PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas –  With the 2017 SWAC Soccer Championship Tournament  right around the corner the Prairie View A&M University soccer team will host its final match of the regular season when they face Texas Southern on Thursday at 7 p.m., for senior night.
 
The Lady Panthers enter the matchup at 5-2-2 in SWAC play and 5-6-2 overall.  Rivals Texas Southern will enter into Thursday's contest 7-6-2 overall, and 6-2-1 in SWAC Play.
 
"Thursday's match is really going to be important," said head soccer coach Abe Garcia.  "Part of you wants to show everything, but the other part is saying maybe we should hold somethings back, but at the same time we want to win.  I think developing the rivalry with our girls to understand that this is a rival team across town, down the road it doesn't matter, we have to win no matter what.  There are no options, this is the mentality that we have to have going into this game."
 
Prairie View is coming off a tie after competing with top seed Howard on Sunday in Washington, DC.
 
"This was a tough match for us," said Garcia.  "The girls fought hard and they played very well. The field surface was a little different than usual and we had to adapt on the fly., but the ladies didn't't let that phase them.  It was a game I thought that could have gone either way.  We created several opportunities and there were some positives out of it, but we just couldn't pull the win out.  Part of preparing for the season is to be in the championship moment and I felt this was it."
 
PVAMU will look to gain better positioning in the SWAC standings, as the SWAC tournament will start on Thursday, Nov. 2.  The league's top eight teams will advance to the tournament, which will be hosted on the beautiful campus of Prairie View A&M University.  The tournament will take place Nov. 2-5, and the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA soccer tournament.
 
"We've been explaining to the girls that this last week is where playoffs begin," Garcia said.  "We have to continue going, because once we get in the tournament it's a single elimination game, and we don't want to have to wait until tournament time to show that we can win."
 
We are asking all fans to come and celebrate our seniors and wear your favorite purple PVAMU shirts to cheer on the team.  The seniors that will be honored are goalkeeper Clarissa Ledesma, forward Danielle Vargas, midfielder Amira Wynn, and forward Braelah McGinnis.
 
"These girls have been great kids," exclaimed Garcia.  "Braelah decided to stay an extra year, and has been key to the back line.  She kind of has been the go to person as a captain and as a player, on and off the field.  She has been called the momma bear of the team.  Amira is a great kid.  She's a hard worker, if there was a kid that you would like to have on your team that's her.  She's coachable, works hard in trying to get better and she tries to make her teammates better.
 
Vargas is another player that has played well for us.  She has produced very well for us in the front.  Her die-heart attitude that I am going to find a way to get it there (the ball) is contagious.  Ledesma has been here all four years.  She's a hard working kid that we've seen her transformation not only from a player stand point, but also a personal stand point from her freshman year to her senior year, it's been remarkable.
 
These young ladies are going to be some very productive people when they leave here.  It's great, but I am going to miss them."  
 
The game will be streamed on www.portal.stretchinternet.com/pvamu/, as well as fans can get live updates on Twitter and Facebook or go to ?pvpanthers.com for live stats.