellow defender) Kate (Bouck) a ton and I would not be here without their help."

Fans who are unable to be at the Demon Soccer Complex can catch the game on ESPN+ with Adam Hester and Angelina Lee on the call.

Following the match, NSU continues its conference season with another rivalry game as it travels to Stephen F. Austin on Sunday to conclude the weekend, the first of two consecutive on the road. The next home game for the Demons after Lamar is a visit from East Texas A&M on Oct. 8.