Sept. 1, 1999
Columbia, Mo - This weekend, the Audrey J. Walton Track-Soccer Field-Stadium will be home to terrific soccer action at the first annual Ellis Copy Tiger Invitational Soccer Tournament. Missouri hosts the Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines, and Vanderbilt Commodores for invitational play Friday, September 3 and Sunday, September 5. Both Michigan and Vanderbilt have been ranked among the nation?s top-25 teams landing at the No. 15 and No. 19 spots in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, and Indiana has received votes in the SoccerBuzz national poll as well. Add in a MU squad that has its sights set on an NCAA Tournament berth, and this invitational stacks to be one of the finest in collegiate women?s soccer.
INDIANA AND MICHIGAN NEXT ON THE LIST FOR MU
Missouri will face two Big Ten Conference opponents this weekend as Indiana and Michigan visit Columbia. The Hoosiers lost their season opener on the road to Xavier, 2-1, but return plenty of experience from the 1998 squad which finished 14-8-1 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten Conference. Heading the list of returnees is forward Tracy Grose who led Indiana in scoring a season ago with 15 goals and seven assists. She netted IU?s only goal in their loss last weekend to Xavier. The Wolverines travel south with a No. 15 ranking to defend and are coming off a 4-0 shutout of Oakland University last Sunday. Michigan advanced to the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament and returns sixteen letterwinners and eight starters from that team to the field in 1999. Leading the offense punch for Michigan is Amber Berendowsky an eleven-goal scorer a year ago. Marie Spaccartella was the offensive star versus Oakland, netting a goal and an assist in the Wolverine win. Also returning is goalkeeper, Carissa Stewart, who registered a 1.03 goals against average last year in just over 1,229 minutes of action.
TIGERS SPLIT IN FIRST WEEKEND OF ACTION
After an exciting trip to Holland, where they won three straight game, and an impressive 5-1 won over 1998 Missouri Valley Conference champion Illinois State in exhibition action, the Missouri Tigers were flying high heading into their season-opener with Duke Friday. Unfortunately that energy did not accompany MU to the start of the match. The Tigers started out sluggish and watched as Duke scored after only 3:57 to take a 1-0 lead. The Tigers woke up and tied it early in the second half when Nikki Thole lined a shot past the Duke keeper and it was a brand new ballgame. In the sixth-ninth minute, Duke took the lead for good when Alexis Highsmith heeled in a loose ball in front of the Tiger net and the Blue Devils spoiled MU?s 1999 debut, 2-1. ?Two or three different bounces and we win that game,? said Head Coach Bryan Blitz. ?We really would have liked to win that one, but we didn?t and we will move on. That?s just the way the game of soccer is.? Move on the Tigers did and it was the Colorado Buffaloes that took the brunt of the Tiger?s bite on Sunday. After allowing two goals in the first half, and trailing 2-1 at halftime, MU exploded in the game?s final thirty minutes for five goals and a 6-2 win. The barrage began with 59:51 gone in the game, Missouri?s junior forward Kristin Boeker unleashed a cannon shot from twenty yards out off of a restart touch from Nikki Thole, into the upper-right corner, MU and Colorado were tied at two. Just thirty seconds later, senior forward Erin Grimsley harnessed a loose ball in the middle of the field and dribbled it down to within fifteen yards of the goal. She then hit Missouri?s all-time leading scorer, Thole, who deposited her second goal of the year, and 30th of her career, into the right corner. Missouri was on top 3-2 with what would prove to be the game-winning goal for Thole. Senior Kate Dwyer scored Missouri?s fourth goal when she booted in a twenty-five yard shot into the upper-right corner. The ball had bounced out to Dwyer after a Boeker corner kick glanced off the crossbar. ?Kate Dwyer came in the changed the complexion of the game,? Bliyz said. ?Her play stabilized our midfiled play and added a boost off of the bench.? Then Grimsley pocketed two goals of her own in the game?s final 2:30. The first came on a head shot , which Erin took on a crossing pass from junior Amy Timmermann. Grimsley?s second came with just six seconds remaining in the match when she beat the CU goalkeeper one-on-one. ?I was really proud of the way we came from behind twice today,? Blitz said. ?We showed alot of character and out depth off of the bench was a real plus today.?
FOR THE KRAMS, FRIDAY?S MATCH IS ?ALL IN THE FAMILY?
When Missouri defender Jennifer Kram looks out at the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, her sister Kelly will be looking back at her. Jennifer is one of the founders of the Tiger program, a defender who has played in 62 of the 63 games Missouri women?s soccer has ever contested. Kelly is Indiana?s sophomore forward who posted marks of three goals and two assists in ?98. Family pride and household braggin? rights will be on the line Friday when the Tigers and Hoosiers take to the turf.
FIRST TIME IS A CHARM FOR BOEKER OFF OF THE BENCH
Since she came to Missouri in August of 1997, Kristin Boeker?s name was basically been an automatic in the Tiger lineup at forward. Entering Sunday?s game with Colorado, Boeker had started every game in which she had put on a MU uniform. After 41 straight starts, Boeker found herself in the unfamiliar role of first off the bench Sunday when sophomore Sarah Sallee started in her place in the starting lineup. How did Boeker respond? With inspired play and a rocket shot for a goal from twenty yards out to tie the score at two. Maybe being a starter is not that big of a deal.
ELLIS COPY CENTER INVITATIONAL
The University of Missouri Department of Athletics is proud to announce Ellis Copy Center as the title sponsor for this season?s Missouri soccer invitational (formerly known as the Nike Invitational). The 1999 Ellis Copy Center Invitational will feature competition between the Missouri Tigers, Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines, and Vanderbilt Commodores at the Audrey J. Walton Track-Soccer Field Stadium. on September 3 and 5. ?We are very pleased to have Ellis Copy Center support soccer at Mizzou,? Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. ?We feel we have a great invitational set up this season with all four teams and Ellis Copy Center?s support only helps the invitational and the program not only now, but for years to come.? The company?s sponsorship of the invitational will be managed by Mizzou Sports Properties, responsible for securing sorporate sponsorships and promoting MU?s 20 men?s and women?s intercollegiate athletic programs. ?This partnership is a win-win situation for all involved,? said Mizzou Sports Properties General Manager Mike Behymer. ?Ellis Library Copy Center is strategically placing itself as a sponsor of a sport that as a great deal of promise. We are happy they have the foresight to see the emerging opportunities with women?s soccer.?
SENIOR CLASS
Four years ago 17 soccer players came out for the first University of Missouri women?s soccer team. Four years later five players begin their fourth and final season. Defenders Jennifer Kram, Liz Passanise, midfielders Heather Buchheit and Kate Dwyer and goakeeper Liz LaTour founded the program in 1996 and are now after an NCAA Tournament berth to end their careers. ?This group has showed tremendous work ethic and determination to get here,? Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. ?When you think about all the players that started the program and now only these five remain. We are really proud of their efforts.?
POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS
Head Coach Bryan Blitz will conduct post-game interviews near the west sideline after a brief cooling-off period. Player interviews will be conducted immediately following Coach Blitz?s remarks.