POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River women’s soccer coach Henrik Madsen recently bolstered his 2020 signing class by welcoming a standout from the Grand Canyon State to the Wildcat Family.
Madsen announced Friday he has signed Lily Lentz. The incoming midfielder hails from Gilbert, Arizona.
“Lily brings a lot of versatility to our midfield,” Madsen said. “She should mix really well with the returning players.”
Lentz is the latest addition to a 2020 signing class that already included Ocean Springs defender Erin Clifford, George County goalkeeper Kylie Dailey, Biloxi striker Aubrie Edwards, East Central midfielder Katie Havard, Pearl River Central midfielder Samantha Kennedy, Hattiesburg F.C. midfielder Jennifer Satcher, Gulfport centerback Bailey Smith and Long Beach midfielder Sydney Spataro.
ABOUT LENTZ
Lentz brings a box-to-box midfield skillset that should complement Laura Bau Magleau (Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Colegio Sao Miguel Arcanjo) nicely.
“She’s going to be very good. She’s fit, fast, strong and has a good leg,” Madsen said, adding she took all the set pieces for her high school.
Lentz had a standout prep career at Camille Casteel High in Queen Creek, Arizona, recording seven goals and 23 assists for the varsity. This season, Lentz registered two goals and nine assists.
In the Class 5A Championship Game, Lentz sent in a beautiful free kick to open the scoring; one teammate called it the “most amazing kick ever,” according to the EastValleyTribune.com.
FROM ARIZONA TO MISSISSIPPI
You might ask how Lentz and PRCC connected. As it turns out, grandparents played a large role in the midfielder finding her way to Poplarville. One of Lentz’s grandfathers played football at Ole Miss with one of Bailey Smith’s grandparents. When PRCC announced Smith had signed with the Wildcats, the two sets of grandparents began talking. Next thing Madsen knows, he’s receiving a highlights package from Arizona.
“I turned it on and thought, oh, OK, she can really play,” Madsen said.
Lentz had been in Dallas with her travel team — Real Salt Lake out of Arizona — and continued on East to visit Poplarville.
The trip went well and now Lentz is Madsen’s newest Wildcat.
