Oct. 7, 2004
Tiger Itinerary
Mizzou rounds out a four game home stand hosting #9 Kansas and Iowa State this weekend. The Tigers take on the Jayhawks on Fri., Oct. 8 at 7:00 p.m., and face the Cyclones on Sun., Oct. 10 at 1:00 p.m.
Missouri soccer home games are played in Audrey J. Walton Stadium. Tickets for the season are available by calling the Mizzou Ticket Office at 884-PAWS. Fans can also purchase tickets at the stadium on game day.
<>Catch All the Action
Tiger fans can tune into the action of each Mizzou home game listening to live radio coverage on KCOU 88.1 FM.
Former Tigers Megan Duncan and Melissa McLellan join the cast of commentators providing play-by-play action during each Mizzou home game.
Fans can also access the broadcast by logging on to the KCOU website at www.kcou.mu.org.
Mizzou Livestats
Mizzou fans can access live statistics updates during all Tiger home games by logging onto the Missouri website at www.mutigers.com.
To access the Gametracker program, jump to the Mizzou soccer schedule page and select livestats to access minute-by-minute game results.
Scouting #9 Kansas
The Jayhawks are 11-2-0 on the season with a 3-1-0 mark during Big 12 Conference play. Kansas is ranked ninth nationally by SoccerBuzz and 10th in the current NSCAA/adidas poll.
The Jayhawks opened the season with a six-game win streak before falling to then #11 ranked Illinois 1-0. Jumping into Big 12 Conference play, the Jayhawks suffered their second season defeat at the hands of Nebraska (1-0). Kansas topped Colorado 2-1, bested Texas Tech 5-0 and defeated Baylor 3-0.
Last season, Kansas finished with an 18-6-1 record going 6-3-1 in league play to finish third in Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks rounded out the year in 18th-place in the final NSCAA/adidas rankings.
The Tigers and Jayhawks are tied with a 5-5 series record. Kansas claimed two victories over Mizzou last season defeating the Tigers 2-0 during regular season play. The Jayhawks also knocked the Tigers from NCAA Tournament play defeating Mizzou 2-0 in post season competition.
Scouting Iowa State
Iowa State is 5-7-0 on the season and tie the Tigers with a 2-2-0 Big 12 Conference record. The Cyclones opened league action with back-to-back losses to #22 Colorado (1-0) and Nebraska (3-2). ISU came back to win two games last weekend topping Baylor 2-1 in double overtime. The Cyclones then bested Texas Tech 3-0.
The Cyclones finished the 2003 season with a 5-10-4 record owning a 2-6-2 mark during Big 12 Conference action. In their last meeting, Missouri made a tremendous come-from-behind effort to top Iowa State 4-3. The victory gave Mizzou berth to the 2003 Big 12 Tournament as the #8 seed while knocking ISU out of tournament contention with a ninth-place league finish.
Weekend Recap
Missouri is tied for fourth in the Big 12 owning a 5-6-1 season record with a 2-2 league mark. Splitting the weekend with a heartbreaking double overtime loss to #17 Nebraska, the Tigers game back to defeat #23 Colorado 1-0.
Mizzou out shot the Cornhuskers 21-to-15 before falling in double overtime 2-1. The Tigers gave up a goal during the first half before coming back to dominate the second period out shooting Nebraska 13-to-11. The Tigers saw fruition of their efforts late in the period when Melissa Peabody sank the game-tying goal. Fellow forward Kristen Heil slammed a shot that was deflected by goalkeeper Katie Wright. Before the keeper could gain control however, Peabody swooped in throttling a shot through the net sending the game into overtime.
Although the Tiger defensive line kept Nebraska without a single shot in the first sudden death period, Nebraska came back to score the game-winner in the 103rd minute of play sealing a 2-1 victory over Mizzou.
Seeing some of their finest first half play of the season, the Tigers played a solid game dominating Colorado from the kickoff. Missouri overpowered Colorado out shooting the Buffs 12-to-5, keeping CU to just two shots in the second period.
Fighting for every ball possession, Missouri finally found the net midway through the second half. Winning 18-of-20 air balls in her contention, defensive midfielder Elyse Nikonchuk utilized her height and talent to put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Forward Jennifer Nobis crossed a long throw in through the center of the Colorado penalty box where Nikonchuk headed the ball into the CU net.
Tigers in the Rankings
Keeping pace with a rigorous schedule, the Tigers are poised to play nine teams ranked in at least one weekly national poll including (ranking marks the highest received in 2004):
Texas A&M - #4 SoccerBuzz
Texas - #4 Soccer America
Florida - #4 SoccerBuzz
Kansas - #6 SoccerBuzz
Stanford - #10 SoccerBuzz
Illinois - #10 NSCAA/adidas
Colorado - #17 Soccer America
Nebraska - #17 Soccer America
Wisconsin - #16 NSCAA/adidas
Tiger Highlights
* The Missouri defensive line has contributed 44 percent of Mizzou's scoring so far this season. Defenders Karen Bauer, Elyse Nikonchuk, Lacy Moore, Ashley Gibbs, Lauren Grice and Erica Pusch have together supplied 17 of Mizzou's 39 points. Tiger halfbacks have scored five of the Tigers' 11 goals and 7-of-11 assists on the year.
* Nine of Missouri's starting field players have contributed either a goal or an assist during the Tigers 10 games this season.
* Defeating #23 Colorado, the Tigers picked up their second consecutive victory of the 2003 Big 12 Conference champions. After falling to the Buffs (3-2) during regular season play last year, the Tigers came back to defeat Colorado 2-0 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. Mizzou's 1-0 victory over the Buffs this season marks Missouri's second shutout victory of the season.
* Mizzou's 2-1 overtime victory against Oklahoma marks the first time a Missouri team has defeated the Sooners in Norman. The victory brings the Tiger's series record against OU to 5-3. The Tigers out shot the Sooners 20-to-6 during the game, and kept Oklahoma from taking a single shot during overtime play.
* Opening the year with a 1-1 record, the Tigers have opened their fifth straight season with a win, including their second consecutive season opening victory on the road.
* Missouri is out shooting its opponents an average of 17.6-to-11.2 shots per game. In Big 12 Conference standings, the Tigers rank fourth in shots taken. In conference play, the Tigers rank fourth in shots taken averaging 16.75 per game against Big 12 opponents.
* The Tigers rank fifth in league standings dishing four assists during conference play. Mizzou ranks sixth scoring five goals in four games against Big 12 opponents.