BEAUMONT, Texas – Against the No. 1 seed Stephen F. Austin, the Nicholls State University women's soccer team could not duplicate their first-round performance, falling 5-0 on Friday night at the Lamar Soccer Complex.
 
The Colonels (10-10, 6-7 SLC) faced an uphill battle against the Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year, but relished their underdog roll, hoping to make a splash against the top-seeded Ladyjacks (16-2-1, 12-0 SLC).
 
SFA jumped on Nicholls early, scoring in the 22^nd minute. After a scramble in front of the net with the ball bouncing around pinball-machine style, Megan Dunnigan secured possession and fired a shot into the back of the net.
 
Less than five minutes later, Zuri Prince received a pass from Rachel Owens and found the goal to take a 2-0 lead. The Colonels picked up their intensity for the remainder of the half and the score would remain the same heading into the break.
 
Only two minutes into the second period, SFA pushed their lead to 3-0 when Hanna Barker found Christie Hinojosa who beat Taylor Mosley in a 1-on-1 for the score. In the 54^th minute, Barker collected her own rebound and blasted a shot into the back of the net, pushing the score to 4-0 and crushing any hopes of a comeback.
 
Nicholls played with desperate abandon for the remainder of the match, throwing caution aside in an attempt to find offense. After a Colonel attack, the Ladyjacks took advantage, earning possession and pushing a fast break the other direction. Hinojosa dribbled through two Nicholls defenders before finishing with a shot that snuck under a diving Mosley for the fifth and final score of the match.
 
The Colonels outshot the Ladyjacks 19-18 overall, but finished with just five shots on goal to SFA's eight. Hannah Savoie and Lauren O'Brien led the Colonels offensively with four shots each. Emily Werenskiold and Jess Coates each had two shots on the night.
 
Hinojosa led the Ladyjacks offensive attack with two goals. Dunnigan, Prince and Barker each contributed a score, while Barker and Owens both registered an assist in the game.
 
Mosley (6-9) faced 18 shots and finished with three saves.
 
Morgan Glick and Lillie Ehlert split time in the net for SFA, combining for five saves in the shutout victory.
 
The Colonels lose seniors Kristy Tatom, Misty Tatom, Missy McGuire, Kristen Cunningham, Amber Moore, Lauren O'Brien and Sarah Tani, but return 25 of their 35 players. Both of Nicholls' First-Team All-Conference selections will return next year, as will four of the top-five points leaders from 2014.
 
"We have seven seniors, and one other that redshirted," Head Coach Dylan Harrison said. "It happened; you can't just skip a step in the process of changing a program. So they've carried the burden over the last few years and I think the thing that just sums them up as a group is that they have always been committed. They have always been committed to the cause, they've always been about the university first and making sure there wasn't a selfish moment within their journey to make us better. I'm going to miss them; I'm going to miss them greatly."
 
"In terms of our older players they've been through the low points and for them to come here and get at least a little taste the high life it was good for them," Harrison said. "I will say between the older players and myself there is a challenge for the younger players that each year we continue to get better. So the expectation is not getting here next year but playing on Sunday."
 
It was a disappointing end to a record-setting season full of firsts. This year's squad earned the first victories in program history against both Southern Mississippi and Southeastern Louisiana. The Colonels also reached their second-consecutive Southland Conference Tournament and secured the first postseason win in school history. Regardless of the final outcome, the 2014 Nicholls team and its seven seniors are leaving the Colonel soccer program better than they found it.