Nicholls’ women’s soccer team wrapped up the best season in program history with a loss in the Southland Conference tournament to the Sam Houston State University Bearkats.
The Colonels won a program-best 12 games and six conference wins on their way to the team’s third appearance in the Southland Conference tournament.  2013 Southland Conference player of the year sophomore Spencer Valdespino broke the school records for goals with 16, points with 37 and game-winning goals with six in a single season. She also led the conference in goals and points.
“Coming into this season, we were ranked in the polls as tenth and twelfth, but as a team we believed we were going to surprise people. That belief is what is going to push us through to next season to show the rest of the conference that this season wasn’t our best season, but every season after this will be better and better,” goalkeeper Amanda Boylson said. “Our coach even said in his speech after the game Thursday night that we have set the bar so high this season, and he expects and believes it to go higher every season. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us.”
Nicholls fell to Sam Houston State 1-0 in the conference tournament in which Boylson had seven saves, but allowed the deciding goal in the match.
“I was absolutely devastated, as the entire team was. I honestly thought we were going to come back until the last whistle blew. Whenever I have a good game, it’s because the entire defensive line, Kirsten [Cunningham], [Meghan Lanteigne] and Amber [Moore] had a good game. The four of us can always count on each other to cover and come up big,” Boylson said.
The Colonels will be without some key players next season as seniors Nicole Doherty, Annie Newell, Melissa Pestalozzi, Alexandra Marino, Meghan Lanteigne, Christina Bilczuk, Kelsey Sanders and Hilary Clark finish their playing careers at Nicholls.
“I joined this team for a reason, to help build this program and be a part of something no one thought was ever really possible and to accomplished my own self goals. From when I first joined this team, that was my goal, and to have actually accomplish it before I graduate is probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Lanteigne said. “I will never forget the feeling of these past couple months, or really these last four years being on this team. Seeing the differences, the build up to this season, it was all worth it in the end. We’ve come so far, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve done as a team together.”