HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – A three-goal second half propelled James Madison women’s soccer past Louisiana Tech, 3-1, in Sun Belt action at Sentara Park on Thursday night.

After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Aleigha Arndt wasted no time, scoring the game winning goal in the 47th minute to help move JMU (8-5-1, 6-1-0 SBC) past the Bulldogs.

Also joining Arndt in the scoring column was Ginny Lackey with a pair, registering her third brace of the season. Selma Rajakangas led the way with two assists for JMU, as Lackey and Makenna Kirk also tallied assists on the evening.

Sofia DeCerb made the start at goalkeeper, playing all 90 minutes and making a pair of saves.

Madison Pensom led Louisiana Tech (4-9-2, 2-4-1 SBC) with a goal. Mackenzie Lorkowski played 90 minutes at goalie, gathering five saves.

How it Happened
• The Dukes controlled the pace early, outshooting Louisiana Tech four-to-one in the first 20 minutes of play.
• The Bulldogs found the net in the 23rd minute; however, the score was erased after an offside was called.
• James Madison applied pressure in the final minutes of the first, taking a pair of shots but could not convert.
• The Dukes exited the locker room swinging, with Arndt scoring on JMU’s first shot of the half to give it a 1-0 lead.
• Lackey extended the Dukes’ lead to 3-0, scoring a brace in the 65th and 67th minutes.
• The Bulldogs entered the scoring column in the 87th minute, but it wasn’t enough to keep JMU from bringing home a 3-1 victory.

Match Notes
• Tonight’s match was the first meeting between the two programs; JMU leads the all-time series 1-0-0.
• Lackey’s score tonight places her fifth all-time in goal scored in JMU history.
• Arndt’s goal pushes her to 11 points on the season, marking the second campaign of her career with 10+ points.
• JMU is 7-0-1 this season when scoring before its opponent.

Up Next
JMU will hit the road again, heading to Conway to take on Coastal Carolina in Sun Belt play on Thursday, Oct. 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

— JMU Athletics —