Oct. 13, 1999

Columbia, Mo. - TIGERS HEAD OFF FOR WEEKEND IN BIG 12 PLAY

The Missouri Tigers, ranked No. 18 by the NSCAA, face two Big 12 road tests this weekend at Iowa State and No. 4 Nebraska. Iowa State enters play at 9-4, 2-3 in Big 12 action having lost its last two Big 12 matches, 4-1 at Texas Texas A&M and 2-1 last Friday at Colorado.The Cyclones spent some time in the top-25 polls after winning seven of the first eight matches. All-time, Missouri leads the series 2-1. The Tigers posted wins in 1996 and 1998 in Columbia, but lost in 1997 in their only appearance in Ames. The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been among the nation?s top-5 teams all season. Their 12-1-1 record and 5-0 Big 12 mark leads the conference. Missouri?s last meeting with NU came in the championship match of the 1998 Big 12 Tournament when the Huskers got the best of MU, 4-0. All-time the team from Lincoln holds a 5-0 advantage over the team from Tigertown, including a 3-0 regular season mark.

IOWA STATE AT A GLANCE

After winning seven of its first eight contests--its only loss in the streak was a 2-1 (2OT) loss to Baylor--the Cyclones have slipped a little losing three of its last five, including thier last two Big 12 matches. However, among ISU?s nine wins are victories over Texas Tech (4-0), then No. 22 Minnesota (1-0), at Vanderbilt (3-2), and at Texas (3-0). The Cyclones are also very tough in Ames, posting a 5-1 home field record in 1999, losing only to Baylor in the season?s first match, 2-1 in double overtime. ISU features a balanced attack led 1998 Big 12 Freshman of the Year Erica Florez, who leads the Cyclones in scoring as a sophomore from the midfield with eight goals and six assists for 22 points. Freshman Annie Henley has added six goals and junior midfielder Krista Oldenwald is tied with Florez for the team-lead with six assists. Lynley Hilligross has allowed only 1.22 goals per game in goal for ISU and has made 86 saves.

NEBRASKA AT A GLANCE

No.4 Nebraska poses a stiff challenge for MU. The Tigers have always played the Cornhuskers tough, but travel to Lincoln after their first win over Nebraska. NU?s 12-1-1 overall mark and undefeated 5-0 record in the Big 12 illustrates their dominance thus far. The Cornhuskers have outscored their opponents 49-7 and outshot them 311-96. Four Nebraska players have scored double-figure points, led by Meghan Anderson whose nine goals and 21 points leads the team. Jenny Benson has 11 assists with 17 points. While Lindsay Eddleman and Kelly Rheem have posted 19 and 13 points respectively. Defensively, Nebraska has allowed only seven goals in 14 matches, while its goal keeper Karina LeBlanc, has had to make only 33 saves and owns a .825 save percentage. A Tiger win would be the first Nebraska loss at home since a 2-1 (OT) loss to UW-Milawaukee on September 6, 1998.

BIG 12 CONFERENCE STANDINGS Nebraska 5 0 0 1.000 Missouri 5 1 0 .833 Texas A&M 4 3 0 .571 Colorado 3 3 0 .500 Baylor 3 3 0 .500 Kansas 3 3 0 .500 Texas Tech 3 3 0 .500 Texas 3 4 0 .429 Iowa State 2 3 0 .400 Oklahoma State 1 5 0 .167 Oklahoma 1 5 0 .167

MISSOURI-NEBRASKA MATCH TELEVISED

The October 17 match between Missouri and Nebraska will be televisied by Nebraska Public Television. Coordinates for the broadcast are SBS 6 Transponder 05. Please credit Nebraska Public Television with any video used for broadcast.

TIGERS ON SHUTOUT STREAK

Friday?s 2-0 win over Oklahoma and Sunday?s 3-0 blanking of Oklahoma State was the first time Missouri had shuout two consecutive opponents. In its last five matches, MU has held three of its opponents scoreless and gave up just one goal to Baylor in a 3-1 win. Missouri has allowed just five goals in its last five matches, while scoring 15. The weekend?s wins gave MU four shutouts for the season--Kansas 4-0, and Loyola, 6-0 were the others--setting a new season-high. Each of the last three years MU has posted two shutout victories.

MISSOURI SOCCER IS A HOT TICKET

Attendance at Missouri soccer games has been booming, with increases expected. The weekend crowds brought the season total for eight matches at Walton Stadium to 4,371. An average of 546 per match at home. The Tigers have three home dates remaining, two Big 12 Conference tilts--Texas A&M and Texas---and a non-conference match with Tulsa.

TIMMERMANN IS MU?S SILENT ASSASSIN

Junior midfielder Amy Timmermann speaks very softly but she carries a big left foot. Timmermann took over the team lead in assists Sunday with her eighth pass which resulted in a goal. Setting a new personal season-high and placing herself in the hunt for Erin Grimsley?s school-record of 13 assists in a single season set in 1998. Timmermann has been particularly on-target in Big 12 contests, where she has posted six of her team-high eight assists. The St. Louis, Mo. native now has 16 assists during her Missouri career.

A DOMINATING PERFORMANCE

In Missouri?s match with Oklahoma State Sunday, the Tigers dominated the match in a way that they had never dominated before. Through 90 minutes of play, MU allowed OSU only ONE shot. The near shutout on shots was the lowest number ever allowed by Missouri. The defensive performance complimented Missouri?s offensive attack which attempted 37 shots in route to a 3-1 win. Sunday?s shot toal was the second-highest total in one match for Missouri and Walton Stadium. The Tigers set the record Sept. 26 when they laced 38 shots at the Ramblers from Loyola-Chicago in a 6-0 victory.

THOLE CONTINUES TO RANK AMONG NATION?S LEADERS

Missouri junior forward Nikki Thole currently ranks among the NCAA?s top-10 scorers in both points per match and goals per match. Thole has totaled 14 goals in 13 matches, a 1.08 average per match which ties for eighth highest in the NCAA. She also has six assists giving her 34 total points in 13 matches, a 2.62 points per match average, ninth highest in the NCAA.

MISSOURI RANKED 13TH NATIONALLY FOR SCORING

The Tigers have scored 39 goals in their 13 matches for a 3.00 goals per match average. The average places MU 13th in the NCAA. Missouri is tied for second in the Big 12 for total goals scored with Texas A&M. Each team has netted 39 goals. Nebraska leads the conference with 49 goals.

HEAD COACH BRYAN BLITZ

In his fourth season as Missouri?s head women?s soccer coach is Bryan Blitz. The architect of Missouri?s climb from birth to a national ranking in less than four seasons, Blitz is 34-38-1 at Missouri, including a 20-20 mark in the Big12. He is 79-82-9 in his ninth season overall. Before arriving at MU, Blitz brought the women?s soccer program at Butler University into existence, taking them to a Midwestern Collegiate Conference championship with an undeafted conference run in 1995. For his efforts, Blitz was named the MCC?s Coach of the Year. A native of Ellenville, New York, Blitz earned his master?s degree in business from Butler University in 1991 and a bachelor?s degree from Tulsa Universty in 1987. At Tulsa he helped start the women?s program as an assistant coach in 1987.

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. ?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.?