THIBODAUX -  After playing ten of their first 11 matches away from Thibodaux to open the season, the Nicholls State University women's soccer team (6-4-1, 0-2-0 Southland Conference) returns home for five of their last seven regular season contests, including a season-long three-match homestand beginning on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifier Southeastern Louisiana (7-2-3, 0-1-1 Southland).

After dropping their first two conference contests last weekend, the Colonels are looking to regain the form that saw Nicholls open the year by going 4-0-1 over the first five matches of the season for the best start in school history.  The Colonels set a new single season school record with their fifth win of the year on Sept. 12 at Mississippi Valley State, and Nicholls improved on that record with their sixth win of the year on Sept. 30 against Grambling to improve to 6-2-1. 

However, the Colonels will head into Sunday's match with the Lions looking to snap a two-match losing streak after falling by identical 3-0 scores at Lamar last Friday and McNeese State last Sunday in their first conference matches of the season.  The roadtrips to McNeese and Lamar concluded a stretch of contests that saw the Colonels play ten of their first 11 regular season matches away from Nicholls.

As they enter a stretch of playing five of their final seven matches at home, the Colonels hope that one of the most consistent offensive attacks in the country will help them end a 22-match conference winless streak.  Nicholls is led by senior forward Kaity Mattsson who ranks in the top ten in the nation in four major offensive categories.

The Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada native is fourth nationally with a 1.0 goal per game average.  Mattsson ranks fifth nationally with 11 total goals and 2.25 points per game.  Mattsson's 25 total points rank seventh in the country.  Mattsson has already broken her own single season school records for goals and points and has increased her school career records to 32 goals and 69 points.

However, the Lions feature a potent offense of their own.  Southeastern La. heads into the match ranked third in the conference with a 2.25 goal per game average, just ahead of the Colonels' 2.09 goal per game mark which ranks fourth.

Kickoff between the two in-state and conference rivals is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Nicholls Soccer Field.  The contest opens a three-match homestand for the Colonels that continues with an Oct. 15 contest against Stephen F. Austin and an Oct. 17 match against Sam Houston State.