In two matches this weekend against Mississippi Valley State and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Colonels’ soccer team mustered a couple of wins in close, hard-fought contests.

The Colonels had to play from behind after conceding an early header from Josee Primeau. With halftime approaching, goalkeeper Molly Mersereau assisted Kristy Tatom, freshman, for the equalizing goal just before halftime. Once play resumed, Lauren O’Brien, another freshman, gave the Colonels the advantage with a shot that was deflected, resulting in a 70th minute goal.

Later, Tatom would score her second goal of the game with only five minutes left, making the final score 3-1. Finishing with a 23-6 shot advantage, the Colonels racked up 11 shots on goal while the defense held the MVSU offense to only three.

 “We kept doing the things that we do well,” Coach Dylan Harrison said. “Putting teams under pressure, getting numbers forward, and creating chances are what we need to do to be successful. Turns out we did a good job doing those on Friday.”

“Especially going down early, we exhibited a lot of fight and composure,” Harrison said. In terms of his two impact freshman who both scored goals, “They did just what we asked of them,” Harrison said. “I think one aspect that goes unnoticed is our strategy to get them into games under the right circumstances. We try to wear defenses down, take big tackles, and once they get in, they are able to fulfill their roles.”

In the game against ULL, after another early deficit, the Colonels righted the ship to score two unanswered goals for a victory. A penalty kick goal from Sam Etherington in the 52nd minute and eventual game-winner from the foot of Tatom in the 85th minute was all the Colonels needed in order to defeat the Cajuns 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.

After her second multi-goal scoring game of the season, Tatom finished the weekend with three goals, increasing her season total to five. Mersereau, after playing all 90 minutes for the Colonels, totaled seven saves and earned her third win of the season in goal.

“It was a matchup that our girls were looking forward to,” Harrison said. “Last year we played them at their place and had a tough game, losing one of our current players to an injury. There was a little extra determination to come out here and perform well and as you can see, it showed in their performance.”

Certainly a three-game winning streak culminating with a victory over a rival like ULL feels rewarding, Harrison later agreed.

“Hopefully this success means our girls are ready for conference,” Harrison said. “We are an improved team so we should play with a lot of confidence moving forward.”

This level of play has energized the Colonels’ soccer team according to Harrison.

“It means a lot on terms of how we are training, which has intensified now that we have been successful,” Harrison said. “Going to practice every day at 3 is so much easier when we are winning games.”

Considering the impact of the two freshmen, Tatom and O’Brien, Harrison is pleased with their influence on the team.

“With people coming in and making impacts, they are now pushing the other girls to compete for a starting position,” Harrison said. “As a whole, these accomplishments are creating a positive environment for our team. Although things are not perfect, we deal with each situation because we know if we do, we will continue to be successful.”