Aug. 29, 2000
The University of Missouri women's soccer team returns to the Audrey J. Walton Soccer Complex Sept. 1-3 to host the Ellis Copy Tiger Invitational. Wake Forest, Ohio State and Florida State join Missouri in the tournament. Wake Forest opens the event against Ohio State on Fri., Sept. 1 at 1:30 p.m. Missouri and Florida State follow with a game beginning at 4:00 p.m. The Invitational resumes play on Sun., Sept. 3 at 10:00 a.m. in a match between Florida State and Ohio State. A contest between Wake Forest and Missouri rounds out the competition at 1:00 p.m. Tickets for the invitational can be purchased at the gate or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS.
Sept. 1
Wake Forest v. Ohio State
1:00 p.m.
Missouri v. Florida State
4:00 p.m.
Sept. 3
Florida State v. Ohio State
10:00 p.m.
MIssouri v. Wake Forest
1:00 p.m.
Media Information Members of the media still needing credentials for the 2000 MU women's soccer season need to submit a credential request in writing to Whitney Vernieuw, assistant media relations director, via fax or email. Fax requests to (573) 882-4720. Email requests to VernieuwW@Missouri.edu.
Recent Results Mizzou is 1-1 winning the season opener 4-1 against Creighton and falling 2-1 to Purdue. The Tigers jumped into the season with a victory outshooting the Bluejays 28-5. The Tigers made 10 shots on goal, keeping Creighton to three. Senior Nikki Thole scored her first goal of the season boosting her career record to 52. Freshman Melissa McLellan also scored for the Tigers. Freshman Adriene Davis was Mizzou's standout offensive player in the match dishing out assists to both Thole and McLellan as well as scoring two unassisted goals. The feat boosts the forward to lead Missouri with six points. In Missouri's 2-1 loss to Purdue, the Tiger defense served as the lynch pin supporting the team's efforts. Purdue outshot Missouri 17-9 in the game, but were kept to only eight shots on goal by the Tiger fullbacks. Mizzou had seven shots on goal, but were only able to put one in the net when senior Kristin Boecker lobbed a ball to Jennifer McMaster for the score.
Scouting the Tigers Mizzou is averaging 18.5 shots and 2.5 goals per game. Despite the loss to Purdue, the Tigers also record a 17-37 shots on goal ratio and a .459 shots on goal percentage. MU has dominated the competition in the box forcing 14 corner kicks for the offensive advantage. The Tigers are ranked 10th in the SoccerBuzz Central Region.
Freshman Fire In her first collegiate match of the season, Adriene Davis proved why she deserved to wear the Gold and Black. She leads the team with two goals and six points on only four shots, all of which she accumulated in the season opener against Creighton. The Edmond, Okla., native was an all-city selection and named Deer Creek High School's (Okla.) Most Valuable Player as a junior. She was a three-time all-state selection and was a member of the regional and state Olympic Development programs. Davis is the only freshman starter on the team so far this season and was a Big 12 Player of the Week nominee for the week of Aug. 28-Sept. 3. "Adriene is a very dangerous and impressive player," MU Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. "Her potential is limitless. She fits right into Missouri's tradition of having great forwards and I think she'll continue to improve."
MU Offense Bolstering Davis on the forward lines are seniors Nikki Thole and Jennifer McMaster. Both upperclassmen have one goal under their belts, and Thole leads the team with nine shots --six on goal. Freshman Melissa McLellan also has a goal posted on the boards. She is 25 percent after taking four shots this season. Adding to MU's front power is the talented halfbacks. Senior Kristin Boecker has one assist this season for one point. Along with Amy Timmermann, Suzy Probst and Steph Brennan, the midfield squad has served as a key component to Mizzou's offensive strife.
MU Defense Junior Dyana Russell shined for the Tigers against Creighton and Purdue. She, along with Mandy Waters and Becky Paulsen, managed to shut down both team's leading scorers. Russell also added an assist to her record against Creighton. Backing the Tigers in the box is starting goalkeeper Graham Watson. The junior played 150 minutes for Missouri over the weekend, including a complete game against the Boilermakers. Watson allowed two goals and made eight saves. She posts a goals against average of 1.20 and is 1-1 on the season. "Graham is No. 1, but the others are right on her heels," Blitz said. "The pressure is pushing all four keepers to reach new levels. The team is confident with all the members of the keeper staff, but it's still a game-by-game decision."
A Quick Look at Wake Forest Wake Forest is 1-0 entering the weekend. The Demon Deacons defeated North Carolina-Greensboro 3-0 in their season opener. Wake Forest dominated the match outshooting their opponent 20-6 and taking 10 shots on goal. Sophomore Lindsey Griffin shined as the Deacons' offensive power in the match. The Englewood, Colo., native scored two goals to lead the team with four season points. Last year, Wake Forest rounded out the season with a 16-6-1 record and going 4-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference where they finished third. The Deacons advanced to the NCAA Third Round in post season play. Wake Forest is currently No. 12 in NSCAA national rankings and is fourth in the Southeast region. In the Missouri-Wake Forest series, the Deacons lead 1-0 taking a 1-4 win over the Tigers in 1998.
A Quick Look at Florida State Florida State is 2-0 on the season boasting a 3-2 victory over No. 23 ranked Florida. The Seminoles pulled out an amazing win over the Gators scoring the game-winning goal with less than two minutes in the contest. In its second win of the season, Florida State toppled South Florida 2-1. Sisters Marte and Maren Vik Edvardsen, from Oslo, Norway, have provided the Seminoles' offensive clout so far. Maren logged one goal and one assist against Florida and both women dished out a goal and an assist against South Florida. Maren leads the team with six points and Marte is second on the team with three points. The Seminoles finished the 1999 season with a 9-10-1 record. They were 0-7-1 and finished eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State jumped into the sixth-place slot in this week's SoccerBuzz rankings. This is the first match-up between Missouri and Florida State.
A Quick Look at Ohio State Ohio State is 1-1 this season. The Buckeyes took a 4-1 loss in their opener against Oakland before bouncing back for a 3-2 overtime victory over Syracuse. Ohio State made an impressive comeback against the Orangewomen, after Syracuse scored two goals within five minutes during the first half. The Buckeyes managed to score one goal in the first and one in the second to send the game into overtime play. 1999 scoring leader Lindsay Eckles earned the win for Ohio State scoring the game-winner. She leads the team with five points. The Buckeyes went 12-6-2 and 5-4-1 in the Big 10 for a fifth-place conference finish last season. Ohio State comes in as the No. 7 pick in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region.
Head Coach Bryan Blitz On the Tigers "After our defeat on Sunday, we need to do some reevaluation. We need to possess the ball, possess the ball, possess the ball. I think that being ranked every team comes into the game expecting to take us harder. We need to step up our mentality, come out with fire and play smarter. Purdue was a worthy opponent and deserved to win, but we've learned from the loss. It was a good lesson, and it shows character that the team is ready to bounce back."
On Wake Forest "Wake Forest is one of the best teams in the nation. They have a very talented coaching staff and are one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference who is going to compete for the conference championship against North Carolina. Going up against Wake Forest we have two main goals, to establish organization and keep possession."
On Florida State "Florida State is a young, well coached team. They just proved themselves against a ranked team over the weekend when they defeated Florida. We will definitely need to take our game up a step to be competitive, but I'm confident that we an prepare ourselves for the tough competition in practice."