Sept. 3, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri women?s soccer team improved to 2-1 on the season with a 2-1 victory over Indiana Friday night in play at the Ellis Copy Tiger Invitational. Junior forward Nikki Thole scored both the Missouri goals, her third and fourth scores of the season. It was the third consecutive game Thole has scored a goal in, tying a school record.
?You have to give a lot of credit to Indiana,? Missouri Head Coach Bryan Blitz said afterward. ?They kept attacking and forcing the play up until the end, but thankfully our defense play hung tough and we held on to the lead.?
The game stayed scoreless until the thirty-fifth minute when Sarah Sallee took a pass down the left sideline from Heather Buchheit, and advanced the ball down to near the eighteen-yard box. Sallee crossed a pass to the middle where Thole collected it, beat her defender and then punched a shot past Indiana goalkeeper Ashley Davis. Missouri held that advantage through halftime and then added a second score on another Thole shot.
Again Sarah Sallee moved the ball downfield with a pass to Amy Timmermann, the junior settled the pass and passed it across near the goal mouth. Thole was right in front to receive the pass and knocked it in to make it 2-0 Tigers.
After ten minutes of sluggish play on both sides, Indiana?s Kelly Kram picked up a loose ball thirty yards from the goal and launched a shot that got over Missouri goalkeeper Jackie Adamec?s outstreched arms and into the net. Missouri?s lead was trimmed in half and the game was again a dogfight.
Both teams pressured th goal in the game?s final twenty minutes sending shots in every direction. Missouri?s defense saved the victory featuring a punch save over the crossbar by Adamec and a kick save by Thole off an Indiana corner kick. If either shot had not been saved, Indiana would have tied the score.
The Ellis Copy Tiger Invitational continues Sunday, September 5 as Indiana and Vanderbilt matchup at 11am and then Missouri takes on No. 15 ranked Michigan (2-0-0) at 1pm. Both games will be played at Walton Stadium. Michigan defeated Vanderbilt in the first game of competition Friday, 3-0.
