Sept. 19, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Columiba, Mo. - The 20th-ranked University of Missouri women's soccer team finishes up its non-conference schedule this weekend when 19th-ranked California and TCU come to Walton Stadium.

No. 19 California (5-1-0, 0-0-0 Pac-10) at No. 20 Missouri (4-2-0, 0-0-0 Big 12)

Friday, Sept. 21 6:30 p.m.

Walton Stadium, Columbia, Mo.

Texas Christian University (TBA) at No. 20 Missouri (TBA)

Sunday, Sept. 23 1 p.m.

Walton Stadium, Columbia, Mo.

*$1 admission and free youth clinic after the game

Playing for Pink

The 20th-ranked University of Missouri women's soccer team will be `Playing for Pink' this Friday (Sept. 21). The special charity event will benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, a non-profit organization that helps those touched by breast cancer. $1 from every ticket sold will go directly to the foundation, and the team will autograph and raffle off 20 new pink Mizzou Soccer jerseys after the game. Fans will be able to purchase raffle tickets all night long. You can buy one raffle ticket for $10, or three for $20.

Be sure to get to the field early, as the first 100 fans into Walton Stadium will receive a free 'Playing for Pink' t-shirt.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a Dallas, Texas-based progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. The non-profit organization fights to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. They have invested almost $1 billion for their cause, making them the largest source of nonprofit funds to fight against breast cancer in the world.

Catching up...

The Tigers traveled to California last weekend (Sept. 14-16) to play No. 1 Stanford and then-No. 3 Santa Clara in the Stanford Invitational. Friday (Sept. 14) the Cardinal defeated Mizzou, 3-2, on a very athletic Allison Falk header. With about two minutes left in the game, Falk headed a corner kick off the crossbar, and she jumped up again and put it in. Earlier in the game, Mizzou sophomore forward Kristin Andrighetto scored her fifth goal of the year, which tied the game at 1-1 just into the second half. After Stanford scored their second goal of the night, Tiger sophomore forward Michelle Collins scored tied the score at 2-2, her fourth goal of the season. Falk then secured the win for the top-ranked Cardinal in the 88th minute to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season. Sunday (Sept. 16) the Tigers got on the board first against then-No. 3 Santa Clara, when Collins' second her second goal of the weekend, and team-tying fifth of the year. The Broncos would score one before halftime, and another in the second half to seal the victory and remain undefeated. The Tigers finished the Invitational, and the weekend, with an 0-2 record.

Mizzou and Cal in the Rankings

The Tigers stayed at No. 20 in the SoccerTimes.com poll after losing two close games last weekend. They fell from 23rd to 25th in the Soccer America Women's Top 25 poll and from 21st to 25th in the Soccer Buzz National Top 30 poll. Mizzou is still receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas National Rankings. In the Central Region, the Tigers moved up to fifth, from sixth, in the NSCAA/adidas poll, and down to fifth, from fourth, in the Soccer Buzz Rankings. After losing to un-ranked Cal Sate Fullerton, Cal fell from 14th to 19th in the NSCAA/adidas poll, from 14th to 20th in the Soccer America poll, from 12th to 19th in the SoccerTimes.com poll and from 23rd to 26th in the Soccer Buzz Rankings.

Tiger Notes

NOTE: Big 12 statistical rankings are correct as of 9/19. NCAA statistical rankings are only through 9/16, their most recently updated stats package.

Two Tigers Had Big Weekends

Collins and Andrighetto are tied for the team lead with five goals, and the two are tied with Texas' Kelsey Carpenter for the Big 12 lead. The pair are also tied for the Big 12 and team lead in points (12) after both had impressive weekends against two highly ranked opponents. Friday (Sept. 14) Andrighetto scored a goal and assisted on Collins' later in the game, earning three points against the top team in America. Collins added another goal on Sunday, again from Andrighetto. Nationally, the two are tied for 22nd with 15 other players in points per game (2.0). Their .833 goals-per-game average is good enough for a tie in the 20th spot nationally.

Forst Back In Goal

Tiger goalkeeper and forward Mallory Forst spent most of the weekend in front of the net after primary starter, Tasha Dittamore, collided with Stanford forward Kelley O'Hara in the 38th minute of Friday's game. Dittamore would sit out the rest of that game, and Sunday's game, because of an injury. Her status for this weekend's games is unknown.

Tigers Shooting...and Scoring

The Mizzou offense is taking care of business when it comes to shooting and scoring this season. The team has already scored 16 goals, in only six games, giving them a 2.67 goals per game average. That number ties them for 20th, nationally, and second in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma State. They lead the conference with 119 shots.

Helping Each Other Out

The Tigers are tied with Oklahoma State for the conference lead in assists (17). Tiger freshman forward Alysha Bonnick leads the squad with three, which ties her for fourth among Big 12 players with Oklahoma State's Katie Richardson.

Good Second Half Numbers

The Tigers have outscored their opponents, 11-3, in the second half of their first six games of the season. They are also out-shooting the competition, 70-23, in the period.

Bonnick Shines Early

Bonnick assisted on both Mizzou goals in the team's 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 sits behind Collins and Andrighetto with nine points (3 G, 3 A). Her nine points ties her for fifth on the Big 12 leaderboard along with Ashlee Pistorius of Texas A&M and Richardson from Oklahoma State. She is tied with many other players for eighth in goals scored (3) and ninth in goals per game (.50). She is tied for second in the conference with two game-winning goals. Bonnick is tied with Richardson four fourth in assists (3) and assists per game (.50).

No. 19 California

The 19th-ranked California Golden Bears are 5-1-0 on the season, after defeating San Diego State, 2-0, Sunday (Sept. 16) in San Diego. Cal freshman forward Alex Morgan scored the first goal of the game and the first of her career in the 53rd minute of Sunday's win. Senior midfielder Caroline Lea scored her second of the year later in the second half to add some insurance for the Bears, who wouldn't need it, winning, 2-0. The shutout win was their fifth of the season, in fact, they have only given up two goals on the year. Both came in their only loss, Friday (Sept. 14) to the hands of the Cal State Fullerton Titans. The two teams played a scoreless first half, and just about one minute into the second, CSF scored the first goal the Bears had given up all year to take the lead at 1-0. Stephanie Wieger scored her second goal of the year for the Bears just about nine minutes later, taking a Brianna Bak cross and heading it in to tie the game at 1-1. Niether team would score again, until the second overtime period, when CSF scored off a corner kick to take the game. Earlier in the season, the Bears beat Columbia, Colorado College, Cal State Bakersfield and Vermont, outscoring those four opponents, 9-0.

Friday's Match-up

Cal's Offense against Mizzou's defense

The Bears have scored 12 goals in their first six games, which is good enough for fourth in the Pac-10, but still behind Mizzou's 16 scored in as many games. Wieger leads the Bears in points, goals and assists this season, with two goals and two assists (six points). This comes as no surprise to Cal fans, as she is the returning leader in points from a year ago. She is already two-thirds of the way to last year's total of nine. Among returners, she tied with Kelly Menachof with three goals last season. Menachof, who made last season's Pac-10 All-Freshman team, already has one goal on the year. The scoring has been spread out so far, with three Bears tied for the team lead with two goals each. Overall, nine Cal players have scored this season.

In their game against San Diego State, Cal started two forwards and four midfielders. They will likely go up against the Tigers' three defenders and four midfielders. Half of the Bears' scoring so far has come from a midfielder, as Caroline Lea and Caitlin Hannegan each have two on the year. Menachof and Katie Oakes have scored one each from the position. The Tiger defense, anchored by Kat Tarr, Lindsay McCoy and Crystal Wagner, has allowed eight goals on the year (1.33 per game) to Cal's 12 goals scored (2.0 per game).

Cal's Solid Defense against Mizzou's Explosive Offense

The Tigers have won their games by scoring goals, 16 of them, which ranks third in the Big 12, while Cal has made their living by not allowing goals. As previously mentioned, the Bears have only given up two goals on the year, both of them in their 2-1 overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 14). They boast five shutouts and a 0.321 goals-against average, good for ninth in the nation. Last season, the defense recorded 12 shutouts and finished the season with a 0.69 goals-against average. The defense returns three starters from last season; seniors Courtney Hooker and Kristine Relja and junior Nkechi Kanu. Hooker was named to the All-Pac-10 second team for her good defensive play last season. She is the only Bear to play every minute of Cal's six games this year. The Tigers will be the first ranked team the Bears defense has played all year, and they will be the most explosive, as Mizzou is tied for 20th nationally with a 2.67 goals-per game average. Collins and Andrighetto lead the Tigers with five goals each and 12 points. Mizzou will likely start three forwards and four midfielders, against Cal's four defenders and four midfielders.

Goalkeepers

The Tigers have two solid goalkeepers, sophomore transfer Tasha Dittamore and junior Mallory Forst. Dittamore has started five games for Mizzou after playing with Dayton last season. She has only given up three goals on the year, and boasts an impressive .71 goals-against average on the season. She was forced to sit out a good portion of Friday's game against No. 1 Stanford after she collided with one of the Cardinal's top forwards, Kelley O'Hara, in the second half. She missed Sunday's game against then-No. 3 Santa Clara. Forst came in for Dittamore Friday night and she started Sunday. She is experienced in the net, as she started 17 games for the Tigers last season, recording five shutouts and finishing the season with a 1.50 goals-against average. This season, she has played almost 160 minutes in goal, allowing five goals while making eight saves. All five of those goals were scored last weekend against No. 1 Stanford and then-No. 3 Santa Clara, both Tiger losses.

Cal also has options at the keeper position, and they have used them, as three different Bears have played in net this season. Freshman Jorden Kussmann started Cal's last game, a 2-0 win at San Diego State (Sept. 16). So far this season, she has played in three games, and has a 2-0 record with one shutout. She recorded one save. Gina Pellegrini has started and played in four games this season, with a 3-1 record. She gave up two goals in the team's loss to Cal State Fullerton last Friday (Sept. 14). She has ten saves on the season. Last year, she started eight games, posted four shutouts, and finished with an impressive 0.15 goals-against average. Rosie Aguilera has played just more than 20 minutes. She has not faced a shot on goal.

Cal in 2006, Against the Tigers

The Bears finished the 2006 season 12-5-5, after a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 2006 tournament appearance was their third in a row and eighth in the past nine years. Mizzou has a 1-1-1 record against Cal in their three previous match-ups. The Bears won, 2-1, in 2000 in Winston-Salem, N.C. MU took the game at Walton Stadium in 2003, 1-0, and the two teams tied, 0-0, when they played in Berkeley in 2005.

Sunday's Matchup: TCU

Unranked Texas Christian University is 3-3 on the season after going 1-1 last weekend at home. They will play at Southern Methodist Friday (Sept. 21). Last Friday (Sept. 14) the Horned Frogs defeated Texas Tech, 2-1, behind a free kick goal from Michelle Nguyen, her second of the year, and a traditional goal scored by Jackie Torda, her third of the season. The Frogs couldn't carry the momentum into Sunday, however, as they fell to Arizona, 2-0. Besides the win against Texas Tech, TCU has beaten UT-San Antonio and Utah State. And in addition to the Arizona loss, they fell to then-No. 9 Texas and un-ranked Rice.

TCU's offense

The Horned Frogs have scored seven goals in their six games, giving them a 1.14 goals- per game average. Torda leads the team with her three goals, Nguyen has two and Jenna Hayes and Lizzy Karoly have scored one each. Senior midfielder/defender Angie Nickens is back this season, after red-shirting last year. She has started all six games for TCU this season, and she has six shots so far, with zero goals and assists. The Horned Frogs were also looking forward to the return of senior midfielder Lauren Pope, who missed the second half of last season. Despite missing the final 11 games last year, she was tied for second on the team with nine points (four goals, one assist). So far she has played in and started three games, and has taken one shot, but she has not seen any action in TCU's last three games. Last Sunday (Sept. 16) the Frogs started two forwards, Karoly and Torda, along with four midfielders. They will likely go up against Mizzou's three defenders and four midfielders.

TCU's Defense

The Frogs have given up eight goals in their first six games, a 1.31 goals-per game average. They are led by seniors Caroline Starnes and Nickens, junior Sara Schneider and freshman Cheryl Martin. Starnes has started all six games this season, and she started 17 last year. Last season, she helped the Frogs shut out five teams, and post the team's second lowest goals-against average in history (1.32). Nickens has also started all six games, after red-shirting last season. Schneider started 16 games a year ago, and played in 17. She has started all six this year. Martin has also started all six games for the Frogs. They will have four defenders and four midfielders, against Mizzou's three forwards and four midfielders.

TCU's Keepers

Freshman Kelsey Walters has started games 3-6, after she took over in the second half of TCU's second game of the year. She has made 29 saves and allowed four goals. She is 2-2 on the year, with a shutout and a 0.86 goals-against average. The other Kelsey, Kelsey Vross, started the first two games, giving up four goals in just three halves.

Frogs in 2006, and Against the Tigers

Last year, TCU finished 6-8-4, with a 1-3-3 record in the Mountain West Conference. This is the first meeting between the Tigers and Frogs.

Next Week: Tigers Begin Conference Season!

Mizzou will begin the Big 12 season next Friday (Sept. 28) when they host fourth-ranked Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 30) the Tigers travel to Waco, Texas to play Baylor.