Lamar began its MAIS AAAA Division II South contest with Heritage Academy on Aug. 27 and didn’t finish the game until Tuesday evening.

No, it wasn’t a three-week affair with countless overtime periods. The game was suspended in the 23rd minute on Aug. 27 with Lamar up 1-0 courtesy of a Sarah Pierce Swift goal. Heavy rain and lightning delayed the contest that day, and the two teams decided to resume play Tuesday.

After a slow start offensively by the Lady Raiders, junior Emma Kate Uithoven was able to add two goals to her team’s lead, securing a 3-0 victory and keeping Lamar unbeaten in AAAA Division II South contests. Lady Raiders head coach Nina Galindo said picking up in the 27th minute of play was a strange feeling for her and her players.

“Honestly, today was just a really weird day,” Galindo said. “We did start out slow and rocky a few times, but it wasn’t too bad, and they finally did find the net. I really don’t know what it was. ‘Weird’ is the best way to explain it.”

Lamar lead 1-0 at the half. Both of Uithoven’s goals came in the final 40 minutes, and she scored them seven minutes apart. Once her and her teammates were able to settle in, Uithoven said everyone started playing better, which opened up scoring opportunities.

“I thought it was weird at first,” Uithoven said of starting mid-game. “It took us 10 minutes to begin connecting and pushing, but then it felt like a regular game. I though we all started working better together (after that).”

Defender Lydia Hutcherson missed several games at the start of the season due to injury, but she’s been back for the Lady Raiders in their past seven contests. Lamar is 5-2 in that stretch, its lone losses coming against AAAA Division I’s Jackson Academy twice, and Galindo said the junior’s presence has been felt in a big way.

“We actually solidified our center players, which is obviously the heart of the field and the team (with Hutcherson’s return),” Galindo said. “She came back when we played at JA (Jackson Academy Aug. 22), and that was a battle. It’s been a few games, and all the girls have loved it. It’s a tremendous change having her back.”

The Lady Raiders are now 4-0 in AAAA Division II South, and Uithoven said success against district opponents is a good building block for this year’s younger team, as Lamar is made up of no seniors and six juniors. The rest of the roster is comprised of sophomores, freshmen and eighth and seventh graders.

“That’s really big, because we have a young team that hasn’t played in district games before, so they’ve been stepping up and doing well,” Uithoven said.

Galindo said the district record is also a good sign for the team’s postseason hopes.

“If we keep this momentum up, it’s obviously going to help us in the playoffs,” Galindo said. “It’s like I tell the girls, things are still shifting and changing as far as formations and positions, so that’s only going to help us going into the playoffs a little more confident — not comfortable, not relaxed, but a little more confident within our abilities.”

Lamar (7-6 overall) will play at Heritage Academy Sept. 24.