Sam Houston State soccer failed to convert on a pair of key opportunities and Nicholls' Spencer Valdespino added both Colonels goals to put away the Bearkats, 2-0 at Pritchett Field on Sunday afternoon.
“I think we got out of it what we put in,” eighth-year head coach Tom Brown said. “As good of things we did on Friday, I don't the team came out and competed and in this league, that's what happens when you don't compete.”
With just over a minute remaining in the first half, Valdespino shook off a pair of Sam Houston (7-6-2 overall, 4-3-1 Southland) defenders and placed a ball at the top right of the net from 24 yards out to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
The Colonels (4-8-1 overall, 2-5-0 SLC) controlled the ball late in the opening frame to create the opportunities, notching 11 first-half shots to the Bearkats' five. With a majority of the Colonels shots sailing high or wide, Sam Houston senior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton saw only a pair of first-half shots.
In the 52nd minute, Madison Cannon started a counter from the defensive side, streaking down the middle, threaded a ball between two defenders to Allie Johnson on the right side, who rifled a ball off the right post.
Six minutes later, following a Nicholls' foul, Kylie Dick played Maddie Gangi wide for an early cross, which resulted in a Caitlin Schwartz shot, nearly missing the bottom left corner of the net.
In the 65th minute, Mariah Titus played a ball to the right side, when the Nicholls left back slipped, it left a one-on-one opportunity, by Cannon but her shot deflected off the keeper and went wide.
The Colonels struck again in the 73rd minute following a yellow card administered in the box setting up a Valdespino penalty kick. The senior forward placed one at the bottom left of the net for the 2-0 advantage.
“She's a very dynamic player,” Brown said of Valdespino. “She's very direct in the way she plays. She takes lots of opportunities for shots and some were wide and high but some of them were on frame. That put us under pressure. It was a bad situation to give them the opportunity for the penalty kick.”
The Bearkats took 12 shots, including five on goal compared to the Colonels 18 shots and four on goal. Valdespino took 12 shots, with both on goal landing in the back of the net. Sam Houston took eight corner kicks to the Colonels two. The Colonels keeper Amanda Boylson logged five saves.
Sam Houston hits the road for a pair of league matches next weekend, visiting Incarnate Word on Friday at 7 p.m. before trekking up to Abilene Christian on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Bearkats close out the regular season on Oct. 30 by hosting Stephen F. Austin at 6:30 p.m.
“At this point, it's about what they want out of the season,” Brown said. “If they want to get in and work hard, every game, they'll have the opportunity.”
