Sept. 11, 2007
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Columbia, Mo. - The 20th-ranked University of Missouri women's soccer team (4-0-0, 0-0 Big 12) will play one of its toughest weekends ever when the Tigers face No. 1 Stanford (4-0-0, 0-0 Pac-10) and No. 3 Santa Clara (2-0-1, 0-0 West Coast Conference) in the Stanford Invitational this weekend in California. Friday night (Sept. 14) Mizzou will face host Stanford, who is ranked No. 1 in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 Poll, at 9:30 PM (CT) and Sunday (Sept. 16) the Tigers will take on Santa Clara, who is ranked No. 3 by the same poll and as high as No. 1 by Soccer America, at 1 PM (CT).
Getting Caught Up...
The 20th-ranked Tigers are 4-0 on the season, after wins against then-No. 20 Illinois (Aug. 31), Western Michigan (Sept. 2), Iowa (Sept. 7) and Eastern Illinois (Sept. 9). After those wins, the Tigers are now No. 20 in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 poll. MU has shut out their last two opponents, beating Iowa, 2-0, and Western Michigan, 3-0. In the two wins this weekend, freshman Alysha Bonnick scored two goals and picked up two assists, to earn six points on the weekend, which is the most by a Tiger freshman over a two-game span since Jennifer Nobis earned eight points in two Tiger wins during the 2002 season. Mizzou goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore earned the first two shutouts of her Tiger career Friday and Sunday.
Tigers, Broncos and Cardinal in the Rankings
The Tigers moved up from 23rd to 20th in this week's SoccerTimes.com Top 25 poll. Mizzou has also moved up to 21st from 26th in the SoccerBuzz.com National Top-30 rankings and up to 23rd from 25th in the Soccer America Women's Top 25. The Tigers are receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA)/adidas National Rankings.
In the Central Region, Mizzou moved up one spot to fourth from fifth in the SoccerBuzz poll, and stayed at No. 6 in the NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings. Stanford is ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA/adidas National Rankings and in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 poll. They are No. 2 in the SoccerBuzz.com National Top-30 and No. 3 in the Soccer America Women's Top 25. Santa Clara is ranked No. 1 in the Soccer America poll, but third in both coaches polls, the NSCAA/adidas National Rankings and in the SoccerTimes.com Top 25 poll. SCU is fourth in Soccer Buzz's poll.
Top-ranked Stanford
The Stanford Cardinal are 4-0 on the season after beating then-No. 2 Notre Dame, 2-1, to take the Santa Clara adidas Tournament title Sunday (Sept. 9). They also defeated Boston (Aug. 31), Connecticut (Sept. 2) and No. 8 Virginia (Sept. 7) to start the season unbeaten. The Irish got on the board first in Sunday's game, scoring in the 34th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Stanford sophomore Kelley O'Hara scored a little more than six minutes into the second half to tie it. The game stayed at 1-1 through the end of regulation, and in the 98th minute, Shari Summers took a penalty kick past Notre Dame goalkeeper Nikki Weiss to score the eventual game-winning goal for Stanford. Last Friday night, Sept. 7, the Cardinal defeated UVA, 2-1, to win the first game of the Santa Clara adidas Tournament. Kelley Birch and Lizzy George each scored for Stanford. The first weekend of the season, the Cardinal defeated Boston University, 2-0, and Connecticut, 1-0, to take the BU Terrier Classic title. O'Hara scored a goal in each of the victories, and freshman Morgan Redman scored the first of her career against Boston.
Friday's Match-up
Tigers High-scoring Offense against Stanford's Strong Defense
The high-powered Mizzou offense, which is tied for 13th nationally with 3.25 goals per game (13 total), will be tested by a tough Stanford defense that has allowed only two goals through the first four games. Redshirt Senior Rachel Buehler, M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Finalist and and All-Pac-10 defender last season, anchors Stanford's back four, along with Junior Allison Falk, who made the 2006 All-Pac-10 Second Team. Junior Marisa Abegg earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 recognition last season, after starting all 23 games and helping the defense record 15 shutouts and a 0.55 goals against average. Senior April Wall started 17 games last season, 20 in 2005 and 13 in 2004. Mizzou's offense, as previously mentioned, has scored 13 goals on the young season. Andrighetto leads the team with four; freshman Alysha Bonnick and sophomore Michelle Collins have three each. Mo Redmond has two and freshman Krista Kruse recorded her first goal Friday (Sept. 7) against Iowa. The Tigers will likely start three forwards, and four midfielders against Stanford's four defenders and three midfielders. Last Sunday, Bonnick, Collins and Hessel got the start, but all Tiger forwards and midfielders saw significant playing time.
Mizzou Has Impressive Defensive Numbers, Too
Stanford has only given up two goals on the year, but the Mizzou defense has only allowed three. It must be noted, however, that Stanford has played two ranked teams (then-No. 2 Notre Dame and then-No. 8 Virginia) to Mizzou's one (then-No. 20 Illinois). Three Mizzou returners, juniors Kat Tarr and Lindsay McCoy and sophomore Crystal Wagner anchor the Tiger defense. Tarr made 14 starts last season and saw action in all 19 Mizzou games. McCoy made 18 starts and Wagner started 15 games. Last Sunday (Sept. 9), Mizzou did not give up a shot or a corner kick to Eastern Illinois, and Friday (Sept. 7) they shut out Iowa, holding them to only four shots. Mizzou has not given up a goal in more than two and a half games (241 minutes and 44 seconds to be exact). Opponents have only 20 shots against the Mizzou defense, half of the 40 shots the Cardinal defense has given up. The Cardinal offense has scored seven goals on the season, including three from All-Pac-10 forward Kelley O'Hara, who also has two assists. O'Hara was called up by the US National team in March and trained with the team in April. She will not be joining the team in the World Cup this month, however. Last season, O'Hara led the Cardinal in points (20) and goals (nine) to earn a spot on the All-Pac-10 First Team and the conference's freshman team. George, Birch and Redman each own a goal on the season. The Cardinal will likely start three forwards and three midfielders against Mizzou's three defenders and four midfielders.
Goalkeepers
Mizzou sophomore goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore has earned two shutouts in a row the last two games, bringing her record as a Tiger to 4-0. She has started all four games in goal, and played more than 343 minutes on the year. During that time, she has made six saves and given up three goals. Mizzou's starting keeper from a year ago, Mallory Forst, has played a little more than 16 minutes. She faced zero shots on goal. Stanford's senior keeper Erica Holland has only given up two goals on the season, and she saved 12 shots on goal. She boasted he best save percentage and goals-against average in the Pac-10 last season.
Stanford Last Season
The Cardinal had another successful season in 2006, as they finished 15-6-2 and made the NCAA Tournament for the ninth season in a row. They made it to the Round of 16 in the tournament before losing to Clemson to end their season. All of their starters from last season are back to lead the team in 2007.
Santa Clara's Impressive Start
The Broncos started the season ranked as high as fifth in the Soccer America Women's Top 25 poll, and have only moved up from there. SCU is currently No. 1 in that same poll after defeating San Jose State and then-No. 2 Notre Dame, but they are No. 3 in the SoccerTimes.com and NSCAA/adidas coaches polls. Santa Clara's marquee victory of the season so far was a 7-1 win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame in the Santa Clara adidas Tournament. The Broncos came out hot and scored seven goals on the Irish, the most the team has ever given up and two more than they gave up the entire 2006 season. Kiki Bosio, Meagan Snell and Klein scored two goals each and Courtney Lewis added another to take the Broncos to 2-0. Sunday (Sept. 9) Santa Clara tied No. 8 Virginia, 0-0, to finish the Santa Clara adidas Tournament behind then-No. 5 Stanford, who went 2-0 in the tournament. Klein and Bosio were named to the Soccer Buzz National Elite Team of the Week and the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week. The Broncos started off the year with a close 3-2 victory over rival San Jose State the first Friday night of the season (Aug. 31). Santa Clara charged out to an early 2-0 lead behind goals from Tina Estrada and Klein, but San Jose State scored on a penalty kick to shorten the lead to 2-1. Jessie Badley added some insurance for the Broncos, which was eventually necessary as the Spartans would score one more, but it wouldn't be enough, and the Broncos pulled out the 3-2 win. They are now 12-0 against their South (San Francisco) Bay Rivals.
Sunday's Matchup: Santa Clara
SCU's Offense
The Broncos have scored ten goals in their first three games, including their seven-goal output against then-No. 2 Notre Dame last Friday (Sept. 7). Klein leads the team with three goals, including the two she scored against the Irish. For her efforts, she was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week. Bosio and Snell are tied for second with two goals and Courtney Lewis and Estrada have each scored one. They have out-shot their opponents, 45-32. Santa Clara will likely start four forwards, Bosio, Wstrada, Lexi Orand and Anessa Patton got the start for the Broncos in their draw against Virginia (Sept. 9). In that game, Santa Clara started three midfielders, Klein, Lewis and Kendra Perry.
The Bronco Defense
Like the Tigers, Santa Clara only starts three defenders. Sunday, it was senior Chioma Igwe, sophomore Katherine Reynolds and redshirt freshman Lindsey Johnson getting the start for the Broncos. Igwe played with Cal as a sophomore and a freshman, and transferred to Santa Clara before last season. In her first year on the Broncos she started 16 matches. Reynolds started six games last year as she battled an ankle injury, causing her to miss nine matches. Johnson suffered a season-ending knee injury in last season's first match. Lewis and Patton have also started on the back line. In the first three games, the defense has given up three goals and 32 shots, including 17 on goal.
Bronco Goalkeeper
Junior Meagan McCray has made 17 saves on the year, while only allowing three goals. The Bronco junior has played every minute (290) of Santa Clara's first three games. She started 16 games in goal last season, allowing ten goals and earning an All-WCC Honorable Mention nod.
Last Season
The then-No. 3 Broncos lost to un-ranked USC, 1-0, in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, a disappointing finish for SCU, who had advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament for 11 straight seasons. They finished the '06 season with a 15-5-1 record, including a 5-1-1 record in the West Coast Conference, winning their ninth conference title. The Broncos lost ten letterwinners to graduation and another four are injured, but so far this season they have obviously found a way around the losses. Tiger Notes
Tigers Against No. 1's
Mizzou has only played one No. 1 team. On Sept. 23, 2001, the unranked Tigers fell to No. 1 North Carolina, 7-0, in the Duke Invitational Tournament in Durham, N.C. Friday's match against the No. 1-ranked Cardinal will be the first time the Tigers will face a No. 1 team when they are ranked in the top-20.
Tigers Against Santa Clara and Stanford
This will be the first meeting between Mizzou and Santa Clara, and only the second against Stanford. Mizzou fell to then-No. 23 Stanford, 1-0, Sept. 10, 2004 in Columbia.
Freshman Shines
Tiger freshman forward Alysha Bonnick assisted on both Mizzou goals in a 2-0 win over Iowa Friday (Sept. 7) in Iowa City. She added two of her own in the Tigers' 3-0 win over Eastern Illinois at home Sunday (Sept. 9). She earned the most points (six) by a Tiger freshman in two consecutive games since 2002 when Jennifer Nobis scored three goals and added two assists (eight points) in Mizzou's wins over Iowa State (Oct. 18, 2002) and Loyola (IL) on Oct. 20, 2002. Bonnick leads the 2007 Tigers with nine points. (3 G, 3 A) Her nine points ties her for second on the Big 12 leaderboard along with Ashlee Pistorius of Texas A&M. She is tied with many other players for fourth in goals scored (3) and goals per game (.75). She is tied with Nikki Marshall of Colorado with two game-winning goals. In the assists category, she is tied with two Oklahoma State players for third with three total assists and .75 per game.
Andrighetto off to a Great Start
Tiger sophomore Kristin Andrighetto scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season in Mizzou's 2-0 win over Iowa last Friday (Sept. 7). The Mizzou forward is only two goals away from reaching her 2006 team-leading total of six. She is tied with two other conference players, Whitney Palmer of Oklahoma and Pistorius of A&M, at the top of the goals scored list, and she is second among Big 12 players in the shots category, with 20. The Pleasant Hill, Calif., native will feel close to home next weekend when the Tigers play two games in the Bay Area. Pleasant Hill is about 50 miles north of Maloney Field.
Tigers in Conference Categories
Mizzou's shot total, 101, is only two behind Oklahoma State's conference-leading 103 shots. The Tigers are third in points with 39, third in assists with 13 and fourth in goals with 13.
Collins With The Assist (s)
Whether its scoring an important goal, or dishing an assist, Mizzou forward Michelle Collins is playing a big part in the offense. Sunday (Sept. 9) Collins assisted on both of Bonnick's goals, helping the Tigers stay undefeated with at win over Eastern Illinois. The first week of the season, it was Collins doing the scoring. She scored three goals to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. She was also selected to the Soccer America Women's Team of the Week, the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week and the TopDrawer Soccer Women's College Team of the Week. Her two goals against Illinois came after the game was tied at 1-1 in the second half. About three minutes after Kristin Andrighetto scored the Tigers' first goal, Collins took a pass from Bree Thornton down the left side of the field and beat the goalkeeper from about 20 yards out. She added some insurance for Mizzou about four minutes later, when she took a ball that Alysha Bonnick shot off the post and put it in, securing the upset for the Tigers. In her freshman season last year, Collins saw action in 17 games, including 10 starts. She scored one goal, and dished out three assists for a total of five points. She has already earned eight points this season, on three goals and two assists. Her eight points ties her for fourth in the conference in points per game (2). Her three goals and four assists ties her for fourth and sixth, respectively.
Redmond Productive From the Middle
Tiger junior Midfielder Mo Redmond scored her second goal on the season against Eastern Illinois (Sept. 9). She also scored a goal and assisted on another against Western Michigan (Sept. 2). Her two goals and one assist ties her offensive totals from last season. She is currently fourth on the team with five points.
(Almost) Everybody's Playing
One of the things Tiger Head Coach Bryan Blitz is proud of with the 2007 team is the depth his team has. Every player, with the exception of the Tigers' third goalkeeper, Emily Zaler, has seen a lot of playing time. In Mizzou's win on Sunday, every Tiger, with the exception of Zaler and freshman Caitlin Linas, played 20 minutes or more. Linas, primarily a defender, played seven minutes in the midfield. It might be tough for her to see time, as the Tigers' back three of McCoy, Tarr and Wagner played all 90 minutes Sunday.
Kruse Hurt; Will Not Travel
Tiger freshman Krista Kruse, who scored her first career goal against Iowa, broke her nose Sunday (Sept. 16) against Eastern Illinois. She will not be traveling with the Tigers to California.
Tigers Return Most of their Scoring
Mizzou returns seven of its top eight scorers from 2006, including leading goal scorer, Andrighetto, who notched six last season, and already has four this year. Also returning beside Hamblin, Bree Thornton, 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, Redmond and Collins also scored for Mizzou.
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 currently the third-highest ranked conference team in the Soccer Buzz National Top-30 poll behind Texas A&M (3) and Texas (6).
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, Tarr and 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. Meghan Pfeiffer, Ashley Hamblin, Janelle Cordia and Dittamore also played for RCFC.