Weekend Info

THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University women's soccer team opens its longest road trip of the season this week as the team takes on league-leading Oral Roberts Friday night and Central Arkansas Sunday afternoon.
 
The Colonels take their 9-2-1 overall mark and 3-2 league record on the road for the next five matches, as the team will not return to play a game in Thibodaux until November. Not only is the team putting its stellar record on the line with this road trip, but also its unblemished road record which stands at 4-0.
 
Nicholls takes on ORU Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Case Soccer Complex with live video and stats provided at orugoldeneagles.com. The Colonels will then take on UCA Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., with live stats provided by ucasports.com. Links for coverage of this weekend's matches is available at geauxcolonels.com.
 
Last Time Out
The Colonels women's soccer team dropped its second consecutive match last Friday with a 2-1 loss to Lamar in Thibodaux. It's the first time all season that Nicholls has dropped back-to-back matches, as the losses to UIW and Lamar each gave the visitors their first win in league play up to that point. It was also the first instance of multiple goal games by opponents in weeks, as the team gave up four to Incarnate Word and two to Lamar after just having ULM score more than one goal in a match back in August. However, the team is still in the mix for a tournament spot, and can improve its standing heading into the final half of the year with key road wins in their next five away from home. One more win this season would secure the first-ever winning season for the program, as well as the first to secure double-digit wins.
 
The lone goal in the match came from Spencer Valdespino, her 11th of the season, and is now a single point away from tying the school record for points in a season and one goal away from tying the mark for goals in a season. As a team, the Colonels still have the third best scoring offense in the nation and fifth best points per game average in the country as well, averaging over three goals and close to nine points per match. Valdespino is seventh in the country in goals per game averaging one a match, ninth in points per game with a 2.27 average and 14th and 16th in total goals (11) and total points (25). Melissa Pestalozzi is currently third in the southland in assists per game (.33) and total assists (4), which has her in the top 150 players in the nation.
 
Scouting Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts enters the match with a 9-3 overall record and 4-1 league mark, currently tied for first place in the Southland Conference. The Golden Eagles have been a solid addition to the league since joining the fold last season, and in 2013 with wins over Missouri State, UMKC, Arkansas State and SFA already in the books, ORU is looking to solidify its footing among the best in the league. This will be just the second meeting between the two teams, as Nicholls is hoping to avenge its heartbreaking double-overtime, 2-1 loss to ORU last year in Thibodaux.
 
Scouting Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas enters the weekend 6-4-2 on the year with key wins over Louisiana Tech and ULM, while beginning league play with wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Northwestern State and UIW to sit at 3-1 in league competition. Three of their four matches this season have been on the road as they open a two-match home stand with Southeastern Louisiana on Friday and the Colonels on Sunday. Nicholls will be looking for its first win over the Sugar Bears since they joined the league in 2006, hoping to negate a 0-4 record in Conway matches.
 
Up Next
Nicholls continues its road swing with matches against Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin next Friday and Sunday.