THIBODAUX, La. – After a ten tough opponents in the non-conference schedule, the Nicholls State University women's soccer team opens Southland Conference play this weekend on the road facing the Sam Houston State Bearkats and Lamar Lady Cardinals this Friday and Sunday.

At 5-5 on the year, the Colonels head into the 2012 conference schedule with some momentum after back-to-back wins over Mississippi Valley and Alcorn State last weekend. Nicholls allowed just one goal while outshooting its opponents 35-9.

Nicholls enters the week fourth in goals scored with 25 as a team, giving up 21 goals on the season. The team has the third best goals per game average in the league, with nearly 2.50 per contest.

Individually, the Colonels are well represented among some of the league's best players, occupying 30 spots in the Southland.

Spencer Valdespino has been among the top five players in the conference since the season began and is ranked in seven different categories. She is currently second in shots (41) and shots per game (4.10), seventh in points (12), eighth in goals (4), tenth in goals per game (.40), third in assists (3) and fourth in assists per game (.40).

Annie Newell is ranked in six categories sitting ninth in points (11) and points per game (1.22), eighth in goals (4) and ninth in goals per game (.44), eighth in assists (3) and ninth in assists per game (.33).

After a strong performance on Sunday and string of last few matches, Janelle Brandom has joined Valdespino and Newell in this week's charts placing in six categories. The junior is ninth in points (11) and seventh in points per game (1.38), eighth in goals (4), goals per game (.50) and assists (3) and seventh in assists per game (.38).

Kristy Tatom is also tied for eighth in assists and ninth in assists per game.

Among goalies, Haley Golden is second in the league with a .50 goals against average with a .778 save percentage which is eighth-best. Her two shutouts are fifth-best in the Southland, while .50 shutout per game average is third.

Amanda Boylson is seventh in saves with 25 on the season, while sitting fifth in saves per game stopping 4.17 shots per contest.

Nicholls is looking to break a four-year drought in conference contests dating back to the 2007 season. There were five matches where the Colonels lost by two goals or less in 2011, and the two opponents the Colonels face this weekend have lost their last five matches combined.

Sam Houston State is 3-7 so far this year, scoring only four goals in all ten matches, at or near the bottom of every offensive statistical category. Having lost their last three matches, the Bearkats to their credit have only given up ten goals allowing less than one goal per game on average.

Opposing teams are testing the Bearkat defense, as Sam is averaging 6.50 saves per contest, stopping 65 shots total.

Nicholls is 3-6-1 against Sam in all-time meetings, dropping a 1-0 decision to the Bearkats in Huntsville last season. The Colonels are 0-3-1 in Huntsville.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the Lamar Cardinals at 4-6-1 on the year. The Cardinals have fired off 245 shots on the season to date, averaging 22.27 per match and have scored 27 goals on the year.

All those shots might come at the cost of the defense that has Lamar tied for seventh with 20 goals allowed in the conference. The Lady Cards have 67 saves on the season and stop on average of six shots per game.

Since Lamar began its program in 2007 the Colonels have beaten the Lady Cardinals once in five meetings, scoring goals in all but two of the meetings. Lamar edged out the Colonels last season with a 1-0 win in Thibodaux.

Live stats of both matches will be available at geauxcolonels.com