CP WNT Defeats Denmark 9-0 to Earn Second Win at Intercontinental Cup

LOUGHBOROUGH, England (Aug. 20, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team utilized a hat tricks from Jesslyn Kuhnel and Michelle Cross, five overall goal contributions from Annie Wickett and a single strike from Kaia Spencer to earn a commanding 9-0 win against Denmark and gain its second victory at the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup at Loughborough University on Wednesday. 

Coming off Tuesday’s 12-1 win against Nepal, it took the USA some time to work its way into the match, but things began moving in the 11th minute. Following a Denmark corner kick, captain Annie Wickett latched onto the ball at midfield and went on a solo run, beating one Danish defender before firing a low, right footed blast that was turned away by Astrid Krogh.

Full of attacking momentum, the USA broke through four minutes later as Jesslyn Kuhnel picked up the ball and penetrated towards the box before sending a cutting through ball to Spencer who did well to slot her one-time effort past Krogh.

The goal was the first of five in a nine-minute span during the first half.

Kuhnel opened her account in the 19th minute as Wickett intercepted a pass in the defensive end and quickly sprung the U.S. attacker in alone on goal, before firing her shot inside the lower, right corner.

Two minutes later, Cross’s corner kick from the right found Wickett, who slammed home a first-time blast from the top of the penalty area to make it 3-0. Wickett then returned the favor for Cross in the 23rd, sending her in one-on-one with the goalkeeper where she finished inside the right post.

A minute later, Wickett collected a third assist, playing provider for Kuhnel’s second goal to send the USA into halftime with a commanding 5-0 lead. 

WATCH: USA 9, Denmark 0

The U.S. continued to hunt goals and found a sixth just three minutes into the second half as Cross carried the ball along the top of the box where she laid a square pass for Kuhnel who blasted a first-time effort past Krogh to claim her hat trick. 

In the 37th minute, Wickett went on another incredible solo run from midfield, beat a defender and slotted home her second of the match to collect her fifth goal involvement of the match just moments before making way for Cassidy Leake. 

In the 42nd minute, substitute Joey Martin forced a turnover just outside the area and the ball squirted to Cross who alertly hit a low, first-time shot to beat Krogh for her second of the match. She then completed a hat trick of her own three minutes later, as Leake played her forward into plenty of space, where Cross hit a rocket from 20 yards that squeezed inside the left post to close the scoring at 9-0 in the 45th minute. 

Now with a 11W-2L-1D all-time record, the CP WNT is a perfect 2W-0L-0D at the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup and is back in action on Thursday when it faces Netherlands. Kick off from Loughborough, England is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live via the IFCPF YouTube channel.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Jesslyn Kuhnel recorded her second career hat trick and first since her international debut on May 12, 2022 against Spain. With the three goals, Kuhnel took her career total to 15, tying Cassidy Leake for the team’s all-time scoring lead. 
• Michelle Cross recorded her first career hat trick, fourth multi-goal game and first multi-assist game of her career. The only player to appear in each of the CP WNT’s 14 all-time matches, Cross takes her career totals to 11 goals and four assists. 
• With two goals, Annie Wickett recorded the fourth multi-goal game of her career and collected her first three assists.
• Kaia Spencer’s opening strike was her 14th goal in nine caps. 

-U.S. WOMEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Women’s CP National Team vs. Denmark

Date: Aug. 20, 2025

Competition: 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup

Venue: Loughborough University NFL Field; Loughborough, England

Attendance: 103

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. local (12:30 p.m. ET)

Weather: 70 degrees, clear

Lineups:

USA: 1-Echo Yale (12-Gabby Scotto, 42); 3-Annie Wickett, (Capt.) (2-Cassidy Leake, 39), 4-Michelle Cross, 8-Kaia Spencer (5-Joey Martin 26), 10-Jesslyn Kuhnel (6-Janie Richardson, 32)

Substitutes note used: 9-Leah Glaser

Head coach: Tricia Taliaferro

DEN: 1-Astrid Krogh, 6-Karen Gunnarsdottir, 7-Emma Vejby Søhoel, 8-Maisa Fraser, 10-Mintu Kurki

Substitutes: 2-Tuuli Aaltonen, 3-Fie Deneke, 4-Mia Beier-Simonsen, 5-Signe Nielsen, 9-Nicole Bay-Jorgensen

Head coach: Brian Clemmensen 

Stats Summary: USA / DEN

Shots: 21 / 8

Saves: 4 (Yale 2, Scotto 2) / 8

Corner Kicks: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:

none

Officials:

Referees: Dario Rojas and Charlotte