Final Stats Box Score and Play-by-Play

THIBODAUX - Freshman forward Kristy Tatom had two goals and two assists, three other Colonels found the back of the net and senior goalkeeper Molly Mersereau combined with freshman netminder Amanda Boylson to lead the Nicholls State University women's soccer team to a 5-0 shutout over Spring Hill College in the 2011 season opener on Friday afternoon at the Nicholls Soccer Complex.

The victory gives the Colonels their first season-opening victory since Nicholls recorded a 6-0 shutout at Southern in 2008.

The Colonels controlled the pace from wire-to-wire, outshooting Spring Hill 15-2, and recording four corner kicks to the Badgers' one.  Spring Hill kept the Colonels off the board in the first 19 minutes as Badger goalkeeper Cassandra Amore saved the first two Nicholls shots on net and the Colonels lost a pair of promising early chances on offsides calls.

Fortunately, for Nicholls, the Colonels finally broke through at the 19:09 mark.  After the Badgers were whistled for a foul just outside the 18, Nicholls sophomore Alex Romanelli delivered a bending free kick over a wall of defenders and past a diving Amore in the bottom left corner of the net to stake Nicholls to a 1-0 lead.

The Colonels struck again as Tatom chased down a cross just outside the box and chipped it over the head of Amore, who came out to challenge.  Tatom's high bounding shot bounced into the back of the net at the 35:42 mark to make it 2-0 in favor of the Colonels and give her her first career goal.

With time ticking down in the first half, the Colonels struck again.  This time Tatom put together a run down the left sideline, beat a pair of defenders and found hard-charging classmate Sarah Tani who drilled a one-timer from just outside the goal line for her first career goal with less than four minutes left in the first half.  Tani's goal put Nicholls up 3-0 heading into the half.

The second half saw more of the same as the Colonels expanded their lead to 4-0.  With just under 20 minutes left to play, Tatom and senior Kandice Champagne teamed up to assist on a goal by sophomore Nicole Doherty who found a route to the net through traffic from close in at the 71:19 mark.

Four minutes later, Tatom delivered her second goal of the afternoon, drilling home a rebound off a shot by sophomore Alexandra Marino in the 75th minute for the final margin.

The Nicholls defense kept the pressure off the net all afternoon, allowing just a pair of shots on goal in the second half.  Mersereau and Boylson combined for one save each to keep the clean sheet in tact.

The Colonels will return to action on Sunday when they host UL-Monroe for a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Nicholls Soccer Complex.  Nicholls will be looking for their second consecutive win over the Warhawks after claiming a thrilling sudden death win on the road at ULM in double overtime in 2010.