Wildcats suffer first loss of season at Nicholls, 3-1

Friday, September 27

Thibodaux, LA

4 p.m.

Abilene Christian

8-1-1, 2-1SLC

Nicholls

9-0-1, 3-0SLC

Abilene Christian

Nicholls

Photo by: Gary Rhodes

Wildcats suffer first loss of season at Nicholls, 3-1

9/27/2013 7:20:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - Abilene Christian scored on its first shot of the match, but the Colonels came right back with the equalizer and then added a pair of second-half goals during their 3-1 decision over the Wildcats Friday at the Nicholls Soccer Complex.

The Colonels remain unbeaten at 9-0-1 and 3-0 vs. the Southland Conference, while the Wildcats slipped to 8-1-1 and 2-1 vs. the league. Next up for ACU is a trip to Hammond, La., where the Wildcats will face the SLC's top defensive team in Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions today shutout Incarnate Word, 2-0, to keep pace with the Colonels in league play.

Senior forward Andrea Carpenter got things going right away for the Wildcats as her breakaway shot toward the right post found the back of the net in the third minute, but that lead did not last long as Kristy Tatom finished Annie Newell's cross from the right side at the start of the eighth minute.

Tatom's goal was just her second of the year. For Carpenter, it was her eighth goal and the 51st of her all-America career.

The match remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the 60th minute when the Colonels' Lauren O'Brien buried Melissa Pesalozzi's cross inside the far left post, and 10 minutes later, Newell's corner kick found the head of Amber Moore, who butted the ball in for her first goal of the season.

ACU recorded just three more shots after going down 2-1 and the only one saved by Nicholls' goalkeeper Amanda Boylson came during the 68th minute. Whitley Lindholm recorded two other second-half attempts, but one sailed high and the other wide.

The Wildcats' freshman goalkeeper Sydney Newton only faced 10 shots, but four of those were on target as she finished with one save. The Colonels also earned four corner kick attempts.