The Alcorn women's soccer team opened its season with a thrilling 7‑4 win over Nicholls at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex, a match that swung back and forth before the Braves pulled away in the final twenty minutes.
Annick Zouma anchored the attack, scoring a hat‑trick that included a penalty in the tenth minute and finishing with three goals from six shots. Her early strike set the tone, but Nicholls answered with goals from three different players, including Jessica Avonyo and Sammi Doyle, to level the game at 2‑2 before halftime.
Grace Ambrose, the Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, then took control, adding four goals and an assist. Two of her strikes came in the second half, each completing a hat‑trick and pushing Alcorn ahead.
Key performances and pivotal moments
Alyssa Wheeler equalised for Nicholls with an unassisted goal that made the score 4‑4, but Alcorn responded swiftly. Leyla Llanos Boursiquot set up Zouma's fourth goal in the 72nd minute, and substitute Larissa Joso Luma added a strike in the 73rd to extend the lead to 6‑4.
Between the goals, Alcorn's defense held firm despite conceding four times, with goalkeeper Bailey Perales earning the win despite the goals allowed. Nicholls' Aislinn Wright made six saves, yet Alcorn dominated the shot count, outshotting Nicholls 18‑12 and posting a 13‑4 edge in shots on target.
The Braves also won the corner‑kick battle 6‑3 and avoided any offside penalties, while Nicholls was whistled five times for offside. This victory marked Alcorn's first game in which multiple players recorded hat‑tricks since 2023 and gave the team its first two wins over Nicholls in series history.
With the season record now 1‑2‑0, Alcorn prepares to test its mettle against a Power Five opponent. The next test will be an SEC showdown at Mississippi State in Starkville on August 30, a matchup that could further gauge the Braves' rising offensive potency.