ST. LOUIS – Maddie Pokorny, St. Louis native and former Billiken, is having a season of firsts.
Pokorny is a forward for Denmark-based HB Køge, and this was her and the team’s first-ever season in the Champions League. She also scored her first Champions League goal and it was against Arsenal.
“We were losing 3-0 and they kind of just slipped up in the back. They just didn’t connect a pass, and I think against a lot of teams, maybe they don’t capitalize on that, but HB Køge, you know, kind of licks their chomps at things like that,” Pokorny said.
HB Køge went 0-6 in the Champions League. They will not play in any more games when the season continues in March 2022, but they have ten games left in their Danish league, Kvindeliga. They are currently undefeated with two ties and are 5 points ahead of the second-place team. In Kvindeliga, Pokorny is fifth in scoring with 7 goals. If HB Køge finishes first in Kvindeliga, they will be able to play in the 2022-23 Champions League season.
Pokorny leaves for HB Køge’s preseason camp in Turkey on January 5. Their next Kvindeliga game is on March 25 and the season will finish in June. Pokorny’s contract is also up in June and she has not yet begun discussing renegotiations.
“I love HB Køge. I’m not sure what’s in store for renegotiation,” she said. “But I’m very excited. I just signed with an agency, Oscar Rojas. I’m being represented by him, and he has been such a big help. So I’m excited to see what options there are with him, but also just figure out what the best next move is for me.”
Pokorny’s start in soccer is one that many in St. Louis are familiar with, CYC Soccer. Pokorny played for Holy Redeemer and her skills developed as she rose through the ranks of the St. Louis soccer scene. She then played for Lou Fusz Soccer Club and Webster Groves High School. As a college student, she was a member of the Saint Louis University women’s soccer team for the 2015 to 2018 seasons. In her senior season, the Billikens won the Atlantic 10 Championship. In the championship game, Pokorny scored three goals against VCU.
Once her time as a Billiken came to an end, she tried out for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League. She made the reserve team, then she was moved up to training with the first team, and eventually became an international replacement player. She then moved to HB Køge where the new team was starting out in Denmark’s second league and working to promote to the top league, Kvindeliga.
