Sept. 14, 1999
Columbia, Mo. -
TIGERS TRAVEL WEST ON A HOT STREAK
After winning its first road match of the season Sunday versus Illinois, the nineteenth-ranked Missouri Tigers travel west to the California Classic for two soccer matches this weekend. The Tigers are riding a five-match win streak--longest in school history--and are averaging 3.33 goals per game. MU, which is ranked in several national polls, (No. 19 by NSCAA, No. 19 by Soccer America, No. 18 by SoccerBuzz), will face the host school Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo on Friday and then San Diego University on Sunday. Tulsa University is the fourth invitee, though the Tigers will not play the Golden Hurricane this weekend.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CAL POLY-SLO AND SAN DIEGO?
California Polytechnical Institute at San Luis Obispo hosts the California Classic at Mustang Field in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Mustangs enter weekend competition with a 1-3 overall record. They are 0-1 in Big West Conference action. Pepperdine was the Mustang?s lone victim, while the team?s losses have come to Fresno State (1-0-ot), #11 Brigham Young (6-0), and Utah State (4-3). Offensively, Cal Poly-SLO is led by Michelle George, a senior midfielder, who has used her height (5-11) and strength to control the midfield area for two of the team?s seven scores this season. Gina Oceguera is another scoring weapon for Cal Poly, the senior has just one goal thus far in ?99, but has tallied 36 goals and 15 assists over her Mustang career. Cal Poly-SLO has struggled defensively, allowing opponents 11 goals in four games--a 2.75 goals per game average--and has been narrowly outshot 55-52. San Diego will pose a formidable offensive threat to the Tigers. In fact, the San Diego squad may be one of the few teams the Tigers face this year with an attack of similar strength to MU?s. USD, promotes an explosive lineup which has outshot its five opponents 102-60, while outscoring the opposition, 20 -7. Senior forward Sufia Wali leads the San Diego charge with six goals and three assists. The USD defense has shutout three of the team?s five opponents, while allowing an average of 12 shots per game. Of San Diego?s five matches, two have come against Big 12 Conference opponents, a 6-1 loss to Baylor (9/3/99) and a 3-0 win over Oklahoma this past Sunday. USD has also claimed wins over Long Beach State (7-0, 8/27/99), Louisiana State (7-0, 9/5/99), and Air Force (2-1OT, 9/10/99).
THESE TIGERS CONTROL THE SHOW-ME-STATE BORDERS
Last weekend the Tigers took care of both the western and eastern borders of the state, defeating Kansas on Friday 4-0 at Walton Stadium and Illinois, 3-2 in overtime at the Illinois Soccer Field. Missouri dominated the match with KU, scoring two goals in each period to improve to 2-0 in Big 12 Conference play. Nikki Thole had her second two-goal game of the season--the fifth consecutive game in which she scored a goal--giving her seven goals on the season. Heather Buchheit scored her first goal of the season and Erin Grimsley added the fourth MU goal on a penalty kick in the macth?s final five minutes, her fifth of the ?99 campaign. At Illinois on Sunday, MU moved its winning streak to a program best five in-a- row, with an overtime victory over the Fighting Illini. Grimsley scored the the game-winner 1:52 into the extra frame, her second goal of the match and seventh of the season, tying her with Thole for the team lead. Sarah Sallee put herself in the Missouri recordbook by putting the Tigers up 1-0 1:17 into the match, the quickest Missouri socre at the begining of a match in program history. Grimsley netted the second Tiger goal, her first of the game, at 30:25 to give MU a 2-0 halftime lead. The second half was a completely different story, as the Fighting Illini fought back with two goals of its own on two headshots by Heather Brown. Her second goal came at 88:58, sending the match to overtime where MU again took over. Grimsley scored the winner at 91:52 and Missouri had its fifth win of the season, the third over a Big Ten Conference opponent.
TIGERS IN THE NCAA STATS
Missouri Tiger forwards Nikki Thole and Erin Grimsley have played their into the top-10 of the NCAA scorers. With 19 points a piece through six games, Thole and Grimsley are tied for eighth place in the nation averaging 3.17 points pergame. The 19 total points each player has scored is the third most by a player in the NCAA thus far.
The two Tigers are also among the top goal scorers and assist leaders in collegiate soccer. Each has scored seven goals in six games for a 1.17 per match average, good for nineteenth place on the NCAA lists. Thole and Grimlsey are also tied with .83 assists per game assisting on five goals each in the team's first six games.
SALLEE IS AT THE TOP OF HER GAME
Missouri?s secret weapon so far this season has been sophomore midfielder/forward Sarah Sallee. The 5?2? Sallee has provided scoring punch and an attacking force from the midfield that compliments Missouri?s strength up front with forwards Nikki Thole, Erin Grimsley, and Kristin Boeker. Through six games, Sallee has already matched her goal total from ?98, netting three goals in MU?s five wins, while assisting on two other goals. ?Sarah?s play has really given us a boost and provided another attacker offensively,? Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. As a freshman, Sallee played in twenty games, starting fifteen, saving her best play for the Big 12 Conference Tournament when the Tigers made their run for the conference crown.
MISSOURI HAS GOT THE STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
As he built the Missouri soccer program, Head Coach Bryan Blitz created schedules which allowed the Tigers to win games and gain confidence, rather facing programs with a strong soccer tradition. For year four in 1999, as the Tigers make their move for the NCAA Tournament, Blitz made the move to a more difficult schedule to truly measure his team against the nation?s best collegaite teams. Entering this weekend?s play, Missouri has played or will face no fewer than seven top-25 (NSCAA) teams during the 1999 regular season. Thus far the Tigers have made out with a 2-1 record, netting wins over then No. 14 Michigan and current No. 21 Illinois. Missouri?s only loss of the season came at the hands of No. 9 Duke. Still remaining on the Tiger schedule are No. 2 Nebraska, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 14 Baylor, and No. 24 Iowa State.
OFFENSE KEEPS THE BALL ROLLING, IN THE GOAL
Missouri continued its scoring prowess in its victories over Kansas and Illinois, adding seven goals to its 1999 total, which is now at 20. Missouri?s 3.32 goals per game average which ranks among the Big 12?s leaders. Along with outscoring their opponents 20-8, MU has registered 60 shots on goal to its opponent?s 33, while posting 59 total points against 20 by the opposition. Erin Grimsley?s three goals over the weekend brought her season total to seven tied for the the team lead with Nikki Thole. Both players are also tied for the squad lead with five assists and 19 total points.
MISSOURI SOCCER IS A HOT TICKET
Attendance at Missouri soccer games has been booming, with increases expected. Through the first five home games, Missouri soccer has drawn 2,792 fans for an average of 558 per match. The Tigers have six home dates remaining, four Big 12 Conference tilts--Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas---and two non-conference matches with Loyola and Tulsa.
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS
Chemistry is not alot of fun to study, as this SID will tell you, but any coach will tell you that it is a basic component of any great team. The Missouri Tigers started their 1999 chemistry project in early August when they traveled to Holland for three matches of international competition. MU swept their three-game schedule, with wins over the Belgium Devils (3-0), Team Holland (4-0) and Club Belgium (4-3). Six different Tigers scored for the Missouri attack, a testiment to the depth of Missouri?s offensive threat. Nikki Thole led the way with four goals, while socring in all three games. Kristin Boeker added three goals of her own as MU outscored their opponents by a combined score of 11-3. Missouri?s defense was also in top form, shutting out its first two opponents and allowing just three goals to Club Belgium, the best team in the country of Belgium. ?The way this team came together over that week and the chemistry that developed while we were there , exceeded my expectations for the trip,? Head Coach Bryan Blitz said.
ELLIS LIBRARY COPY CENTER ANNOUNCES SOCCER DONATION
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. 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 Spetember 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 Propertires, 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.?
POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS
Head Coach Bryan Blitz will conduct post-game interviews near the west sideline after a brief cooling-off period. Player will be available immediately following Coach Blitz?s remarks.