Nov. 1, 2001
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Up this week
The University of Missouri women's soccer team rounds down the regular season with two remaining regular season games. The Tigers travel to Lawrence, Kan., to face the Jayhawks, Fri., Nov. 2 at 3:00 p.m.
Missouri's final regular season game of the 2001 season is a rescheduled match against Eastern Illinois. The Tigers play the Panthers on Sun., Nov. 4 at 1:00 p.m. The event will be the last time seniors Steph Brennan, Dyana Russell and Mandy Waters compete at Audrey J. Walton Soccer Complex. A special pre-game presentation will be made honoring their support of the Tiger program.
Promotions
In addition to recognizing the efforts of Mizzou's graduating seniors, the MU-Eastern Illinois game is also Truman Club Day. All Truman Club members are invited to attend the game for a $1 admission. Shelter and State Farm Insurance employees are also invited to attend the game for a $2 admission.
For more information on Missouri soccer promotions, please contact Brooke Bond in the MU Athletic Marketing Office at (573) 882-0713.
Meet Coach Blitz
The Mizzou soccer coaching staff would like to invite soccer fans to "Lunch with Coach Blitz" Mon., Nov 5 at 11:30 a.m. Join Coach Blitz and the MU soccer coaching staff for a session of chalk talk and learn about the Missouri soccer program. The luncheon will be held in the Tom Taylor Dining Hall and is only $7.50 per person. Please contact Kate Cortis, Director of Soccer Operations, for reservations at (573) 884-1522.
Tigers in the Big 12
Missouri is ranked fifth in the Big 12 Conference with a 5-4 (11-6 overall) record. Mizzou leads the Big 12 in points scored with 143 to average 8.41 points per game. The Tigers also top the league averaging 2.88 goals (49) and 2.65 (45) assists per outing.
Mizzou is ranked second in shutouts with six and are third in overall shots averaging 18 shots per game. Missouri is also third with 86 saves and is sixth in goals allowed per game.
Scouting the Jayhawks
Kansas is 11-5 on the season with a 6-3 Big 12 Conference record ranking fourth in league standings. The Jayhawks own conference victories over Baylor (3-0), Colorado (4-0), Texas Tech (3-2), Iowa State (3-1), Oklahoma State (5-3) and Oklahoma (2-0). KU has taken league losses from Nebraska (0-2), Texas A&M (0-4) and Texas (0-2).
Hilla Rantala leads the Jayhawks with nine goals and nine assists for 27 points. She has taken 25 of 38 shots on goal to record a .658 shots on goal percentage. During Big 12 play, Rantala has scored just one goal, but has contributed a team-high eight assists.
Natalie Hoogveld and Rachel Gilfillan also add offensive strength to the KU forward line. Both players have eight goals on the season and Gilfillan also adds two assists to her tally.
Meghan Miller defends the Jayhawk goalbox. She has played 1,370 minutes in 16 games. She is 11-on the year making 47 saves and allowing 25 goals. She owns a 1.64 goals against average and three shutouts on the year.
Kansas finished the 2000 season with a 7-11-2 record going 3-6-1 and finishing eighth in the Big 12. The Jayhawks return seven starters and 10 letterwinners this year. Missouri leads the MU-KU series 3-2, including a 4-1 victory during the last meeting in 2000.
Scouting the Panthers
Eastern Illinois is 12-4 on the year with a 4-1 record in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Panthers' four losses have come at the hands of Eastern Michigan (0-2), Southeast Missouri (0-1), Illinois State (0-3) and Southwest Missouri (0-1). EIU is averaging 2.4 goals and 17.8 shots per game while keeping its opponents to just 0.9 goals and 14.1 shots per outing.
Sophomore Beth Liesen leads the Panthers with 39 points and 17 goals on the year. She also owns a team-high eight game-winning goals. Senior midfielder Devon Bissell tops the team with 13 assists. She also owns one goal and 15 points.
Lindsay Dechert anchors Eastern Illinois in goal. She has played 1,079 minutes in 16 games. She is 9-4 on the year with 2.9 shutouts. Dechert has allowed nine goals and made 84 saves to post a 0.75 goals against average. Backup goalkeeper Lynne Goehler has played in 12 games this season recording a 3-0 recorded and 1.1 shutouts. She has allowed six goals and made 24 saves to record a 1.41 goals against average.
Last season, Eastern Illinois rounded down the year with a 15-4-1 record going 5-0 to finish first in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Panthers return eight starters and 14 letterwinners to the 2001 squad. This is the first meeting between Eastern Illinois and Missouri.
Tigers Last Ups
Missouri had a record-breaking weekend scoring 17 goals and 15 assists in two games against Baylor and Arkansas-Little Rock.
The Tigers defeated Baylor 5-2 picking up their largest winning margin over the Golden Bears in series history. Missouri outshot Baylor 24-to-9, including a 15-to-6 shot on goal differential. The Tigers kept the Bears to just two shots in the first period and a 5-0 deficit through 80 minutes of play.
Against Arkansas-Little Rock, the records came shattering down. Missouri scored 12 goals against the Trojans setting new single-game records for goals, assists (9) and points (33) scored. The Tigers netted seven goals in the second-period also toppling the record for most goals scored in a single-half. In addition, the records also set new marks for games played in Audrey J. Walton Soccer Complex.
Missouri kept the Trojans to just four shots. Missouri ripped 35 attempts coming just three shots from tying the single-game record for shots (38).
Duncan Delivers
Goalkeeper Megan Duncan was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Oct. 15-20 after a 2-0 conference weekend against Colorado and Texas Tech. The sophomore logged her fourth shutout of the season against the Buffaloes making six saves in the Tigers' 2-0 victory. Against the Red Raiders, Duncan knocked down seven shots and allowed just one goal.
Duncan played 120 flawless minutes against Baylor and Arkansas-Little Rock. She made three saves against the Bears and one against the Trojans to earn two victories.
Overall, the Tulsa, Okla., native is 9-6 on the year. She has made 76 saves and allowed 23 goals to record a 1.69 goals against average. Duncan is fourth in the Big 12 in saves and is third in the league with 5.29 saves per contest. She is tied in second-place in the Big 12 with four shutouts and is sixth in shutouts per games. She has the leagues' ninth lowest goals against average.
Dynamite Davis
All-Big 12 candidate Adriene Davis tied a Missouri record dishing out three assists in MU's 12-0 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock. The feat ties the sophomore with Erin Grimsley as co-owner of the Mizzou individual season assist record with 13.
In addition, Davis scored three goals and an extra assist over the weekend netting two goals and one assist against Baylor and putting in a goal against the Trojans.
Playing in 15 games, Davis has scored 35 points. She also leads the Tigers with 11 goals and 13 assists. She has taken 61 shots overall, including 34 shots on goal to post a .557 shots on goal percentage. She also owns two game-winning goals.
Davis tops the Big 12 Conference with 13 assists to average 0.87 assists per outing. The Edmond, Okla., native also leads the league in points and is second in points per game with 2.33. She also ranks fifth in goals and goals per game and is sixth in overall shots.
Getting the Proof on Peabody
Freshman All-Big 12 candidate Melissa Peabody tied a Missouri single-game record netting three goals against Arkansas-Little Rock. She scored MU's first two goals, including the game-winner, just seven minutes apart. The feat topped a solid weekend for the forward as she also dished out an assist to help the Tigers defeat Baylor 5-2.
In non-conference play, Peabody recorded three back-to-back games scoring goals for Missouri. She posted her first collegiate goal against Indiana State when she scored two goals just eight minutes apart to win the Indiana State game 4-0. Against Iowa she once again scored the game winner to lead MU to it's fourth season victory and, in Mizzou's 6-1 victory over Drury, she posted two goals.
Against No. 1 ranked North Carolina, Peabody was the only Mizzou athlete to make an offensive advance. She took two shots, including one shot on goal against the Tar Heels.
Peabody is second on the team with 20 points. She has scored nine goals and two assist and leads the team with four game-winning goals. In Big 12 Conference standings, Peabody ranks seventh in shots and shots per game. She is ranks eighth in goals and is also tied for second in game-winning goals.
The Mastery of McLellan
Sophomore Melissa McLellan showed Mizzou fans exactly why she was named the Missouri soccer team's Most Improved Player in 2000. The forward scored two goals and dished out an assist to help the Tigers defeat Arkansas-Little Rock 12-0.
The 5-foot-9 McLellan used her height advantage to knock down two headers in the game, one crossed in by defender Dyana Russell and the other by defender Mandy Waters. McLellan also assisted Melissa Peabody score her third goal.
Overall, McLellan is third on the team with 14 points. She has six goals and two assists. She has taken 35 shots, including 21 shots on goal, to post a .600 shots on goal percentage. She also has one game-winning goal on the year.
On the Board
Freshman Kristen Heil added two goals to her season tally taking in both unassisted against Arkansas-Little Rock. She dribbled through the Trojan defense to launch her first firework and lured the UALR keeper from the box to net her second. Heil also helped the Tigers to a 5-2 victory over Baylor passing a ball to Steph Brennan to pick up an assist.
The scoring onslaught comes on the heels of Heil's first collegiate goal against Texas Tech. The forward headed in a bouncing ball sent in by Tamara Kochen.
She boosts her season point tally to nine as she has three goals and three assists. Heil has played in all 17 games for the Tigers playing an instrumental role for the Mizzou offense.
Bauer Breaking Out
Midfielder Karen Bauer continues to bolster Mizzou's scoring squad putting in a pair of goals and assists over the weekend. The sophomore scored the game-winner against Baylor netting a pass sent inside by forward Adrienne Davis. She came back just six minutes later to assist Davis with the Tiger's fourth goal of the game.
Against Arkansas-Little Rock, Bauer crossed a ball in to help Melissa Peabody score the game-winning goal. She then opened the second period scoring a goal just three minutes in on another assist by Davis.
Bauer is ranked fourth on the team with 13 points. She has five goals and three assists on the year, including two game-winning goals.
Defense is the Key
All-Big 12 candidate Dyana Russell picked up another offensive accolade dishing out an assist in MU's 12-0 trouncing of Arkansas-Little Rock. The senior crossed in a corner kick enabling Melissa McLellan to capitalize with a header.
In addition to her offensive prowess, the defender continues to prove herself in the Tiger backfield. Russell anchors the Missouri defensive line that has thus far decimated the offensive opposition. In 17 games, she has helped the squad keep their opponents to just 119 shot on goal attempts and average just 12.1 shots per game.
Russell single handedly shut down North Texas' Marilyn Marin, the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and the Eagles leading scorer. Playing 77 minutes against Russell, Marin was only able to rip off two shots, neither of which was on goal. In addition, Russell topped Iowa offensive leader Sarah Lynch, who was kept to just four shots.
Her most impressive performance of the season came against No. 12 ranked Texas. Playing the entire 90 minutes against the Longhorns, Russell kept the Big 12 Conference leaders to just five shots on goal during the game. She also single-handedly shut down Texas scoring leader Kelly Wilson. Russell left the forward that regularly averages four shots and .75 goals per game without a single offensive attack.
Russell was honored as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 11. She is second on the defensive squad with five points coming from one goal and three assists on the year.
Waters Working the Field
Senior defender Mandy Waters has long been a contending force in the Missouri backfield, against Arkansas-Little Rock she showed that she won't be underrated on the offensive side of the ball. Waters scored two unassisted goals against the Trojans helping Mizzou set various team records.
She scored her first goal in the game taking a ball from the half and through the UALR defensive line before ripping a shot into the upper right corner of the net. She scored her second goal in the game on a ball sent out by a Trojan defender. Waters punched a one-touch kick into the back of the net for the score.
Waters leads the Mizzou defenders with eight points and ranks sixth on the team with eight points. She has scored two goals and contributed four assists. She is shooting 100 percent this season taking just two shots and scoring both. Waters was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 28-Nov. 4.
Valuable Contributions
Adding to the solid defensive effort, junior walk-on Carrie Crossett and freshman Kim Hibbert have proven themselves as valuable assets to the Missouri defensive line.
Crossett, a walk-on to the 2001 squad, has started all 17 games, playing over 60 minutes each outing. She has also proven herself as a valuable offensive contributor as well as a ferocious defensive contender. She has four assists on the season, including the game-winning cross in MU's victories over Colorado and Texas Tech. She also dished out an assist to help Adriene Davis score against Baylor last weekend.
Hibbert has started 15 games for Mizzou. She scored her first collegiate goal of her career against Arkansas-Little Rock. The freshman dribbled the ball from the half, through the UALR defensive line and lured the Trojan goalkeeper for a direct shot on goal.
Crossett and Hibbert both add volumes of speed to the Tiger defensive game as well as impressive control and vision. The two newcomers join veterans Dyana Russell and Mandy Waters creating a solid defensive force keeping their opponents to just 119 shots on goal in 1,530 minutes of play, including a perfect shutout game against Indiana State where the Tigers outshot the Sycamores 34-0.
Moore in the Midfield
Also putting in minutes for the Tigers, freshman Lacy Moore has started every game thus far as MU's defensive center midfielder. She scored her first collegiate goal against Duke from an assist by defender Mandy Waters. She came back to score her second goal of the year against No. 17 ranked Texas A&M. Moore headed in a loft from senior Steph Brennan to put the Tigers on the board against the Aggies. She is seventh on the team in overall points.
As the season progresses, Moore continues to add both valuable defensive charisma and offensive flare to Mizzou's game. The 5-foot-8 freshman used her height advantage to knock in a goal against Baylor. Forward Melissa Peabody crossed in a high ball that Moore headed in to cap Missouri's scoring spree. Against Arkansas-Little Rock she again "used her head" to assist Adriene Davis capitalize in the net.
Moore has seven points on the season from three goals and one assist. A defensive phenom, Moore serves as a lynch pin in the Mizzou strategy. Using her height advantage, coupled with her speed and outstanding vision, she is quickly proving herself to be a valuable asset in the MU half field. Along side Suzy Probst and Steph Brennan, Moore adds a great deal of depth, control and leadership.
Finding Her Game
Israeli national team member Tamara Kochen exploded onto the Big 12 Conference scene against Colorado and Texas Tech. In just two games the freshman recorded four points with a goal and two assists. Kochen scored her second collegiate goal against the Buffaloes. Freshmen Ashley Gibbs and Kristen Heil moved the ball up the field for the forward where she was able to rocket a hard shot into top right corner of the Colorado net. Against Texas Tech, Kochen lofted a pass over the Red Raider defensive line to help Adriene Davis score the game-tying goal. She also came back to help Heil score her first goal of the year.
Kochen helped fuel the Mizzou fight against Texas A&M. Despite facing a 4-0 deficit, the freshman pounded the Aggie defensive line with assist attempts. With just 15 minutes left in the match her perseverance finally paid off. Kochen successfully lobbed a pass over the TA&M defense enabling defender Dallas Bird to lure the Aggie goalkeeper to score. The weekend ties Kochen for fourth on the team with seven points. She has two goals, three assists and one game-winning goal on the season.
Probst on the Prowl
Missouri fans have long known midfielder Suzy Probst to be one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 Conference, but in MU's season opener, the junior showed off her dynamic offensive flavor. Probst scored two of Missouri's three goals against Memphis to lead the Tigers to a 3-2 victory.
The midfielder scored the first goal of the game 20 minutes into the first period. Freshman Kristen Heil sailed a cross inside to forward Adriene Davis who was unable to take a solid shot. Davis made a tight ground pass to Probst in the box for the score. For her second play, Probst picked up a ball that ricocheted off a Memphis defender for an unassisted point.
Probst has two goals and one assist for five points on the year. She helped the Tigers to a 1-0 shutout victory over Iowa State knocking down a corner kick sent in by Dyana Russell thus enabling forward Adriene Davis to score.
In the Net
Goalkeeper Stephanie Krawczyk opened the 2001 season for MU against Memphis. She allowed two goals, made three saves and helped the Tigers to a 3-2 victory. The Anchorage, Alaska, native picked up her first shutout of the season against Indiana State recording a 4-0 victory and helped fellow keeper Megan Duncan post a joint shutout against Arkansas-Little Rock.
Krawczyk has played in six games this season making eight saves and allowing three goals for a 2.36 goals against average. She is 2-0 on the year.
Tiger Team Notes
? In individual game-highs, Adriene Davis leads the nation with four assists and ties for tenth in the NCAA scoring eight points against Drury. She is second in the country averaging 0.87 assists per game and ties for eighth with 2.33 points per outing.
? Melissa Peabody ties for 13th in the NCAA single-game statistics scoring three goals against Arkansas-Little Rock.
? Freshman Shea Swoboda tops the Tigers with a .867 shot on goal percentage. She has taken 16 shots, 14 of which have been on goal. Swoboda has two goals on the season for four points.
? The Tigers are averaging 2.9 goals per game while keeping their opponents to just 1.8 per outing.
? Missouri is currently ranked seventh in the SoccerBuzz and 10th in the NSCAA/adidas Central Region rankings. The Tigers join fellow Big 12 opponents Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas and Baylor in the poll.
? This season, the Big 12 Conference has honored four Mizzou athletes as Big 12 Players of the Week. Megan Duncan, Dyana Russell and Mandy Waters have received Defensive Player of the Week accolades and Melissa Peabody was honored as a Newcomer of the Week.
? Defender Dallas Bird scored her first goal on the year against No. 17 ranked Texas A&M. The junior collected a ball passed over the Aggie defensive line by forward Tamara Kochen. Bird lured the TA&M keeper from the box for the score.
? Senior Stephanie Brennan added a goal and an assist to her season point tally against Baylor. She scored MU's second goal of the game on an assist by freshman Kristen Heil and helped Adriene Davis with a cross. She has one goal and four assists on the year for six points.
? Defender Ashley Gibbs put herself on the board contributing an assist to Kristen Heil against Colorado.
? Missouri ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in home attendance. The Tigers average 624 fans per match.