THIBODAUX, La. – Coming off back-to-back six win seasons for the first time in program history, the Nicholls State University women's soccer team released its 2012 schedule today, with ten tough non-conference opponents before opening up Southland Conference play in October.

Nicholls will have six games at home this season, including three straight from October 5-14 in the heart of conference play.

“The only way for us to grow as a program is to play some of the best teams, and I feel that with this schedule we are going to be tested every time we play,” head coach Dylan Harrison said.

Of the ten non-conference opponents the Colonels will face next year, seven made their conference tournaments in 2011, including Mississippi Valley State (Sept. 21) who made it to the championship game of the SWAC tournament.

The team will play its first six games away from Thibodaux to begin the season, starting in Mobile facing the South Alabama Jaguars August 17 and Spring Hill College August 19. The Colonels spend the next weekend in Oklahoma, facing Big 12 power Oklahoma Sooners (August 24) and Tulsa Hurricanes (August 26).

Nicholls will move a little closer to home to close out the road trip, facing the Southern Jaguars in Baton Rouge on August 31, then opening up September at ULL on Sept. 2. The last non-conference road trip will have the Colonels trek to Mississippi for a weekend, facing the Devilettes first before taking on Alcorn State on Sept. 23.

The home schedule opens up on Sept. 9, with a Sunday date against the ULM Warhawks, with a week off before hosting the Prairie View A&M Panthers on the 16th.

With the loss of UTSA and Texas State, and the additions of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's and Houston Baptist's programs until the 2013 season, the Colonels will play eight conference games beginning with Sam Houston State (Sept. 28) and Lamar (Sept. 30) on the road. The last two road opponents will be Central Arkansas on Oct. 19 and Northwestern State on Oct. 21.

The three-game conference home stand begins on Oct. 5 with the McNeese State Cowgirls, with another week break before hosting the Southeastern Lady Lions Oct. 14 and first-ever conference meeting with Oral Roberts on Oct. 14. The regular season ends in Thibodaux against 2011 regular season champ Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 26.