Sept. 22, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - MISSOURI RETURNS HOME TO HOST LOYOLA-CHICAGO
The twenty-fourth ranked Missouri Tigers host the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers Sunday in the Tigers last non-conference match before MU starts Big 12 play next weekend. Both teams earned second place showings at invitationals this past weekend. Missouri split two matches at the California Classic hosted by Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, winning 3-1 over the hosted school Friday, and losing 2-1 in overitme to San Diego Sunday. At the Loyola Jesuit Cup, the Ramblers defeated St. Peter?s 4-0 on Friday, but lost to Detroit, 4-1 on Sunday. Loyola was the 1998 champions of the Loyola Jesuit Cup. All-time the series between the two teams is controlled by MU 2-0. The Tigers won last year in Columbia, 7-0 and took the first meeting in Chicago 3-0 in 1997.
LOYOLA-CHICAGO SEASON NOTES
After eight matches, the Ramblers have gone 2-6, with wins over Ball State (9/3, 2-0) and St. Peter?s (9/17, 4-1). Loyola and Missouri share one common opponent in ?99, Illinois State, whom Missouri defeated in the pre-season and Loyola will play in regular season action Oct. 15. The Loyola team has struggled to score goals, netting only nine over its first eight games for a 1.1 goals per match average-- opponents have scored 18 goals versus the Chicago school a 2.25 goals per match average. By comparison Missouri has scored 24 goals in its own eight matches, 3.0 a match. Leading the Ramblers statistically is sophomore midfielder Lauren Danner, a native of Kirkwood, Mo., with four goals and 22 shots. Friday versus St. Peter?s Danner pulled off a hat trick in just under 23 minutes of play, leading Loyola to a 4-0 win. Danner did not score in the 4-1 loss to Detriot on Sunday.
MIZZOU TO GIVE AWAY TICKETS TO USA WOMEN?S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM MATCH IN KANSAS CITY
The University of Missouri will be giving away four tickets to the United States Women?s National Soccer Team?s match, October 7 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Mo. The tickets will be given to the fan whose name is drawn during halftime of Sunday?s match. Interested fans can register inside the west gates of Walton Stadium until just before halftime of the match. The tickets have come coutesy of Dr. Mark Adams, the Missouri soccer team physician who also serves on the medical staff of the USA Women?s National Team.
GRIMSLEY SECOND IN THE NATION IN SCORING AVERAGE
Through eight matches, senior forward Erin Grimsley is second in the nation in points per game average with her seven goals and five assists. Her scoring numbers equal 19 total points (2points per goal-1 point per assist) over that span for a 3.17 points per game average. Grimsley has played in seven of the eight MU matches. The Lenexa, Kan. native is the goals leader among Big 12 Conference players in conference matches with three goals in two matches, she also ranks third for goals scored in all games by Big 12 players.
THOLE AMONG NATION?S LEADING SCORERS
Nikki Thole is tied for 15th in Division I women?s soccer with a 1.13 goals per game average. The junior from Lindbergh High School in St. Louis, Mo. has scored nine goals in eight matches netting a goal in all but one of MU?s matches this fall. She has scored a point (a goal or an assist) in every Tiger contest and now has 37 goals over her career--48 matches--including 29 goals in the last 28 Missouri matches. Understandably, her nine goals leads all Big 12 players overall and she is second , behind Grimsley, ingoals scored in conference play with two. Add her five assists in ?99 and Thole has racked up 23 total points in eight matches--a 2.88 average good for sixth in the nation. Last season, Thole finished 11th nationally with a 0.95 goals per match average and among the nation?s top 15 scorers at 2.33 points per match.
TIGERS START THE SEASON ON A RECORD PACE
The 1999 season began with this Missouri team eyeing a NCAA Tournament bid as their season?s goal. With the first month of the season past, the Tigers look to be well on their way to achveiving that goal. Missouri is 6-2 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 Conference play. The start is the best in program history, and from August 29 through September 17, Missouri put together a six-match win streak, another team record. The 2-0 mark in conference play is also a first at Missouri as was the No.20 ranking by Soccer America in its September 6 top-20 national poll. The 1998, 11-9-1, Tiger squad did not get its sixth win until the season?s 11th match, a 5-1 win at Oklahoma. The team finished 7-6 versus Big 12 teams, including two wins and a loss in the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
MISSOURI LEADING BIG 12 CONFERENCE IN TEAM SCORING
In its most recent top-25 poll, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) ranked five Big 12 Conference teams among the nation?s top teams.: Nebraska No. 3, Texas A&M No. 9, Baylor No. 14, Iowa State No. 21, and Missouri No. 24. Of those top-25 teams, Missouri leads the conference in scoring during Big 12 play. The Tigers have scored ten goals with eight assists in two conference wins-a 6-2 win over Colorado and a 4-0 shutout of Kansas-for 28 total points or 14 points per conference match. Missouri is third among conference team?s in overall points scored. The Tigers have accumulated 69 total points in eight matches. Texas A&M leads conference schools with 78 total points.
MU SPLITS TWO MATCHES ON WEST COAST TRIP
The Tiger team went one-for-two on its weekend trip to California for the California Classic. Friday, MU held off the host school Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, 3-1 for their sixth consecutive victory and the same number of wins on the season. Kristin Boeker, Mandy Pavlovits, and Nikki Thole scored MU?s goals, their second, first and team-leading eighth respectively. Sunday Missouri suffered its first loss in three weeks, whenSan Diego got the best of MU 2-1 in overtime. The Toreros took the California Classic championship, while the Tigers finished as the runners-up. The match saw no scoring until the fifty-first minute when Nikki Thole netted her Big 12 Conference leading nineth goal giving MU a 1-0 lead. San Diego answered with a goal of its own off a corner kick just past the eightieth minute tying the score at one. Neither team managed to score again in regulation time and the match moved to overtime. The extra period saw several opportunities for MU to take the match, but none could be converted by Byran Blitz?s troups. At 98:56 San Diego put the match away when Sufia Wali scored giving San Diego the win and the championship.
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.