Turns out it has been much more than that and it could still be even better.
The team travels north to play Auckland tomorrow in its first ever national women’s league playoff game.
If it wins it plays Canterbury United in next week’s final in Christchurch.
Having beaten both of those teams — as well as Northern — there is plenty of reason to believe Southern can go on and win the whole thing.
But for Nicol, who is also the Football South women’s development officer, there something even bigger at stake.
"With how this season’s been going it’s been really emotional for myself in terms of this was meant to be a development year," she said.
"It’s turned into an ‘oh, wow. If this is what we can do this season imagine what we’re going to be like next season and the season after that and for future seasons’.
"And hopefully it inspires the girls coming through to go ‘I want to play for Southern United and I want to step into those girls’ shoes and I want to be just like them’.
"So I think that’s what this season’s been about has been creating that fan base and the connection with the communuity."
The team’s goal keeper, Nicol has pulled off some crucial saves this season, although she said there were things she would like to do better.
However, given she was coming off an injury which had kept her out for a year, she was happy with the progress she was making.
Having spent 18 months in Auckland while training with the Football Ferns and playing for the New Zealand under-20s team, she returned south in March.
Prior to that she had played for Football South in the national league, although from the first game she could tell this time around would be different.
"From the moment we stepped out on to the pitch in our first game against Auckland, I knew then and there that this team wasn’t like any other team that had been through Football South previously.
"It was something really special."
She said the team had moved on from a tough loss last weekend and was focusing on tomorrow’s game.
Having beaten Auckland in an historic match in the first game of the season, the side was motivated to prove that was no fluke.
She was expecting it to "come out guns blazing" and felt it could come down to who wanted victory more.
National women’s league
Pre-final, Auckland, Sunday, 1.30pm
Southern United: (from) Tessa Nicol, Sophie Dijkstra, Coral Seath, Kelsey Kennard, Kristy Hayr, Emily Morison, Renee Bacon, Zoe Thomas, Shontelle Smith, Ansley Martin, Mikaela Hunt, Ellie Issac, Lara Wall, Olivia de Ronde, Sophie Aitken, Mikayla Gray, Holly Johnstone, Eva Zellekens, Sam Baldwin, Katie Faulkes, Samantha Richards, Laura Wallis.
Auckland: (from) Nadia Olla, Georgia Brown, Elizabeth Anton, Georgia Martin, Kate Carlton, Nicole Mettam, Tayla O’Brien, Grace Jale, Stephanie Skilton, Hannah Blake, Jacqui Hand, Maisy Dewell, Brooke Wylie, Britney Cunningham-Lee, Lily Tatimu, Margot Ramsay, Emily Gillion, Maxine Rawnsley, Ally Toailoa, Erinna Wong, Megan Robertson, Amy Waters, Lily Dowsett, Kathryn Gow.
