March 17, 2005
Columbia, Mo.--Hosting its first Seven v. Seven Tournament, the Mizzou Tiger soccer team kicked off the 2005 spring season in grand fashion. Dividing the squad into two teams - Black and Gold - the Tigers faced off against split teams from Western Kentucky and Drury. Playing each of the four opposing squads - including a WKU alumni team - in the round robin tournament, Mizzou advanced both Tiger teams to the event final.
Leading the offensive attack for Mizzou, juniors Jennifer Nobis and Amber Swinehart led their respective teams scoring a total of 24 of the Tigers' 42 tournament goals. Netting 15 of the Black team's 23 goals, Nobis surfaced as one of the most physical and dynamic players on the day. Leading the Mizzou Gold team scoring nine of its 19 goals, Swinehart entertained fans with intelligent play creating scoring opportunities for her team.
Tiger midfielder and Soccer Buzz All-Central Region player Elyse Nikonchuk scored six goals and delivered two assists for the Mizzou Gold. She was a leader and stabilizing force with presence and drive who kept the Gold team organized and focused throughout the day.
After fully overcoming an ankle injury from the fall season, Meggie Malm has enjoyed a successful spring training session and joined the Black team fully rejuvenated. Following strenuous recovery efforts over the break, the sophomore shined as one of the Tigers' finest players of the day. Adding stability and passion to her team's efforts, Malm's aggressive play resulted in three assists and one goal as well as valuable defensive coverage.
In the goal, junior Kira Reyes and freshman Megan Shelley anchored the Mizzou Black team while freshman Laura Buehrig competed for the Tiger Gold. Making courageous decisions, Reyes played solidly organizing the Mizzou defense while Shelley brought second half rejuvenation making her first competitive appearance as a Tiger. Capitalizing on her agility and quickness, Buehrig thwarted the opposition with solid positioning and successful decision making.
Other Tigers such as Erica Pusch, Mallory Ames and Aria Hudetz highlighted Mizzou's efforts showing consistency and growth following spring training sessions. Playing for the Tiger Black, Pusch supplied solid one-on-one defense as well as delivering a quality offensive effort creating several scoring opportunities. Bolstering the Mizzou Gold defense, Ames used her simple passing and decisive tackling to aid the strength of her teams' backline. Scoring three goals and two assists for the Tiger Gold, Hudetz successfully created combination plays with her teammates and provided solid scoring runs.
"It was a great day for our team to have the opportunity to play against such quality competition as Western Kentucky and Drury," Mizzou Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. "Not only did we get to see our group compete in a fun and exciting environment, we also got the chance to evaluate all of our players in order to determine both the team's progress and the areas we still need to improve upon for the remainder of the spring. The girls seemed to enjoy themselves. We hope to be able to do this type of event again next year."