Sept. 9, 2003

Mizzou Heads South
The #25 ranked Missouri Tiger soccer team travels to the Magnolia state to take on Southeastern Conference foes Mississippi State and Mississippi. The Tigers open the weekend playing the Bulldogs in Starkville, on Friday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m. Mizzou then faces Ole Miss at 1:00 p.m., the following Sunday, September 14.

Scouting Mississippi State
The Bulldogs face Missouri toting a 3-0-1 record. Mississippi State opened the season taking victories over Memphis (3-1) and South Alabama (5-0), before tying Southwest Missouri State in a 0-0 double-overtime standstill.

Freshman goalkeeper Luisa Marzotto anchors MSU in the box. She is 3-0-1 on the year, earning Southeastern Conference Player of the Week recognition after collecting her first career shutout victory against Florida International (1-0).

Mississippi recorded a 6-13-1 mark with a 2-6-1 Southeastern Conference record in 2003. The Bulldogs return nine starters and 16 letterwinners to the team that Mizzou defeated 3-1 last season.

Scouting Mississippi
Ole Miss is 4-0 on the year with a 25th-place ranking in the Soccer Buzz top-25 poll this week. The Rebels have decimated their opponents this season owning four consecutive shutouts over South Alabama (6-0), Memphis (7-0), FIU (3-0) and Southwest Missouri State (4-0). Ole Miss has out scored its opponents 20-0 and out shot the competition 102-to-27.

Freshman Ashley Ferree leads the team scoring four goals and one assist for nine points on the year. Seven other athletes that have each scored two goals during the 2003 opening stanza also join her. In the box, Brittany Gillespie is 4-0 making 13 saves for a perfect 0.0 average.

Mississippi posted a 13-5-2 record last season with a 5-3-1 Southeastern Conference mark. The Rebels return 18 letterwinners and eight starters to the team that defeated Missouri 2-1 in overtime last season.

Broadcast Information
All the action of the Mizzou-Mississippi game will be available online. Mississippi is scheduled to provide live scoring from its website at
http://olemisssports.ocsn.com/livestats/w-soccer/index.html.
A radio broadcast of the game is available by logging onto
http://olemisssports.ocsn.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/090503aaa.html.

Eyeing the Tigers
Missouri joins the fray toting a 4-0-0 record to start the 2003 season. It is just the second time the Tigers have gone undefeated during its season introduction - the 2001 squad went 5-0 before suffering a loss.

Impressively, the Tigers own two shutouts on the year and have out scored their opponents 10-to-2, giving up just one goal apiece to Purdue and Arizona. In addition, Mizzou is out shooting the competition by a margin of two shots to one.

Ranking Mizzou
The Tigers broke into the national rankings as the NSCAA/adidas No. 25 pick. Mizzou also received 31 votes to just miss the SoccerTimes.com top-25 listing and come in as the No. 26 selection. In the Central Region, Missouri moved up a spot as the fifth-ranked NSCAA/adidas team.

Missouri in the Big 12
The Tigers top the Big 12 standings tied with Oklahoma State with perfect 4-0 records. No. 8 ranked Texas A&M follows suit with a 3-0-0 record. Leading the league offensively, Missouri is ranked third averaging 2.5 assists per game and fourth averaging 2.5 goals per game. Mizzou is also ranked fourth overall in goals scored and points.

The Tigers stand out boldly on the defense, Missouri has allowed just two goals on the year to own a .50 goals against average and rank second behind Texas A&M with one goal and a .33 GAA.

Weekend Review
Missouri picked up its second weekend of victories on its way to claiming the Nike Tiger Invitational title. Mizzou defeated Purdue in a 2-1 contest and overtook Arizona 3-1 to end the tournament as the only team claiming two victories.

Forward Kristen Heil was honored as the invitational Most Valuable Player, along with an all-tournament team nod. In addition, defender Erica Pusch, midfielders Ashley Gibbs and Aria Hudetz and forward Jennifer Nobis joined Heil on the all-tournament team.

Taking Note of Nobis
Sophomore forward Jennifer Nobis leads the Tigers with nine points on the year scoring three goals and two assists. She has contributed a goal or assist in each of Mizzou's four games and tops the lineup as one of the most consistent shooters with a .677 shot on goal percentage. She also leads Missouri with two game winning goals.

Earning the spotlight in the Big 12 Conference, Nobis is ranked fifth overall in points, goals scored and shots. She also ties for first in the league in game winning goals.

Harping on Heil
Kristen Heil is second on the team with six points and ties Nobis with three goals on the season. Playing a key role in Missouri's victories over Purdue and Arizona, Heil scored the Tiger's first goal in both matches and ignited Mizzou's offensive onslaught.

In addition to earning Nike Tiger Invitational recognition, Heil ties Nobis in the Big 12 limelight as the fifth-ranked goal scorer in the league. She is also ranked 10th in points scored.

Swoboda Specs
Forward Shea Swoboda has quickly proven herself as one of the Tigers' top reserves. Fulfilling her distinctive role as a rejuvenating force, the junior has replenished Missouri's offensive efforts scoring two game winning goals against both Iowa and Purdue. She owns four points overall to rank third on the team in scoring.

In addition to her uplifting energy on the field, Swoboda leads the team in accuracy toting a perfect 1.000 shot on goal percentage taking all three of her shots to the net. She is tied with Nobis to lead the Big 12 conference in game winning goals.

The Gab on Gibbs
Making the transition from the backfield to the half field, Ashley Gibbs continues to excel as one of Mizzou's most consistent athletes. Playing a dual role both offensively and defensively, she has proven her versatility during the Tigers' opening games. After helping the defensive line record its lowest shot ratio in program history last year, she has expanded her role as a valuable playmaker this season.

Gibbs ties for third on the team in scoring putting in her first goal against Arizona on Sunday. She also adds two assists to her credits, including the game-winner against the Wildcats. She ranks eighth in the Big 12 in overall assists.

The Handle on Hudetz
Freshman Aria Hudetz has burst onto the scene as one of Mizzou's most consistent athletes. Earning a starting position in the Tiger midfield, she has played a key role in Missouri's success this season. A skilled and intelligent player, Hudetz has trademarked her ability to envision and create scoring plays. Proving herself, she has dished out two assists on the year, including the game-winner against Purdue. She is tied for eighth in the Big 12 Conference in assists.

The Swinehart Swagger
Moving from the forward line to the half field, sophomore Amber Swinehart has been able to effectively incorporate her scoring ingenuity with a powerful defensive presence. Proving herself as one of Missouri's most efficient play makers, she already owns two assists on the year to tie for eighth in the Big 12 Conference assists rankings.

Dissecting Duncan
Goalkeeper Megan Duncan is 2-0 on the year, including a season opening shutout victory against Iowa. In 180 minutes of play, she has allowed just one goal while making eight saves for a 0.50 goals against average.

Duncan is ranked third in the Big 12 Conference with a .889 save percentage and ties for fifth in the league's goals against average ranking.

The Krawczyk Chatter
Goalkeeper Stephanie Krawczyk is also 2-0 on the year, including a season opening shutout victory against Northwestern. In 180 minutes of play, she has allowed just one goal while making seven saves for a 0.50 goals against average.

Krawczyk is ranked fourth in the Big 12 with a .875 save percentage and ties with fellow keeper Megan Duncan for fifth in the league's goals against average ranking.

Mizzou Mentions * Making her way to the backfield, Karen Bauer has quickly established herself as a force to reckoned with on the Mizzou defensive line. Making the transition from her standard role in the midfield, Bauer's experience has been a valuable asset helping the Tigers maintain a 0.05 opponent scoring percentage (2 goals v. 36 shots).

* Playing beneficial minutes for the Tigers, freshman Lauren Grice has stepped in as one of Mizzou's most reliable reserves. Playing in each of Missouri's four games in the half field, she already owns an assist to her credits helping Kristen Heil score against Northwestern.

* Defender Kim Hibbert continues to serve as one of Missouri's defensive dynamos. Playing all 180 minutes of the Nike Tiger Invitational, she railroaded both Purdue scoring leader Courtney Coppage and Arizona leader Candice Wilks. Defending one-on-one Hibbert kept both athletes from taking a single shot against the Tiger goal.

* Switching from the midfield to the Tiger defensive line, Erica Pusch completes Missouri's backfield trio. Utilizing her speed and physical defensive style, she has effectively shutdown opponent scoring drives. Covering Arizona's Erin Bevaqua, Pusch kept the Wildcat to just one shot during the game.