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Aug. 23, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's soccer team, fresh off a 5-0 win against Indiana at Walton Stadium in Columbia Tuesday night, travels to intra-state rival Saint Louis for its second and final exhibition match of the preseason. Sunday's match will start at 1 p.m. The Saint Louis web site, www.slubillikens.com will have free live video for the game, as well as live stats via Gametracker.
First Look Tuesday, the Tigers welcomed Indiana to Walton Stadium, and took care of business, winning their first preseason game, 5-0, behind goals from freshmen Alysha Bonnick and Katya Hessel, juniors Janelle Cordia and Mo Redmond and sophomore Kristin Andrighetto and juniors Janelle Cordia and Mo Redmond. The Tiger defense limited the Hoosiers to only eight shots, and the goalkeeper duo of Tasha Dittamore and Mallory Forst stopped all four shots on goal to secure the shutout for Mizzou.
Up Next
After the SLU game, the Tigers will have less than a week to prepare for the season opener, Fri. Aug. 31, at Illinois. The Illini are ranked 17th in the Soccer Buzz national poll, and 20th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. Illinois is also projected to finish second in the Big Ten, behind perennial power Penn State.
But First...Saint Louis
The Billikens played their first exhibition game Monday (Aug. 20) against Evansville in southern Indiana and came away with a convincing 6-1 victory. It must be noted that the teams played three 35-minute periods, instead of the standard two 45-minute halves. A couple of Billiken youngsters stepped up to lead the scoring, as sophomore Kelly Waeckerle and freshman Alyssa Mautz each contributed two goals. Seniors Mary Green and Cassi Winchell added a goal each to help SLU take the game.
Two (Really One) To Look Out For
In July, sophomore forward Julia Brandenberg and junior back Lauren Olson were named to the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason All-Conference team. Olson will see action for SLU Friday night, but SLUBillikens.com reports Brandenberg injured her lower back earlier this month and will miss four to six weeks of the Billikens' season.
Brandenberg racked up the offensive numbers last season, earning a team-high 28 points (10G, 8A) while on her way to winning the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award. Olson does not have the impressive offensive numbers her fellow A-10 All-Conference teammate does. Instead, she helped the Billiken defense to avoid gaudy offensive numbers from opposing teams, keeping SLU opponents to only 23 goals last season.
Last Season
Speaking of last season, the Billikens enjoyed a 15-4-2 record, propelling them to their second A-10 title in as many seasons, and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
SLU Series
The Tigers are 1-2 against Saint Louis in the series between the two schools; with Mizzou taking the last meeting by a 2-0 score Sept. 15, 1998 in Columbia. In that game, the Tigers did not allow Saint Louis to take a single shot in the second half and out shot the Billikens 6 to 1. Missouri's defense held SLU's forward standout Tricia Underberg to two shots, and their season's leading scorer, Lori Wiedemeir didn't even take one. The latest installment of this rivalry is just an exhibition game, but the importance of the contest for statewide bragging rights is apparent.
Tiger Notes
Hamblin Back in Action
Speaking of Ashley Hamblin, the Tiger junior is back after an injury to try to continue the success she was enjoying before her injury. Despite only playing in nine games last season, Hamblin led the team with 15 points (5G, 5A). Tuesday, Hamblin got off one shot, playing 40 minutes of action.
Tigers Return Most of their Scoring
Mizzou returns seven of its top eight scorers from 2006, including leading goal scorer, Kristin Andrighetto, who notched six last season. Also returning besides Hamblin, Bree Thnornton, who finished tied for second in points with 13, and tied for second with five goals. Janelle Cordia scored four goals and added an assist, and Meghan Pfeiffer, Mo Redmond and Michelle Collins also helped the Tigers score some goals. Although the preseason stats do not count, Cordia, Andrighetto and Redmond each scored Tuesday night in the Tigers' first exhibition game.
Forst a Force in Net
Tiger goalkeeper Mallory Forst looks to follow up her solid sophomore season this year. Last season, she turned a lot of heads when she recorded four shutouts in her first four collegiate starts. She helped the Tiger defense set a new Missouri record with five-consecutive shutouts to start the year. Overall, she recorded 54 saves during the season with a 1.50 goals against average. In the second half of Tuesday's game, she saved three shots, including a diving stop on what was the Hoosiers' best scoring chance of the game.
Dittamore Fighting for "More" Playing Time
Another Tiger goalkeeper, Tasha Dittamore, started the first exhibition, and played the entire first half. She stopped the Hoosiers' only shot on goal in the first half, helping Mizzou get the shutout. The sophomore transfer from Dayton University played seven games for the Flyers last season, earning 5-2 record, including two shutouts. She only gave up six goals all year.
Tiger "D" Strong
If Tuesday night was any indication of how the Tiger D will play this season, Mizzou fans should be feeling pretty good. The back line, anchored by juniors Lindsay McCoy and Kat Tarr, and sophomore Crystal Wagner, only gave up eight shots, and only four on goal. The defense started off last season stone cold as well, shutting out the Tigers' first five regular season opponents.
Preseason Picks
The Big 12 coaches picked Mizzou to finish 8th out of 11 teams, which is higher than they finished last season (10th) but still below where the team wants to be. The Tigers are ranked 13th in the preseason Soccer Buzz Central Region poll, one behind Saint Louis, who sits in 12th. Saint Louis is picked to win the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2007. The Billikens won the postseason Championship last season, while Charlotte took the regular season crown.
Tigers in the WPSL
Several Tigers completed successful seasons for the St. Louis-based River Cities Futbol Club of the Women's Professional Soccer League over the summer. Highlighting the season, Kat Tarr and Katya Hessel earned honors throughout the summer. Tarr was named to the WPSL Team of the Week for the week of June 27th, while, Hessel received honorable mention recognition for the week of June 8. Hessel scored three goals and added one assist in six games for RCFC over the summer season. Meghan Pfeiffer, Ashley Hamblin, Janelle Cordia and Tasha Dittamore also played for RCFC.