Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Soccer continues their strong performance this season, with a 7-2-1 win-loss-tie record so far as they approach their seventh week of games. These wins ranged from clearing against Southern University with a 5-0 win to clinching a 3-2 win over former Sun Belt Conference (SBC) rival Texas State University, who was ranked No. 15 in the nation at the time.
Compared to previous seasons, this year is especially strong. In their last three seasons, from 2023-2025, the Cajuns totaled seven wins each year. This year, the Cajuns already have seven wins and they aren’t even halfway through the season.
The Cajuns started 2026 off with a win on Thursday, Aug. 13, against Southeastern Louisiana University, winning 4-1. After a narrow loss that following Sunday against the University of Mississippi 1-2, they came back the next week with a 3-3 tie against East Texas A&M University and another 4-1 win, this time against Northwestern State University.
They continued this winning streak with a score of 2-0 over Nicholls State University and third 4-1 win against McNeese State University. Following a 1-2 loss against Mississippi State University on Sept. 3, the Cajuns got a week to recover before their standout game of this season so far: a win against Texas State.
This was their first win against a nationally ranked opponent. In the eight times that the Cajuns went up against ranked teams, they lost every time.
And, as mentioned previously, Texas State was ranked the No. 15 best women’s soccer team in the country at the time of their run-in with the Cajuns.
To start the match, the Cajuns took the lead quickly with sophomore midfielder Miku Kurihara scoring a goal just 16 minutes into the first half, assisted by sophomore midfielder Addison Soehn. Just over a minute later, Texas State scored back. Unfortunately for them, this tie was short-lived; redshirt sophomore forward Carson Glenn also scored to give the Cajuns a 2-1 lead, which held up for the rest of the first half.
Both Kurihara and Glenn’s goals were made from a sizable 18 yards away, both flying past Texas State’s goalkeeper Caitlyn Draper.
As the second half began, Glenn and Kurihara worked together to score a third goal. Kurihara provided an assist to Glenn, who sent yet another shot past Draper.
Texas State was able to grab a second goal over an hour into the game by defender Jenny Ngankem with an assist from midfielder Matsuri Tsutsui. But, the Bobcats were never able to get their claws on another goal despite their efforts in the last leg of the match. The Cajuns were able to continuously disrupt their plays; senior goalkeeper Natalie Mayes made four saves that night. This strategic defense turned their 3-2 lead into a 3-2 victory.
In the game’s recap by Matt Sullivan, director of Athletics Communications, he quoted Head Soccer Coach Christopher McBride on Texas’ powerful offense. McBride said, “That’s tough to defend, and it’s something we’ll definitely look at moving forward to see how we can improve. But that’s probably one of the best we’ll see. It gives us a great learning experience, and again, that’s why we schedule these games. They make us better, one game at a time.”
Following the victorious high from beating Texas State, the Cajuns wiped the floor against Southern on Tuesday, Sept. 15, winning 5-0. That weekend, on Sunday, Sept. 20, a game against Coastal Carolina University ended in another victory with a score of 3-2. This was both teams’ first conference game of the season.
Speaking of the SBC, of the 14 women’s soccer teams in the SBC, the Cajuns are in the lead with seven wins at the time of this story.
The Cajuns team ranks high in several other facets in the SBC, such as total goals and points per game. At the player level, Miku Kurihara was named 2026 Sun Belt Preseason Midfielder of the Year.
Beyond game highlights, high rankings and making history, the Cajuns’ roster this year is also notable. Currently, there are 24 women on the team: nine freshmen, six sophomores, four juniors and five seniors. It’s great to see a strong performance coming from a variety of classifications, with the team being over 60% underclassmen.
The blend of skills from veteran players and what newer players are bringing in is promising for the team’s performance now and into future seasons.
Regarding the future of this season, the Cajuns will travel to Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 24, for a match against Old Dominion University.
It will be exciting to see how the Cajuns utilize this momentum as we begin the second half of the season.