Mizzou Host Nike Tiger Invitational
9/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 2, 2004
Tiger Home Season Opener
Initiating the 2004 home season, Missouri welcomes Wisconsin, Iowa and Baylor to the fifth annual Nike Tiger Invitational. The round robin event begins on Fri., Sept. 3 pairing Baylor and Iowa in a 4:30 p.m., match. The Tigers follow up facing the Badgers at 7:00 p.m.
On day two of the competition, Sun., Sept. 5, the Bears face Wisconsin at 11:00 a.m., leaving Mizzou and Iowa to play a final match at 1:30 p.m.
All Missouri home games are held in Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium. Tickets are available by calling the Missouri Athletic Department Ticket Office at 884-PAWS. Fans can also purchase tickets at the stadium on game day.
Scouting Wisconsin
Wisconsin is 2-0 on the year defeating Kentucky (3-1) and Ohio (6-0) during the Kentucky Invitational.
The Badgers finished the 2003 season with a 10-9-2 record going 4-6 to tie for seventh in the Big 10 Conference. Wisconsin returns nine starters to its lineup.
This meeting marks the first between the Tigers and Badgers.
Scouting Iowa
The Nike Tiger Invitational opens the 2004 Hawkeye season after thunderstorms cancelled its regular season opener against Southwest Missouri State last weekend.
Iowa was 4-12-2 last season owning an 0-8-2 Big 10 Conference record to finish 11th in league standings. Twelve starters return to the Hawkeye lineup, including seven starters.
In their last match-up, the Tigers defeated the Hawkeyes 3-0 to bring Mizzou's series lead to 2-0.
Tigers in the Rankings
Receiving national acclaim, the Tigers opened the 2004 season tied for 10th in the NSCAA/adidas Central Region. Following its first weekend of play, Mizzou received a #11 ranked team in the SoccerBuzz Central Region.
Keeping pace with a rigorous schedule facing 10 top-25 opponents in 2003, the Tigers are poised to play eight teams ranked in at least one weekly national poll including:
Texas A&M - #4 SoccerBuzz
Texas - #4 Soccer America
Florida - #5 Soccer America
Kansas - #9 SoccerBuzz
Stanford - #13 Soccer America
Illinois - #14 NSCAA/adidas
Colorado - #17 Soccer America
Nebraska - #22 SoccerBuzz
Weekend Recap
The Tigers opened the 2004 season with a win defeating Northwestern 2-1 in sudden-death overtime. Jennifer Nobis put the Tigers on the board scoring on a cornerkick. Defender Karen Bauer lofted a ball over the NW goal box where fellow defender Elyse Nikonchuk headed the ball into the Wildcat goal post. Nobis knocked the deflection past goalkeeper Whitney Jones to score.
The Wildcats came back to tie the game with an unassisted goal sending the match into overtime. Three minutes in, Nobis was fouled inside the NW goal box earning the Tigers a penalty kick. Bauer, Mizzou's resident PK phenom, easily scored the game winner.
Mizzou brought its record to 1-1 following a 4-1 loss to #14 Illinois on Sunday. Nobis came through to score the Tigers only goal in the game on an assist dished by defender Ashley Gibbs.
The weekend brings freshman goalkeeper Laura Buehrig to a 1-1 season record. She made four saves in her inaugural outing against the Wildcats and rallied eight against the Illini.
Tigers to Watch
* Junior Jennifer Nobis leads the Tigers in scoring with two goals and four points on the year.
* Defender Karen Bauer is second on the team dishing an assist and scoring the game-winning goal against Northwestern to own three points.
* Defenders Ashley Gibbs and Elyse Nikonchuk are tied for third on the team each owning one assist. Gibbs dished out her assist against Illinois, while Nikonchuk aided Nobis against the Wildcats.
* Defeating Southwest Missouri State 7-2 in a preliminary match on Aug. 20, forward Kristen Heil scored the first hat trick of her career against the Bears. Defender Karen Bauer paralleled the feat dishing out three assists in the game. The marks are a personal best for both athletes.
* Kristen Heil was honored as the Missouri Varsity M Player of the Week following her performance during the Mizzou-SMS game.
* Karen Bauer was named to the 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-America teams--the first Mizzou soccer player to receive the honor. Starting each of Missouri's 22 games in the backfield, the Big 12 All-Tournament defender maintains a 3.93 grade point average in biology.
* Senior forward Melissa Peabody and sophomore defender Elyse Nikonchuk were each named to the 2004 All-Big 12 Soccer Coaches' Preseason Team.
Additional Tiger Highlights
* The Missouri defensive line has scored 55 percent of the Tigers points so far this season. Putting in one goal and contributing every assist, defenders Karen Bauer, Elyse Nikonchuk and Ashley Gibbs have supplied five of Mizzou's nine points.
* Mizzou's victory over Northwestern is the second consecutive win the Tigers have claimed over the Wildcats. Defeating NW last year 2-0, Missouri is now just one game shy of tying the series (2-3) against Northwestern.
* Opening the season 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.
* In exhibition play, Missouri shut down Southwest Missouri State during second period play. Missouri left the Bears without a single shot in the remaining 45 minutes while the Tigers went on a five-goal tear.
Complete Release PDF
