Oct. 19, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - TEXAS A&M AND TEXAS VISIT WALTON STADIUM
The Missouri Tigers, ranked No. 17 by the NSCAA, entertain Big 12 opponents Texas A&M and Texas this weekend at Walton Stadium for Missouri?s final Big 12 contests of the season. The Aggies of Texas A&M (12-4, 5-3) stand one game behind the second-place Tigers in the Big 12 standings, meaning the winner of Friday?s match will likely be the No. 2-seed at the Big 12 Conference Tournement in two weeks. Texas A&M leads the series all-time, 2-1 with MU?s last win coming during the 1997 regular season--a 1-0 victory in Columbia. The Longhorns from Texas (7-7. 4-4) are in the thick of the race for a spot in the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Entering this week, Texas stands in fifth place with its 4-4 mark. The Longhorns play at Kansas before coming to Columbia, on Sunday. The all-time series between the schools is ties at twowins apeice. MU won the last match, a 3-1 win in the first round of the 1998 Big 12 Tournament
TEXAS A&M AT A GLANCE
The No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies feature a strong offensive lineup which has outshot its opponents 23-9 on average per match. The Aggies have scored 43 goals to their opponents 10, averaging just .60 goals allowed per match. The fireplug of the Aggie offense has been junior forward Nicky Thrasher. The 1998 Offensive MVP of the Big 12 Tournament, Thrasher is leading the Aggies with 13 goals and is tied with Heather Ragsdale for the team lead with six assists. As evidence of the Aggies offfensive prowess, 14 different players have scored at least one goal this season for Texas A&M. Melanie Williams leads the Aggie defense in net. Through 16 matches she has allowed just nine goals while boasting a .866 svaes percentage.
TEXAS AT A GLANCE
The Tigers host the Texas Longhorns Sunday to wrap up the 1999 Big 12 regular season schedule. The Longhorns have played .500 soccer entering the weekend under first-year head coach Chris Petrucelli, but have lost four of their last six. Sophomore Abby Gutowski leads Texas in scoring with six goals and two assists for 14 total points. However, as a team the Longhorns have scored just 16 goals in 14 matches. Defensively, Texas has only allowed 25 goals this season, a 1.6 goals per match average. Goalkeeper, Cami Varnadore has done all the work in goal for Texas, making 95 saves with three shutouts.
NIKKI THOLE REACHES CENTURY MARK
With a goal in the sixth minute of Missouri?s 3-0 victory over Oklahoma St., junior forward Nikki Thole, became the first Missouri player to reach the 100-point plateau for her career. Entering this weekend, Thole has 43 goals and 18 assists over 52 career matches totaling 104 career points. Over her MU career, Thole is averaging .83 goals, .37 assists and 2.0 points per match.
1999 TIGERS AFTER HIGH-WATER MARK FOR WINS
At 11-4, 6-2 in Big 12 play, Missouri is experiencing its most successful season of soccer since the program?s inception in 1996. MU?s overall win total of 11, matches the season-high mark set last season when the Tigers posted an 11-9-1 record. Each season Missouri has registered more wins than the season before coming into the 1999 campaign. A win this weekend would set a new mark for the fourth consecutive season.
GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START
One of the keys to the Missouri success this season has been the Tigers? ability to get on the scoreboard first. In 12 of its 15 matches, MU has netted the first goal, posting a 10-2 mark in those 12 matches, Only San Diego and No. 4 Nebraska earned victories over Missouri, when MU scored the match?s first goal.
CHECK THE SCORE AT HALFTIME
If the Missouri Tigers are leading after the first 45 minutes, MU has been unbeatable in 1999. The Tigers hold a perfect 10-0 mark in matches where they have the lead at halftime. Colorado was the only team this season to lead MU at half and not defeat Bryan Blitz?s troups. The Buffs held a 2-1 advantage of their August 29 match at Walton Stadium, but Missouri stormed back with five goals in the second half, winning the match 6-2.
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, Texas---and a non-conference match with Tulsa October 31.
MISSOURI VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Friday?s match with No. 12 Texas A&M will be Missouri?s fourth versus a team ranked among the nation?s top-25 by the NSCAA. Thus far MU is 2-1 against ranked foes. Twice the Tigers have beaten the No. 14 -ranked squad--a 4-1 win over Michigan on September 5 to claim the Ellis Copy Tiger Inivtational and a 3-1 win at Baylor on October 3, the Tigers? first at the Texas school. No. 4 Nebraska represents MU?s only loss to a ranked opponent. The Cornhuskers took care of the Tigers, 5-1 last weekend at the Abbott Soccer Complex.
TALK ABOUT STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Head Coach Bryan Blitz indentified this season, his fourth at Missouri, as the campaign where he wanted his team to make its statement to collegiate soccer. To do that, Blitz scheduled several tough non-conference matches to compliment the very diificult Big 12 schedule MU would face. How difficult has Missouri?s competition been in 1999? With 15 matches completed, a check of the season?s rankings reveals Texas A&M as the ninth Missouri oppoenent that has either spent time in the top-25 or has received votes in the national poll. MU holds a 5-3 mark versus those teams, gaining wins over Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, Baylor, and Iowa State. Losses have come to Duke, San Diego, and Nebraska.
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 35-39-1 at Missouri and 80-83-9 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 there 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. Missouri?s defense was also in top form, shuyting 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.
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.