HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University women's soccer team will face Nicholls Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex in its final match in Southland Conference play.
SLU (8-7-2, 4-4-1 SLC) will close out its 2026 regular season in Thibodaux, La. for the Crystal Cup Rivalry against conference rival Nicholls (5-6-6, 3-3-3 SLC). Thursday's match against the Colonels will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats, provided by the host, can be accessed on the women's soccer schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Southeastern will look to close out its regular season on a strong note with momentum after suffering a 1-0 loss against Lamar. The Cardinals claimed an early lead in the first half as the Lions battled to overcome the deficit, but could not capitalize on shots around the box.
SLU currently ranks sixth in the conference going into the week. The Lions have recorded 23 goals this season, led by sophomore Alexandra Knight with a career high eight goals. Senior Brooke Opferman follows up as the second leading striker for the green and gold with five goals alongside Ella Quinlan and Kaitlyn Tung tied with two goals apiece.
Southeastern's back line of defense has stepped up throughout the season with four shutouts as senior goalkeeper Kendall Curran has posted 54 saves with a 1.29 goals against average.
Nicholls will seek to bounce back after suffering a 2-1 loss against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last week at home. The Colonels will battle to snap their two-match losing streak to close out their final match at home. Alyssa Wheeler found the back of the net in Nicholls last match at home while also leading the team this season with eight goals and six assists.
The Colonels have also relied on Jezlyn Nelson with five goals along with Olyvia Pugh, Angelina Rispone and Sammi Doyle tied with four goals apiece. Senior goalkeeper Aislinn Wright has handled the majority of the responsibility in the net for Nicholls with 72 saves and a 1.64 goals against average.
Southeastern, with a victory over Nicholls, could secure its position in the 2026 Southland Conference Women's Soccer Tournament. The SLC Women's Soccer Tournament will take place in Commerce, Texas. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
