Mizzou Hosts Nike Tiger Invitational
8/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 30, 2002
Up this Week
The Missouri women's soccer team opens the 2002 season hosting the Nike Tiger Invitational at Audrey J. Walton Soccer Complex in Columbia, Mo. Mizzou welcomes No. 23 ranked Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky to the two-day tournament held Fri., Aug. 30 and Sun., Sept. 1. Two games are scheduled for each day beginning at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.
Invitational Schedule
Friday
5:00 p.m. - Kentucky v. Indiana
7:00 p.m. - MISSOURI v. Illinois
Sunday
5:00 p.m. - Illinois v. Kentucky
7:00 p.m. - MISSOURI v. Indiana
Radio Information
All 2002 Missouri soccer games will be aired on KCOU-Radio 88.1 FM. Dan Hopkins brings all the action of the Tiger season home to fans. Internet broadcasts of each game are also available by logging onto the KCOU website at www.kcou.missouri.edu.
Scouting Illinois
The Illini come to Columbia ranked 23rd in Soccer Buzz pre-season rankings. Illinois finished the 2001 season with a 12-8-1 record going 6-3-1 in the strong Big Ten Conference to rank third in league standings. The Illini also made a trip to the NCAA Tournament, but were knocked out in the first round by Syracuse (1-0).
Illinois returns eight starters and 13 letterwinners to the 2002 team. Also joining the roster are nine newcomers. Head Coach Janet Rayfield leads the squad in her first season at Illinois. A graduate of the 1983 North Carolina program, Rayfield owns a 45-64-7 collegiate record as a six-year coach.
Missouri and Illinois are tied 1-1 in the all-time series.
Scouting Indiana
Indiana rounded out 2001 with an 8-7-2 season record and tied for eighth-place in the Big Ten Conference with a 3-6-1 league mark. The Hoosiers return 17 letterwinners and nine starters. Mick Lyon begins his first year with the Indiana program this season.
IU played its first game in an exhibition match against Valparaiso where the teams split 1-1. Indiana followed up with a 6-1 victory over the Mastodons at the Fort Wayne IPF Showcase. The Hoosiers bring that finish into their fourth all-time match against Mizzou, where the Tigers own the series 2-1.
Scouting Kentucky
The Kentucky Wildcats jump into the 2002 season backed by a 12-8-1 record last season. KU went 5-4 in the Southeaster Conference to finish fourth in the Eastern Division. Kentucky also made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where its was knocked out in the first round by Clemson (1-0). During 2001, the Wildcats were ranked as highly as 10th in the nation by Soccer Buzz, and finished the year with a fifth-place standing in the Great Lakes Region.
Kentucky returns 16 letterwinners and five starters to the team this year. Warren Lipka begins his 12th year leading the Wildcats. He owns a 122-77-10 record and was named the SEC Coach of the Year in both 1995 and 1999.
Mizzou in the Big 12
After its second consecutive season with a 5-5 Big 12 Conference record and fifth-place league finish, Mizzou's 2002 squad was predicted to once again finish fifth by conference coaches. The Tigers received 64 points in the poll were just one point behind No. 4 pick Oklahoma. Leading the pack, Texas A&M received 96 points, Texas picked up 90 and Nebraska earned 87.
The conference's top-three picks were national favorites as well receiving various rankings in the NSCAA, Soccer Buzz and Soccer America pre-season polls.
Exhibition Showcase
Missouri hoped to find some redemption against Michigan in its season opening exhibition game today. In their last match-up in 2000, the Wolverines devastated the Tigers with a soggy 7-0 victory during a downpour in Ann Arbor, Mich. Despite out shooting Michigan 14-10, Mizzou was unable to claim its sought after reprisal and fell 2-1.
Michigan put itself on the board first in the game scoring a hat trick goal in the middle of the first half. Forward Abby Crumpton launched a wide shot from the far-left side of the field. Missouri goalkeeper Megan Duncan deflected the shot into the back of a Tiger defender and rebounded the ball into the MU net.
The Tigers didn't let the mistake go unanswered for long as the veteran duo of Shea Swoboda and Adriene Davis returned just minutes later with a goal of their own. Swoboda crossed a low pass inside the goal box where Davis beat a Wolverine defender for a lighting shot from inside two yards.
The heat of the day took its toll in the game as both teams fatigue began to show. The Tigers' involuntary summer training regimen proved valuable as Mizzou continued to find renewed efforts across the field. Changes in the 2002 lineup, including redshirt freshman Angela Furin serving as Mizzou's stopper and sophomore Ashley Gibbs' permanent position on the defensive line, were also highly effective. The Tigers' most impressive signature however was its trade mark speed. Ever increasing his arsenal of multi-cylinder athletes, Head Coach Bryan Blitz has put together another physical and aggressive squad for the 2002 season. Adding to the Tigers' already fast paced line-up, including Missy Peabody and Carrie Crossett, Mizzou brings increased thrust from freshmen Erica Pusch, Jennifer Nobis and Kyle Wilson.
Even despite the advantage of speed and stamina, the Tigers were unable to curb Michigan and gave up a second goal to Stephanie Boyles, on an assist by Crumpton, late in the second period. The goal was followed by intense efforts, but Mizzou was unable to claim the victory against a tough Wolverine team.
