Southern Miss
1-0-0, 0-0-0
Nicholls
0-1-0, 0-0-0
Southern Miss Women’s Soccer Defeats Nicholls State in Season Opener
2/3/2021 5:31:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Ariel Diaz scored a pair of goals to lead Southern Miss to a 2-0 season-opening women's soccer victory over Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La., Wednesday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles enjoyed their second-straight shutout of Nicholls State dating back to 2018 as they opened the year with a victory for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Colonels, which also opened their season, fell to 0-1.
Southern Miss took 27 shots with 17 of them being on goal. The difference in the game came from Diaz, a senior forward from Lubbock, Texas. Diaz found the back of the net twice in the second half propelling the Golden Eagles to victory.
Defense was the name of the game for the majority of the match as both teams battled in the trenches until the very end. The Southern Miss defense proved to be up to the challenge when they were needed most. The Golden Eagles backline stymied the Colonels, by allowing only six total shots to be taken with only two on goal.
The outstanding goalkeeping of senior Kendell Mindnich also played a major role in the Golden Eagles victory. Mindnich finished the game with two saves playing all 90 minutes of competition.
The Golden Eagles will now prepare for another away matchup which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. (CT) against South Alabama at the South Alabama Soccer Complex in Mobile, Ala. The two teams last met in 2019 resulting in a 1-0 win for Southern Miss.
Fans can follow the action on the pitch via live updates through the official Southern Miss soccer Twitter account (@SouthernMissSoc).
Team Stats
Ariel Diaz (2)
GOAL by USM Diaz, Ariel.
64:25
Ariel Diaz (2)
Assisted By: Hailey Pohevitz
GOAL by USM Diaz, Ariel Assist by Pohevitz, Hailey.
89:51
