FRISCO, Texas -- Nicholls State University forward Jezlyn Nelson was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year while senior forward Alyssa Wheeler was named First Team All-SLC as the league announced its soccer superlatives on Monday afternoon.
 
Nelson put together a great debut season to become the first Colonel in program history to earn the SLC's rookie award. The Niceville, Florida native registered 14 points as she has recorded six goals and two assists in 1215 minutes on the pitch. She began her career with goals in back-to-back contests against LA Tech and Arkansas- Pine Bluff and she had two goals in SLC action. Nelson scored once against UTRGV and was in the right place at the right time to score the game winning goal in the final game of the season to help the Colonels make the SLC Tournament for the first time since 2014.
 
Wheeler put together an impressive season to become the fifth Colonel in program history to be named to the All-SLC First Team. The Clovis, California native, has logged 1427 minutes on the pitch and posted 23 points which is tied with two others for the most in the SLC. This season, Wheeler has eight goals and seven assists. Additionally, she is one of seven players in the league with at least eight goals and she is the only one with at least seven assists. Wheeler's senior campaign was highlighted by scoring the game winning goal against UTRGV from a corner kick. She also had the assist on the Colonels' game winning goal in the final game of the season. Wheeler was also named SLC Offensive Player of the week once for her performance against UTRGV. Wheeler's 23 points on the year is the fourth most on the program single season list. Additionally, her seven assists tie her with Jess Coates, Tori Priddy, and Carolyn Noble for the most assists in a single season and her eight goals are tied for sixth in the single season.
 
UP NEXT
Nicholls (6-6-6, 4-3-3 SLC) will play against UIW in the opening round of the 2026 SLC Tournament on Tuesday, Nov 10. Kickoff from Commerce, Texas is scheduled for noon and all the action will be streamed via ESPN+.