UCU Huskies win Southland Conference tourney

Story and photo by Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

BEAUMONT, TEXAS (November 9, 2025) The HCU Huskies women’s soccer team completed a dream run on Sunday afternoon, winning the 2025 Southland Conference Championship with a thrilling 1–0 overtime victory over defending champion Stephen F. Austin at the LU Soccer Complex in Beaumont,

Junior forward Olivia Rossman scored the golden goal in the 99th minute, taking a pass from Ella Remy and firing it into the net to give the Huskies their first conference title since 2016. Rossman’s strong play throughout the tournament earned her Most Valuable Player honors as she helped lead HCU to three straight postseason wins.

The victory gave the Huskies their third Southland crown (2014, 2016, 2025) and kept their perfect 3–0 record in championship matches — all against Stephen F. Austin. It was also the first title match to reach overtime since 2015 and the first to end in extra time since 2010.

Goalkeeper Emmy McKeon shined again with eight saves, earning her third straight shutout of the tournament. The defensive unit — led by Jordan Bushnell, Alexia Murillo, and Gisele Kehres — held off an SFA offense that had been chasing its fifth league title.

The win marks a major milestone for head coach Nick Whitting, who claimed his first Southland championship in only his second season.

With the victory, the fifth-seeded Huskies secured an automatic berth to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with their opponent to be revealed Monday at 3 p.m. on ncaa.com.