SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer comeback bid fell short on Sunday afternoon against Southland Conference Nicholls State University after the visitors scored a pair of late goals to win 3-1 at Benson Stadium.

The Cardinals (0-10, 0-3) were on the attack from the outset.  In first 12 minutes, they fired four shots, two attempts from senior Sarah Johnson (Austin/Home School) and two from sophomore Alexis Santos (Mesquite/North Medquite HS), but none found the back of the net.

The Colonels (6-5, 2-2) waited for their opportunity to strike. At 37:49, Miranda O'Neil found Jess Coates outside the box.  She was challenged by a UIW defender, but she got a shot off that passed UIW keeper Karly Brightwell (Houston/Elkins HS) on the left post.  At the end of the first half, Cardinals had taken eight shots to the Colonels five, but trailed 1-0.

The second half started off with an equal battle between the Colonels and the Cardinals.  UIW found an attacking opportunity when Abigail Koenigs (San Antonio/Brandeis HS) received the ball outside of the box on the left side.  She found Santos near the end line on the right side where she crossed it to Johnson for the finish at 59:37.  

Even though the momentum was with the Cardinals after their goal, Nicholls was able to turn the tide.  Coates sent the ball to Emily Wereskiold, who ran it at Heather Kowalik and shot it on her right post at 80:50 for the game-winner.  Five minutes later, Coates got the ball on the end line and passed it to Wereskiold again in front of the net and her finish was good enough to score.  UIW finished with 14 shots to the Colonels 13.

"I'm proud of what we are doing on the field," said UIW head coach Anne Felts.  "The girls are doing what we ask and playing good soccer.  We just have to finish some chances and we will start getting some different outcomes."

The Cardinals will take the road this week to face the University of Central Arkansas on Sunday at 1 p.m.
####
pr14411smm