Looking Back on a Successful 2001 Season
11/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Nov. 27, 2001
In the Big 12 Conference, "There is no fury like a forward on a fast break." The Missouri Tiger soccer team however used the 2001 season to prove it won't step down from the fiercest competition, no matter what the offense is throwing at it.
Mizzou rounded out the year with a 13-8 season record, going 5-5 to finish fifth in conference standings. Although the tally didn't earn Mizzou an NCAA bid, the Tigers left their Big 12 opponents with the harsh taste of what future seasons competing against Missouri will hold.
Topping off a stellar year facing some of the nation's best, including No. 1 ranked North Carolina and three top-10 conference opponents in Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M, Missouri's young squad crashed the Big 12 Tournament upsetting No. 4 seeded Kansas 1-0 in double-sudden death overtime. The very next night, the Tigers battled No. 7 ranked Texas through quadruple-overtime before falling to the Longhorns 1-0 with just under three minutes of play.
"The future is so bright. This group, this young team, is getting experienced, hardened and seasoned through the tough schedule that we play, especially considering some of the tough losses," Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. "The bitterness of missing the NCAA Tournament, of being so close, has hardened our team and made our team more hungry and focused."
Missouri's final two games proved to be a testament to the goals it set for the season. Although the team fell short of reaching its ultimate goal of NCAA Tournament play, in its final 258 minutes of Big 12 competition, Mizzou screamed for the recognition it deserves.
The key to the 2001 season was the Tigers' emphasis on fitness and a solid defensive strategy. After battling the Kansas Jayhawks through 111 minutes, KU Head Coach Mark Francis commended Coach Blitz recognizing that as the match stretched on, the Tigers energy level never wavered and the team actually seemed to come out stronger as the Jayhawks began to fade.
"I think our fitness regimen was proven during over time play," Blitz said. "Mentally, our emphasis on fitness made us tough. We grew from the previous year where we weren't able to go into overtime and go into overtime and win. I also think we played our best soccer toward the end of the year and that has much to do with the mental aspect as well."
Likewise, the defensive combination of seniors Mandy Waters and Dyana Russell was reaffirmed in the Tiger's final games of the season. Both players put forth tremendous efforts throughout the year, culminating in a shutdown of the Big 12's top forwards during tournament play.
As a testament to their valuable leadership, the co-captains anchored a Tiger defensive line that kept its opponents to just 13.7 shots and 1.7 goals per game. Highlighting their senior season, the duo led Missouri to defend a perfect 34-0 shot game to defeat Indiana State 4-0. Time and again, Waters and Russell came out with hard-nosed and aggressive play stunning the opposing offense.
Astounding the opposition proved to be the defining trend for both Waters and Russell during their final year. Although the news was nothing new to the Mizzou coaching staff and team, the defenders showcased their fine tuned attacking skills contributing passing and assist lanes and even the occasional goal. Waters put up eight points for Missouri with two goals and four assists and Russell put in gone goal and dished out three assists during the season.
The strides made over the year were not to go unrecognized, Russell was named to the All-Big 12 second team and to the Big 12 Conference all-tournament team for her efforts and Waters was nominated to participate in the Umbro Select Tournament-a venue where the Women's United Soccer Association scouts and recruits players.
"In the end the success of our season rested on our two senior captains," Blitz said. "They showed how valuable they were to our program in tough games. They were the backbone that had to deal with a fluctuating back line and a young group. They had to do the majority of coaching the young players up. Dyana and Mandy showed what it is like to be a captain, a senior and a role model. They were an inspiration for our young team this season," he added.
In addition to MU's senior crusaders, the success of Missouri's powerful defensive strategy was made complete by the labors of newcomers Carrie Crossett and Kim Hibbert. The underclassmen's talents combined with the experience and leadership of the co-captains proved to be an imposing force throughout the 2001 campaign.
Crossett earned a starting role as a walk-on junior transfer. She played in all 21 games for Missouri contributing four assists. Crossett defined herself with her amazing speed and competitive never-give-up work ethic on the back lines.
"Carrie is like the Rudy story," Blitz explains. "We needed an extra player at the beginning of preseason and she wanted to tryout and walk on. When she came, the first thing that stood out was her speed, but once we got to know her, she has such a tremendous work ethic, character and willingness to learn that she quickly became an integral part of our program."
Hibbert played in 19 games in 2001 despite being plagued with a back injury midway through the year. The freshman overcame the setback to serve as one of the lynch pins in the MU backfield. Hibbert, an Iowa High School track champion, also supplied an astonishing amount of speed to the Mizzou defensive technique.
"Kim was someone who played forward and earned her spot at left back due to her blue collar work ethic," Blitz said. "Her will to compete and to fight through injury proves she is so mentally tough."
Adding flame to the protective fire, the Tiger midfield staff brought speed, ingenuity and flair to Mizzou's game developing possibly the most fluid and precise passing MU's program has ever exhibited. Anchored by newcomers Karen Bauer and Lacy Moore and veteran starters Steph Brennan and Suzy Probst, the Missouri half field synchronized and unified Mizzou's playing style.
Bauer and Moore both put forth impressive inaugural seasons. Coming off a redshirt freshman year, Bauer stepped into the role of Missouri's attacking center midfielder. Capitalizing on her speed and skillful ball handling, she scored six goals and dished out six assists to rank third on the team with 17 points. Moore burst onto the scene playing every game of her freshman campaign. The 5-foot-8 phenom was one of the Tiger's most constant weapons in the air as she time and again knocked down advancing drives.
"Lacy played every minute of every game and I think that statistic alone says a lot. She was the foundation of the midfield as a consistent player. She is great in the air, adds leadership to the midfield and served as the engine for our team," Blitz said. "Karen was able to play a lot of positions for us, playing in the front for half the year and in the mid for half. Her versatility, work ethic and willingness to play wherever the team needs her made her a valuable contributor," he added.
Filling out the midfield lines Brennan and Probst brought their solid work ethic and team foundation to the field. Mixing their experience with increased knowledge and continually improving skills, the Tigers executed a fine tuned choreography of ball movement yet to be rivaled by a Missouri team.
"Steph is a great success story, she embodies the theme of our team with her work ethic, character, being selfless and leading by example. She is all of those things that you want your seniors to be," Blitz commended. "Suzy overall is such a steady force. She is consistent and she does a lot of the dirty work that people don't see."
While the Tigers made a precedent to effectively defend, hold out and overcome the offensive charges of their opponents, Missouri's forwards gave its rivals a taste of its own fury during the 2001 season. The MU forward line employed speed, tactical ball placement and intensity to dominate the opposition and average 2.5 goals per game.
The Tigers set various scoring records including three single-game highs against Arkansas-Little Rock. Missouri scored 12 goals, dished out nine assists and posted 33 points to top the record books. In addition, freshman Melissa Peabody tied the MU record scoring three goals in a game and sophomore Adriene Davis tied the single-game record with three assists.
Cooperation between Peabody and Davis extended beyond their record-breaking game against the Trojans, the forwards' dynamic playing styles complimented throughout the entire season resulting in an offensive onslaught that topped the national charts.
In her inaugural year, Peabody jumped into the season with heels blazing. The freshman out of St. Louis, Mo., overwhelmed the opposition with her amazing speed and tenacious attacking style. She scored nine goals and dished out two assists to finish the season with 20 points.
"Missy was someone we knew was talented, but the thing that impressed us the most was her willingness to compete in big games--against North Carolina, Nebraska and Texas." Blitz complimented. "I think she is a player that can fill in a lot of places for us. She has such potential to grow and get better. As long as she keeps her work ethic up she has the ability to grown and improve."
Complimented by her teammates, Davis once again proved herself as a national caliber athlete tying the NCAA regular season assist mark dishing out a team-high 13 assists. She also topped the Tigers with 12 goals and 37 overall points to lead the Big 12 Conference in points scored during the 2001 regular season. Playing semi-professional soccer for the Oklahoma Outrage over the summer proved to be a positive factor in the forward's performance this year as 2001 saw increased intensity, speed and maneuverability in Davis' game. She was named to the All-Big 12 second team for her performance.
"Adriene has the ability to be a very special player," Blitz predicted. "I think she is still finding her way towards being a very good player. She can be the best player on the field at times, she just needs to do it on a more consistent basis. She was the leading assist person in the Big 12 and third overall, she is in good company, but she has so much more potential," he added.
Rounding out the forward ranks, sophomore Melissa McLellan and freshmen Kristen Heil and Tamara Kochen demonstrated their value to Mizzou's line of attack. McLellan put in six goals and two assists to score 14 points for the Tigers as she served as one of the team's most consistent relief players. Both Heil and Kochen found their feet toward the end of the season during league play. Heil broke into an aggressive and obstinate attacking style that was increasingly effective. She scored three goals and dished out three assists as a standard player in all 21 games. Kochen jump-started her season against Colorado putting in her second goal of the year while adjusting to her new "American" playing style. The Israeli national team member provided valuable assistance during Big 12 Tournament play and rounded out her inaugural year scoring eight points from two goals and four assists.
"Kristin, by the end of the year, was playing very well," Blitz said. "She has a lot of positives. She is learning to be more physical. She certainly has so much talent, I see her being a big part of our future.
"Tamara is a very sophisticated player with beautiful skill. I think she is still learning the American game, it is much faster and more physical, and I think that is the area where she will need to put in the hard work. She adds such a different element to our team and her impact will continue to increase as her confidence grows.
"Melissa brings our team so much energy off the bench. She is a good striker on the ball, plays roles, is very versatile and has the ability to boost the team when it's needed."
The Tiger squad also saw the emergence of promising performances by several relief players. Forward Shea Swoboda, midfielder Emma Kate Young and defenders Ashley Gibbs and Kristin Gibbons all played valuable minutes for the Tigers. Swoboda worked her way into the line-up as one of MU's most consistent substitutes. She scored three goals playing in 18 games during her freshman campaign. Young, Gibbs and Gibbons made 10 appearances for the Tigers. Gibbs dished out her first collegiate assist against Colorado and Gibbons delivered two assists on the year. Following a strong spring season, all three players look to make a valuable impact again next season.
Backed by a sound defense and an opposing offense, still, nobody understands the fury of a fast-breaking forward quite like goalkeeper Megan Duncan. Despite facing five nationally ranked opponents, the sophomore stepped up during 2001 as one of the finest goalkeepers in the nation. She played 1,662 total minutes in the Missouri box, faced 249 shots, made 106 saves and allowed just 27 goals. She earned five complete shutouts on the way to an 11-8 season mark and an MU season shutouts record.
During Big 12 Tournament play, Duncan played all 259 minutes against Kansas and No. 7 ranked Texas, giving up one goal with just 2:48 left in quadruple-overtime. For her efforts, Duncan was named to the Big 12 all-tournament team and to the SoccerBuzz Elite Team of the Week.
"Megan played her best soccer toward the end of the year," Blitz said. "She is still a young player with untapped potential. Physically, she is so gifted athletically, for her to reach her potential she has to have the drive to continue to improve, to excel and be an athlete. She is learning to go from good to great."
Backing Duncan, goalkeeper Stephanie Krawczyk played some key matches for the Tigers. The Anchorage, Alaska, native defended six games for the Tigers recording eight saves and posting a 2-0 record including a shutout.
Missouri's craze to conquer during the 2001 campaign was bolstered by not only a ferocious offense and a solid defensive effort, but by the unwavering attitude of the Tiger student-athletes. Garnering the field with seven newcomers, Missouri relied upon upperclass leadership to harness the raw talent of the young squad.
"I thought we were playing our best soccer at the end of the year, which is good with a young group. You don't want to peak to early, so it showed that they learned and got better throughout the year," Blitz complimented. "I think the season was moving forward so well, we were playing so well and then we faced the tough decision from the NCAA Committee. I think we all came back from that saying we are much more hungry and much more determined to control our own destiny."
The outcome speaks for itself, while the Tigers didn't achieve all of their goals, the team is excited about the strides that it made. Contending against the country's finest teams, holding their own in the Big 12 Conference Tournament and establishing a precedent of pursuing success, Missouri used the 2001 season to demand a seat on top.
"Our kids understand that nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to go out and get what we want."
