THIBODAUX, La. – Down a few players due to injury, the Nicholls State University women’s soccer team rallied in the second half, but couldn’t overcome two first half goals and a third in the second by Prairie View A&M, falling to the Panthers 3-2 Sunday in Thibodaux.

Nicholls (3-5) has their two match winning streak snapped, losing for the first time in Thibodaux this season.

Down 2-0, the Colonels got a much needed boost in the form of junior Janelle Brandom’s second goal of the year in the 48th minute of the contest to make the score 2-1. Brandom found herself in the right place at the right time, firing off a shot from Valdespino that Prairie View (2-5) goalie Bianca Garza blocked and ricocheted to Brandom who had a wide open net to put in the score.

Pressing after another Prairie View goal, a handball in the box gave Nicholls a penalty kick that Annie Newell used to make the score 3-2 Panthers in the 80th. It was Newell’s fourth of the season which is tied for the team lead.

Unfortunately, the Colonels expended all of their energy in the comeback attempt and couldn’t muster that final goal in the waning minutes of the contest.

Spencer Valdespino led the Colonels with five shots and three shots on goal in 29 minutes of action, followed by Newell and Kristy Tatom who each had three. All three of Tatom’s shots were on goal.

As a team, Nicholls outshot the Panthers 15-7, getting off six shots in the first and nine in the second, while Prairie View had only four, but got three goals from them.

Amanda Boylson (1-5) had one save with three goals allowed, while PVAMU’s Garza (2-3) stopped nine shots and allowed both Nicholls goals.

The Panthers struck quickly, getting their first goal of the game in the 13th minute to go up 1-0, then getting another goal by Yosselyn Aguilar in the 26th to go up two. Both goals were unassisted, as both got passes past Boylson and had open nets to work with.

The Panthers had four shots to Nicholls’ six, as PVAMU had saves on four shots while the Colonels only had one save in the first half.

Sandwiched in between the Nicholls goals was the eventual game winner by PVAMU’s Aguilar who scored her third goal of the season in the 52nd minute.

Nicholls will have two games in Mississippi next weekend for its final non-conference matches of the year against Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State.

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