The Colonels’ soccer team lost both of their final games last weekend in nail-biting fashion. The Colonels started their final two-game home stretch as they faced off with Lamar in John L. Guidry Stadium due to weather conditions. It took some time for the Colonels to get going as the Cardinals took an early lead in the 15th minute with their first goal. Shortly after, the Cardinals scored again in the 22nd minute, giving them a 2-0 lead early in the game.
Junior forward Kaity Mattsson then helped spark the Colonels’ offense to rally back and tie the game at two a piece. The score came in the 36th minute, followed by another score eight minutes later.
Through the final 68 minutes, the Colonels held the Cardinals scoreless. The stout Colonel defense helped force an overtime, but in the 15th minute of the first sudden death period, the Cardinals managed to break through and score the winning goal.
The Cardinals out-shot the Colonels 19-8 and limited the Colonels to only one corner kick.
In the final game of the season, the Colonels faced off against the McNeese State Cowgirls in Thibodaux. Both defenses came to play as neither side scored in the first half.
In the second half, the Cowgirls found a bit of luck as a bounce off another McNeese player went to Audrey LaLanne, and she scored the first and only goal in the 57th minute for the Cowgirls.
The Colonels tried to rally from behind but was unable to make the comeback. Nicholls was given a chance to capitalize on 10 second-half Cowgirl fouls with free kicks but was denied by the Cowgirls’ goal-keep.
The Cowgirls out-shot the Colonels 10-6.
With several individual and team records tied or broken this 2009 season, the Colonels’ soccer team finished out their year looking ahead, despite a 4-15-1, 0-8-1 Southland Conference record.
Before the beginning of this year’s season, head coach Dylan Harrison was brought in to bring some changes to the soccer team, which went 2-16 and 0-9 in the Southland Conference.
In Harrison’s first year as head coach, the Colonels tied the schools’ regular-season wins record at four, which was twice reached before in 2003 and 2006.
The Colonels also snapped a 16-game loosing streak in conference play with a tie against Texas-San Antonio on Oct. 18. The streak has followed the Colonels since 2007.
Apart from the addition of Harrison, several Colonel players did their part by posting record-breaking numbers.
Junior forward Kaity Mattsson set new school records with 21 career goals and 44 career points.
Sophomore midfielder Carolyn Noble tied the school’s single-season assists record with seven for the year.
Senior forward Alicia Gautreau finished her career at Nicholls second on the University’s all-time points list with 41 and assists list with 11.
As for next year, the Colonels will return all their players except four seniors-Alicia Gautreau, Tara Walsh, Jessica Bedford and Lauren Uffelman.
With many returning players like Noble, Mattsson and junior goal-keep Molly Mersereau, the amount of experience and talent can help the Colonels to possibly surpass this year’s records and distinguish the Colonels as a contender in the Southland Conference.
