MOBILE, Ala. –  The University of South Alabama women's soccer team sent eight goals past Nicholls State en route to an 8-0 victory Sunday evening at the Cage.

In her second game at South Alabama (11-4-1, 8-2) Danielle Fuentes recorded a hat trick coupled with a pair of assists over the 90 minutes played for the junior transfer from University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Juniors Brenna McPartlan and Morgan Cross recorded a brace apiece with the former also being credited with an assist. Freshman Sydney Salter, also playing in her second match for the Jags, recorded the other goal while also being credited with an assist.

Nicholls State (0-4, 0-1) remains winless, but starting goalkeeper Reagan Carter recorded 13 saves in the match for the visiting side.

GAME FACTS
- The Jaguar offense roared from the outset as South pushed four shots on goal in the first five minutes of the match, but the Colonels marshaled their defense and each shot was in the vicinity of Carter to make the save.
- Laurence Saviana drew a foul in the 20th minute just outside the Colonel goal box. South punched into the lead when McPartlan belted the ensuing free kick into the left upper 90 (1-0).
- USA capitalized on the momentum swing when the Jaguars rotated the ball around the backline to catch the defense out and get Deanna Green in the open field down the right flank. Green crossed the ball while Fuentes sprinted in and directed the ball into an open net for the second Jaguar goal eight seconds into the 24th minute.
- Ten minutes later, Fuentes pocketed her second goal. After some interplay between Gracie Wilson, Saviana and Fuentes, a through ball caught the defense ball watching, and Fuentes beat the goalkeeper to the right (3-0).
- Sixty-four seconds later, Cross got loose down the left flank and put the fourth into the net.
- Allison Luckhardt was called into action at 42:05. A turnover at midfield, quickly turned into a counterattack for the Colonels, and from around 35 yards out Nicholls' Alicia Carlos ripped a looping shot that looked destined for the top right corner. Falling back into the net, the freshman net minder pushed the ball back into the field of play a few feet in front of net and recovered to pounce on the ball before any players could close in.
- Thirty-one seconds before the halftime horn, center back Leandra Flury knocked a cross into the six-yard box into a plethora of players. Salter reacted quickest and headed the ball into the net for the fifth Jag goal.
- The Colonels tightened up the leaky defense in the second half as South was limited to no shots on goal for the first 24 minutes.
- Cross and McPartlan picked up their respective braces with each scoring a second goal in the 70th and 84th minute.
- Fuentes notched the eighth and final goal with 96 ticks left on the clock.

NOTES
- Fuentes is the first Jaguar to record a hat trick since Steffi Hardy scored three against Arkansas State on Oct. 25, 2015.
- The eight points in a single game (three goals, two assists) is tied for fifth all time in a single game in program history.
- The eight goals scored is the most since a 9-0 victory over Jackson State during the 2019 season (8/25/19)
- McPartlan moved into 4th all-time in career game-winning goals at USA (9).
- It was the most scored at The Cage since an 11-0 win over Alabama A&M Sept. 19, 2013.
- With Flury's assist, every member of the back four has recorded a point this season.
- Salter became the third freshman to record a goal this year (Izzy Ford, Kailey Littleford)
- Luckhardt recorded her first shutout and out-of-conference win.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
- On the result: "It was one of those ones where Nicholls State had a bad night, but we still have to show up and perform. The focus was just on what we did in practice with defending, keeping our shape, reacting to certain things within the performance. To keep a clean sheet is amazing, and we spent a lot of time in front of goal the last two days, so to score eight goals is just the fruits of our labor."

- On Danielle Fuentes: "Dani [Fuentes] is a phenomenal player. I think when we were in the first half with Dani [Fuentes], Gracie Wilson and Laurence Saviana, you could never find her because they were all just rotating and finding those little pockets. She is a great addition, a fantastic player and the student-athletes love her. She's quiet but her soccer ability speaks for her. She put in a great performance tonight and last week as well. It's a sign of things to come"

- On trying new formations: "When a game goes like this and things are going your way, you want to try things to see what they look like so we pushed Leandra [Flury] out wide just to give us options and depth."

Junior Danielle Fuentes
- On the goals scored: "One was a cross in from Deanna [Green] that beat the keeper that I just had to tap in. There was a beautiful through ball that I saw the goalie had positioned herself too far to the right so I just placed it by her into the right corner. The last one was another cross and I just had to finish."

- Moving forward from this game: "Just trying to keep scoring. Obviously, it's going to be hard to beat a hat trick, but I am going to keep trying to score."

UP NEXT
- The Jaguars stay in Mobile and will welcome LSU to The Cage next Sunday (2/28) with a scheduled kickoff of 5 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90