THIBODAUX, La. – On a day when the Nicholls State University women's soccer facility was dedicated, the Colonels attacked McNeese State from the start but couldn't overcome an early Cowgirl goal falling to the Lake Charles-based school 1-0 Friday evening in Thibodaux.

The loss drops the Colonels to 5-8 on the season and 0-3 in the Southland, matching the team's longest losing streak which extends to three matches. McNeese State improves to 7-5-2 on the year and 2-1 in the league.

The match started off well for the Colonels as the team was able to spot holes in the Cowgirl defense, but in the sixth minute McNeese State's Sarah LaLanne got a pass and broke away from the defense and fired a shot past Nicholls goalie Amanda Boylson for the unassisted goal to put the Cowgirls up 1-0 for the game's only score.

The Colonels outshot McNeese 11-3 over the course of the match with three shots on goal, holding McNeese State to just three shots all on goal. Spencer Valdespino led all players with six shots on the day and two shots on goal, with five different Nicholls players each getting one.

Boylson (1-7) had one save allowing just one goal, while McNeese's Maggie Marks earned her first win of the year and stopped three shots.

In the first period the Colonels attacked from the start, keeping possession for what seemed like the entire period. Nicholls held the Cowgirls to just two shots in the half, with LaLanne's goal being the only score.

Nicholls outshot McNeese State 8-2 in the first as five different Colonels were able to fire at least one shot during the opening half. Because the Colonels were on the attack, the Cowgirls led in fouls 6-1, as the Colonels also had four corner kicks in the first, eventually finishing with seven for the match.

In the second the Colonels only had three shots, including nearly netting the equalizing goal in the waning seconds of the match on a free kick that Marks saved with less than 30 seconds left. It was the only save McNeese State had in the second period.

The Colonels will be back in action next Friday, hosting the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions at 4 p.m. at the Nicholls Soccer Complex

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