Five senior members of the Sam Houston women’s soccer team will be honored prior to Friday’s 7 p.m. Southland Conference match with UTSA.

The seniors have been part of Bearkat teams that have achieved the program’s highest season victory totals and best Southland Conference regular season finishes.

Friday, they will be part of an important matchup with the league’s top-ranked team, the Roadrunners of UTSA, that could help Sam Houston garner its best Southland finish ever.

Two of the senior quintet came to Sam Houston as transfers from California junior colleges.

Alex Clifton was an all-conference midfielder for Fresno City College on a nationally ranked junior college team. She started eight times and played in 17 matches as a junior in 2009, scoring twice for the Bearkats. Â

Sidelined by an injury as a senior, she has been a valuable member of the squad behind the scenes during the 2010 season. A psychology major, she earned Southland Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll honors last year.

Adriana Vasquez was an all-league performer for a conference championship team at Solano Community College. The past two seasons as a Bearkat, she has played in 29 matches in the midfield. She has scored three goals for Sam Houston including the game-winner in last year’s victory over Lamar. A business major, she was a Southland athletic academic honor roll member.

The other three seniors have been part of the Bearkat program for the past four years.

Kelley Sikinger has been one of Sam Houston’s reserve goalkeepers, seeing action in five matches. She is a three-time Southland academic honor roll member. The elementary education major from Lamar High School in Houston has produced a 3.21 overall grade point average in her four years at Sam Houston.

Defender Nichole Watkins is making her 65th career appearance in a Bearkat uniform Friday. The Deer Park product has been part of a back line that has shut out 23 opponents during her career. As a sophomore in 2008, she was a member of the defense that set a school record going 656 minutes without giving up a goal. A three-time Southland academic honor roll member, the business major owns a 3.31 overall grade point average.

Jenny Pence completes her Bearkat career with 11 Sam Houston school records to her credit including career marks for most shutouts (22), most saves (663), best goals against average (1.50) and most goalkeeper victories (33). The Kingwood product has earned Southland Conference “Goalkeeper of the Week” honors six times in her career and as an honorable mention All-Southland selection as a junior. A biology major with a 3.88 overall grade point average, she has earned Academic All-Region and All-South honors and is a two-time Academic All-Southland Conference selection.

“These five women are outstanding students and talented athletes,” Sam Houston head coach Tom Brown said. “To come into the final weekend of regular season play in their senior years with a chance to finish among the top teams in the league is a testament to how they have helped build this program.”

The UTSA match Friday kicks off at 7 p.m., but beginning at 6 p.m., students are invited to Pritchett Field for “Soccer Tailgate 2″ that evening.

The tailgate party will feature free McKenzie’s BBQ and Coca-Cola Products.  Admission to Sam Houston women’s soccer at Pritchett Field is free.

For information about tickets to other Bearkat athletic home events, go online at www.gobearkats.com or visit the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is 936 294-1729.