Colonels strike twice in the first half and withstand a late penalty kick to earn another Southland Conference victory.

THIBODAUX, La. — The Nicholls women’s soccer team continued its strong play in Southland Conference action Thursday night, defeating Stephen F. Austin 2-1 at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex. A pair of first-half goals from Angelina Rispone gave the Colonels an early advantage, and Nicholls held off a late push from the Ladyjacks to secure the victory.

With the win, Nicholls improved to 4-3-6 overall and 2-0-3 in conference play, remaining unbeaten through its first five Southland matches. Stephen F. Austin fell to 4-10 overall and 1-4 in conference competition.

Rispone Gives Nicholls an Early Advantage

After a relatively quiet opening stretch, Nicholls began finding opportunities offensively midway through the first half.

The Colonels broke through in the 34th minute when Rispone found the back of the net at the 33:19 mark. Kaylie Harris provided the assist, helping Nicholls take a 1-0 lead.

It would not take long for the Colonels to strike again.

Just 3 minutes and 21 seconds later, Rispone delivered her second goal of the evening at 36:40, extending the Nicholls advantage to 2-0. The second goal was unassisted and gave the Colonels some breathing room heading toward halftime.

Nicholls controlled much of the first half offensively, outshooting Stephen F. Austin 5-2 while putting three shots on goal. The Colonels also limited the Ladyjacks’ opportunities, preventing the visitors from establishing much offensive rhythm.

Goalkeeper Aislinn Wright recorded two first-half saves to keep Stephen F. Austin off the scoreboard.

The Colonels carried their 2-0 advantage into the halftime break, having taken advantage of their scoring opportunities while remaining organized defensively.

Stephen F. Austin Responds in the Second Half

The Ladyjacks came out of halftime looking to generate more offensive pressure.

Stephen F. Austin increased its attacking opportunities in the second half, recording five shots after managing only two in the opening 45 minutes.

Nicholls continued creating opportunities of its own. Kaylie Harris tested Stephen F. Austin goalkeeper Brandie Musser in the 49th minute, while Jenzlyn Nelson and Olivia Pugh each generated scoring chances during the second half.

Despite those opportunities, the Colonels could not extend their lead.

Nicholls also earned all three of its corner kicks after halftime, including two during a stretch in the 54th minute. However, the Colonels were unable to turn those opportunities into another goal.

As the second half progressed, Stephen F. Austin began pushing more players forward in search of a way back into the match.

The Ladyjacks finally broke through in the 85th minute.

Following a foul that resulted in a penalty kick, Sawyer Kohutek converted from the spot at 84:30, cutting the Nicholls lead to 2-1 with just over five minutes remaining.

The late goal created a tense finish for the Colonels, who had controlled the scoreboard for much of the evening.

Nicholls managed to protect its advantage over the final minutes, including earning a late corner kick in the 86th minute, before the final whistle secured the 2-1 victory.

Nicholls Makes Its Opportunities Count

While neither team produced an overwhelming number of scoring chances, Nicholls held the statistical advantage in several important categories.

The Colonels finished with 10 shots compared to seven for Stephen F. Austin. Nicholls also placed seven shots on goal, forcing Musser to make five saves.

Rispone led the way offensively with three shots, all three on target, and accounted for both Nicholls goals.

Nelson and Harris also contributed to the offensive attack, with Nelson recording two shots and Harris putting her lone attempt on goal.

Wright finished the night with two saves for Nicholls while allowing only the late penalty-kick goal.

The Colonels also finished with a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks and committed just five fouls compared to nine for Stephen F. Austin.

One of the more encouraging aspects of the performance was Nicholls’ ability to capitalize when scoring opportunities presented themselves. The Colonels did not need a high-volume offensive performance to build a two-goal advantage, instead relying on efficient finishing in the first half.

Conference Momentum Continues for Nicholls

Thursday’s victory was another important result for a Nicholls team that has found ways to earn points in Southland Conference competition.

Although the Colonels entered the match with more draws than victories, their ability to remain unbeaten through five conference matches has kept them competitive in the league race.

Turning draws into victories will be important as the conference schedule continues, and Thursday’s performance provided an example of what Nicholls can accomplish when it converts its scoring opportunities.

Rispone’s two-goal performance was particularly important. Her ability to score twice in a span of just over three minutes completely changed the match and ultimately provided enough offense for the Colonels to secure all three points.

Defensively, Nicholls once again showed its ability to protect a lead, even after Stephen F. Austin made things interesting in the closing minutes.

There are still areas for improvement, particularly when it comes to maintaining offensive pressure throughout an entire match. After scoring twice in the first half, Nicholls generated five additional shots but could not find a third goal to put the game away.

Still, conference victories are not always going to be comfortable, and the Colonels demonstrated they could finish the job despite late pressure.

Final Thoughts

Nicholls entered Thursday needing to turn another competitive conference performance into a victory, and the Colonels accomplished exactly that.

With Rispone providing the offensive spark and the defense doing enough to preserve the lead, Nicholls walked away with three valuable Southland Conference points.

The victory moves the Colonels above .500 in conference points earned from wins and draws and keeps their unbeaten conference start intact.

As the Southland schedule continues, the next challenge will be building on the momentum and finding greater consistency in the attacking third.

For now, Nicholls has another conference victory to celebrate, and Rispone’s first-half performance was the difference in Thibodaux.

Final: Nicholls 2, Stephen F. Austin 1