DE QUEEN, Ark. — The No. 11 Pearl River women's soccer team started the 2023 campaign with a dominant showing against Cossatot, earning a remarkable 16-0 victory over the Colts.

"We were extremely happy with the performance by the girls today," Pearl River coach Henrik Madsen said. "They moved the ball very well and played with a lot of discipline. We had a lot of players get involved in the scoring and that's good to get off your back early in the season."

The 16-goal victory is the largest in Pearl River women's soccer history.

Marieke Faber (Britsum, Netherlands; Leeuwarder Lyceum), Frederikke Nielsen (Spentrup, Denmark; Randers Statsskole) and Ann Maris Ragan (Flowood; Hartifled Academy) all collected hat tricks in the contest.

"Freddy, Marieke and Ann Maris picking up hat trick was special," Madsen said. "Those three will probably score most of our goals this season. It's really good for them to get off to a really good start."

FIRST HALF
Just three minutes into the contest, Pearl River (1-0 overall) picked up its first goal of the season as Faber slashed home a pass by Ragan.

Just two minutes later, a ball played into the left side of the box was controlled and sent back into the middle for Ragan. On Ragan's first touch, she smashed it past the Cossatot (0-1) goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Maddie Cuevas (Kiln; Hancock) and Nielsen were the next two Wildcats to join the scoring party. Cuevas picked up her goal in the 10th minute, and Nielsen snatched hers in the 14th, 4-0.

In the 20th minute, Iben Madsen (Gulfport) tracked down a loose ball, moved into the left side of the box, and quickly played across to Ragan, who smacked home her second goal of the day, 5-0.

The scoreline moved to 6-0 in the 32nd minute when Ally Stiglets (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) plucked away a pass and moved it up the left side of the pitch. She found a wide-open Amélie Wittenkamp (Oelstykke, Denmark.; Egedal Gymnasium) in the middle of the box for Wittenkamp's first Wildcat goal. Two minutes later, Chloe Ezell (Ocean Springs) grabbed possession of the ball in the midfield and dashed past the Cossatot backline. The keeper saved her first shot, but she recovered the loose ball and put it into the back of the net, 7-0.

In the 39th minute, Alli Shemper (Biloxi) stole the ball from an unsuspecting defender and slid it across goal into the right side of the net.

Just before the halftime buzzer sounded, Faber moved the ball from the midfield all the way into the box and knocked it into the back of the net, 9-0.

SECOND HALF
Three minutes into the second half, Nielsen scored her second goal of the day. The UAC goalkeeper couldn't handle the shot and went into the back of the net, 10-0.

Haylie Alvarez (Gulfport; St. Patrick) was fed a pass up the pitch. She grabbed possession, made a quick cut around the goalkeeper, and smashed it into the back of the net to extend the lead 11-0. 

Faber, Nielsen and Ragan earned back-to-back-to-back hat tricks soon after. Faber sent a laser of a shot into the back of the net from 20 yards out in the 76th minute before Nielsen knocked a shot across goal and into the right side of the net in the 78th. Ragan added her third goal in the 81st minute by rushing straight up the field between defenders and lacing a shot into the right side, 14-0.

The lead extended to 15-0 one minute later as Shemper made a quick move to lose the UAC goalkeeper and slide a ball into the back of the net. Stiglets picked up the day's final goal in the 83rd minute, knocking home a cross on her first touch, 16-0.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats remain in Texarkana, Ark. on Saturday for an 11 a.m. match against National Park.

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