THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University women's soccer team fell to Houston Baptist University 1-0 in the final seconds of the match on Friday night at the Nicholls Soccer Complex.
The Colonels (7-8, 3-5 SLC) controlled the match from the first minute to the final minute, outshooting the Huskies 18-7, but a last-second score on a corner kick allowed Houston Baptist (6-6-3, 5-1-2 SLC) to steal the victory in front of a stunned Nicholls crowd.
From the outset the Colonels dominated the game, outshooting HBU 7-3 in the first period and 11-4 in the second. The Huskies managed just three shots on goal for the entire match, while the Colonels registered 10. Nicholls also added 11 corner kicks, well above their average of three per game.
The Colonels nearly scored on two occasions. In the 37
th minute,
Jess Coates fired a shot that ricochet off of the crossbar and landed just inches from the goal before being cleared. In the second half,
Lauren O'Brien made a spin move, losing her defender and leaving her 1-on-1 with Husky goalie Patty Walrath, but her shot went just wide right.
In the 89
th minute, with only seconds remaining, HBU earned a corner kick. Charlotte Vancura rushed to the corner nearest Audubon Avenue and hurriedly fired a shot that curved just over the outstretched arm of Nicholls goalkeeper
Taylor Mosley, finding the top right corner of the net.
Both teams battled for position in the final few seconds, resulting in yellow cards for Colonel
Jess Coates and Hustky Natalie Hager. Despite the effort, Nicholls was unable get a shot off before time expired.
Spencer Valdespino led the Colonels with four shots, three on goal, while O'Brien added three shots in the game.
Vacura scored the lone goal for HBU, while Natalie Hager paced the squad with two shots on the night.
Mosley faced seven shots, earning two saves for the Colonels.
Walrath came up huge for the Huskies, facing 18 shots and earning 10 saves in the shutout victory.
Nicholls will host Central Arkansas at 11 a.m. on Sunday at the Nicholls Soccer Complex for the final home match of the season. Sunday's match will be Senior Day.
Visit geauxcolonels.com to find live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls women's soccer.
