THIBODAUX, La. – The ACU soccer team saw its two-game winning streak to start Southland Conference play come to an end Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 loss at Nicholls. The match was delayed 90 minutes in the first half because of lightning in southern Louisiana.
The teams were scoreless through much of the match before Nicholls scored two goals in the second half to take a 2-0 lead. Haylee Atwell scored the first goal of the match in the 55
th minute to give the Colonels a 1-0 lead, and then Emily Werenskiold scored her third goal of the season in the 68
th minute to give her team a 2-0 lead over ACU.
The Widcats finally got on the board in the 85
th minute when freshman
Christina Arteaga scored her third goal of the season – and second in two matches – on an assist from
Megan Baer to make it a 2-1 game. Baer found Arteaga in a crowded box, and the freshman from Pflugerville put it past Taylor Benoit for ACU's only score of the day.
Just about two minutes after Arteaga's goal, Sam Vestal had a shot on goal, but it was blocked, and that was ACU's last best chance to score.
Dylan Owens had a corner kick inside the final 10 seconds of the match, but it didn't connect, snapping ACU's three-match winning streak against the Colonels.
"We were not able to pull ourselves together for the first 25 minutes leading up to the weather delay," head coach
Casey Wilson said. "When we returned we played better and controlled play for the majority of the second half. When the other team scores two of the three shots they have on frame the whole match you have to give them credit."
ACU returns home to Elmer Gray Stadium this weekend to face Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday against Northwestern State.
