ST. LOUIS, Mo. — In a rematch of the 2024 National Tournament, the No. 10 Pearl River men's soccer team outlasted No. 11 Heartland on Friday evening, earning a 3-2 victory.

"It was a good day for us," head coach Drew Gallant said. "We came here to play National Tournament teams. We're seeking out ranked opponents because that's what we have to do to take the next step with the program. We'll recover tomorrow and get ready for the National Champions on Sunday."

Pearl River (2-1 overall) fell behind early after a defensive miscue gifted Heartland (1-2) the opening goal. The Wildcats responded quickly, equalizing in the ninth minute. Off a long ball from Ace Cosby (Starkville; Ocean Springs), Patton Francis (Poplarville) flicked it ahead to Emil Corfitzen (Copenhagen, Denmark), who chested it down and volleyed home the finish to make it 1-1.

Seven minutes later, Viktor Hammer (Fredensborg, Denmark) gave PRCC the lead in his first start as a midfielder. Beating multiple defenders off the dribble, he slotted a shot past the keeper for a 2-1 advantage.

Corfitzen doubled his tally in the 65th minute, finishing a sharp pass from Ashtin Yard (Biloxi) to extend the lead to 3-1. The Hawks pulled one back in the 88th, but the Wildcats held firm to close out the win.

NEXT UP
Pearl River returns to action Sunday against No. 5 Northeast. The match will begin at 9 a.m.

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