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Opponents just cannot score on Lara Campbell.
In seven of her last eight games, the sophomore goalkeeper has recorded a shutout.
Even more impressive, she has only given up one goal in eight Sun Belt Conference (SBC) games so far this season, an average of .125 goals a game.
Due largely to her goal tending, and the superb defense in front her, the women’s soccer team has accumulated a 14-2 record overall and are now the No. 21 ranked team in the country, riding a nine-game win streak into their final three regular season games.
Although Campbell has shined in conference play, her presence in net has been dynamic all season. In 16 games thus far, the sophomore has shut down the competition, holding them to one or less goals in 15 of 16 starts.
Campbell’s success carries over from a solid freshman campaign, where she was the starter on a team that won the SBC postseason championship for the fourth straight season.
“Having a year’s worth of experience has really helped,” said Campbell. “I have a better feel for the college game, which is a lot different than high school. Also I know the girls I’m playing with much better, which is a huge help.”
Her goals against average this season is 0.78, which almost mirrors the 0.88 average she finished with last season.
Campbell helped improve that percentage when she blanked Florida International 1-0 last weekend on her way to her fifth consecutive shutout.
The Golden Panthers are currently in second place in the SBC standings, behind the Pioneers.
Campbell’s presence in net has positioned the team to go after their fifth straight conference title.
Since 2006, the team has notched a 68-17-8 record and won four straight Sun Belt titles.
“We just want to finish out our SBC schedule strong, then win the conference tournament once again, and head to the NCAA tournament,” said Campbell.
Although the team has been dominant this season, outscoring their opponents 38-12, there is cause for concern if the Pioneers reach their intended destination.
Despite the massive recent success of the program, they have not won an NCAA tournament game since 2006, the only win in the program’s history.
That team carried a streak of eight shutouts in nine games before finally losing to the University of Colorado 2-1 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
If this year’s team wants to mimic that success, then it will have to continue on Campbell for big performances and continued shutouts.
“Our goal, if we do get into the NCAA tournament, is to try to get into the round of 16, which would be to win two games,” said head coach Jeff Hooker. “A lot of that depends on the seeding and what we do now will put us in a better position to get a good seed.”
Last year the team was positioned poorly and had to play a Portland team that had a 19-1 record. The result was a 4-0 trouncing, which was the highest number of goals Campbell allowed in a single game as a freshman.
This year, whomever the Pioneers face on their way to postseason redemption, their opponent will have a lot more difficulty putting the ball in the net.
