Alcorn Women’s Soccer Tops Nicholls in High-Scoring Thriller
Thibodaux, La. — Annick Zouma and Grace Ambrose each scored three goals to lead Alcorn State to a 7-4 victory over Nicholls on Thursday night at Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with the two teams combining for 11 goals and exchanging leads three times. Zouma opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 10th minute after Nicholls’ Sammi Doyle scored four minutes earlier off a free kick set up by Alyssa Wheeler. Zouma, a sophomore forward from Yaoundé, Cameroon, finished with three goals on six shots, controlling much of Alcorn’s attack.
Grace Ambrose, the Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, scored twice in the first half and added a third goal in the second half to complete her hat trick. Her goals came in the 35th, 51st, and 56th minutes, with the latter two coming in quick succession to give Alcorn a 4-3 lead. Ambrose also assisted Zouma’s third goal in the 81st minute, finishing with four goals and an assist on six shots.
Nicholls responded with a late push, with Jessica Avonyo tying the game at 2-2 before Doyle scored her second goal in the 48th minute to put the Colonels ahead. Alyssa Wheeler later leveled the score again at 4-4 in the 63rd minute. However, Alcorn pulled away in the final stages, with Leyla Llanos Boursiquot setting up Zouma for the go-ahead in the 72nd minute, and Larissa Joso Luma scoring in the 74th minute to make it 6-4. Zouma finished the scoring in the 81st minute, sealing the win.
Alcorn outshot Nicholls 18-12 and held a 13-4 advantage in shots on target, demonstrating dominant offensive pressure. The Braves also led in corner kicks, 6-3, and were called offside five times compared to none for Nicholls. Bailey Perales earned the win in goal for Alcorn, playing all 90 minutes despite allowing four goals. Aislinn Wright made six saves for Nicholls in the losing effort.
The victory marked the second consecutive win over Nicholls for Alcorn, which defeated the Colonels 3-1 last season. The Braves will next face Mississippi State on Sunday in Starkville, Mississippi, as they look to carry this momentum forward.
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