Oct. 24, 2003

Box Score

Waco, Texas- Keeping with its traditional rivalry with Baylor, the Mizzou soccer team fought to a hard won victory. In a series where the Tigers have yet to earn a shutout victory, Missouri gave up a goal before coming back to score two to best the Bears, 2-1. Keeping their hope for Big 12 Championship berth alive, Missouri boosts its conference record to 2-5-1 and takes its season mark to 8-8-1.

Utilizing their home field advantage, the Bears opened the game scoring within the first three minutes of play on a corner kick. After Mizzou stopper Karen Bauer headed the ball out of the goal box, where Kristin Ruef passed a ball back into the tussle where Ginny Rosario-Tull scored on the Tigers.

Keeping with their tenacious style, Mizzou didn't let the deficit slow them down. The Tigers kept the Baylor defensive line on its toes as they dominated the field laboring to set up scoring plays. Edging closer and closer with each attempt, Mizzou finally evened out the scoreboard when Jennifer Nobis slated a pass to Kristen Heil for the game-tying shot. The goal was Heil's seventh of the season, while the assist marks the sixth dish for Nobis.

Rejuvenated after the intermission, the Tigers continued to posses forcing Baylor to switch its formation to handle the threat. Working a 4-4-2 defensive suppresser, the Bears were still unable to control the Tigers as Heil scored Mizzou's second goal just 10 minutes into the second half.

Taking a ball from midfield, she paired with forward Melissa Peabody sprinting toward the box. Faking a slant to Peabody in the right corner of the box, Heil distracted the BU defense to score the goal unassisted. It is the junior's second multi-goal game in 2003 and the third of her career.

Baylor kept pressure on Missouri reverting back to its original 3-4-3 formation as the Bears tried to retaliate. Inspired play by Missouri's defensive quad kept the Bears at bay however. Tremendous performances from Erica Pusch and Kim Hibbert, which included two harrowing plays in the backfield to keep Missouri ahead in the match, helped bolster the Tigers.

With equal execution from all players on the field, Mizzou refused to loosen its grip on the lead. Keeping up in the box, keeper Megan Duncan earned her fifth victory of the year (5-1), including her second Big 12 win. Facing 16 shots in the game, Duncan made six saves while allowing just one goal.

Looking to keep their momentum on the road, Missouri travels to Lubbock, Texas, on Sunday to face Texas Tech at 11:00 a.m.