THIBODAUX, La. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi soccer team ended its Southland Conference schedule in 2026 on a high note on Sunday afternoon, using a late goal from
Alisa Divano to lift itself to a road victory over Nicholls by the final score of 2-1.
The Islanders (5-9-4, 2-6-2 SLC) started out their final conference match as well as they could have, getting themselves on the board after just five minutes and 32 seconds for their fastest goal of the season. The scoring opportunity was earned on a foul drawn by
Katie Porter that gave the blue and green a free kick in an advantageous spot, and
Natalie Taylor would take full advantage, sending her try low and bouncing it past keeper Aislinn Wright to secure the early lead. This score ended up going in the books as an own goal, as it was ruled that the ball was deflected in by a Nicholls defender.
A&M-Corpus Christi kept up its pursuit of another goal after this, controlling the possession battle upon the reset and attempting five more shots over the next 15 minutes while surrendering just two to the Colonels (5-6-6, 3-3-3 SLC). Unfortunately, however, the team caught a bad break in the 31
st minute, surrendering a foul in the box and seeing the hosts tie the match back up on the ensuing penalty kick.
Ashley Wilson would get one more shot on net before the half ended but could not put it in the back of the net, bringing things to half all knotted up.
When they stepped out on the pitch again, the Islanders revved up their attack once more, attempting four more shots across the first 15 minutes and change. The last of these nearly put them back in front, as on a corner kick from
Isabella Castellanos Lopes,
Dakota Merino found the ball in the box and took a try that bounced off the left post and out of harm's way, coming just inches away from their second goal of the day.
This relentlessness finally paid off in the waning moments of the afternoon, when A&M-Corpus Christi finally managed to break through with the go-ahead goal in the 84
th minute. The Islanders worked their way into another corner kick that was given to Castellanos Lopes, who sent her pass into the box that resulted in a mad scramble for the ball. Divano eventually found it in deep on the left side and one-timed it home, placing her shot perfectly into the right end of the net to put the team up by one with little time remaining. The officials would check for a potential handball right after, but the call would stand, upholding the team's latest score of the year.
Now needing to hang on for just six more minutes, the Islanders turned back a couple of late chances for Nicholls, first on a long shot that was corralled by keeper
Addie Brown and then another try from distance that sailed well over the bar right after. The team was then able to bleed the rest of the clock from there, bringing it to zeroes to secure its first road win of the year.
A&M-Corpus Christi ended up getting rewarded for its advantages in the final scorecard, outshooting the Colonels 15-13 overall and 6-5 on target while also attempting 10 corner kicks as opposed to just one on the other side, the penultimate of which led to Divano's game winner. The junior ended up tying Merino for the team lead in total shots with three, and they were followed closely behind by the group of Castellanos Lopes, Taylor and
Cilia Leal Cardona with two each. In net, Brown logged four saves, doing so while not allowing a goal from open play.
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