THIBODAUX, La. –  Hope Sabadash made a pair of early goals by Ana Zadro and Gisenia Utreras stand up with a career-high 13 saves as the Southeastern Louisiana women's soccer team closed out the regular season with a 2-1 win at Nicholls State in Southland Conference action Friday evening.
 
Southeastern (11-4-3, 6-3-2 SLC) will next play in the Southland Conference Tournament which opens Thursday in Conway, Ark. Nicholls State (6-9-1, 4-6 SLC) was eliminated from the tournament race with the loss.
 
Nicholls out-shot Southeastern 19-5 in the match, including 11-3 in the second half. But Sabadash made six saves in the first 45 minutes and seven in the second to eclipse her career high of 11 set three times previously.
 
"Hope Sabadash was fantastic in goal," Southeastern head coach Blake Hornbuckle said. "She came up big on the quality shots they had. We had a great first 25 minutes in the first half and that set the tone for the game.
 
Southeastern jumped out on top early Friday as Vanessa Arzaluz sent a pass from midfield ahead to Zadro who beat Nicholls goalkeeper Amanda Boylson with a shot to the left corner, giving the Lady Lions a 1-0 lead just 1:17 into the match. It was Zadro's fourth goal of the season and Arzaluz's second assist.
 
After Nicholls' Spencer Valdespino had a shot blocked at the 8:15 mark, Southeastern took a 2-0 lead when Utreras took a pass from Maddie Kresevic and chipped it over Boylson into the top left corner of the net at 14:41. It was the team-leading 11th goal of the season for Utreras and Kresevic's third assist.
 
Sabadash made a pair of saves of shots by Hannah Savoie and Haylee Atwell over the next five minutes for Southeastern. After stopping another shot by Emily Werenskiold at 21:07, Sabadash made saves against Savoie, Lindsay Gardner and Ainsley Pratt in the final seven minutes of the half.
 
Sabadash kept it up as the second half opened, saving a shot by Valdespino at the 46:27 mark. Southeastern countered with a shot by Maggie Ramsey that sailed wide right. The Colonels went back on the attack with Miranda O'Neil having a shot blocked before Valdespino sent one high. Sabadash then saved another shot by Valdespino at 56:03.
 
Nicholls cut the lead to 2-1 as Valdespino converted a penalty kick for her conference-leading 14th goal at the 63:05 mark. But Sabadash stopped a shot by Valdespino three minutes later, then saved a pair of headers by Savoie and Pratt.
 
Boylson denied Zadro at the 74:50 mark, then made another save against Utreras five minutes later. Sabadash preserved the win with a save against Werenskiold at 89:05.