Nov. 8, 2007
San Antonio, Texas - The 22nd-ranked University of Missouri women's soccer team (13-6-0) will play the second-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (16-2-2) in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship Friday (Nov. 9) at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. Friday's first semifinal game is set to start at 5:30 p.m.Live coverage, including live stats and video, is available at big12sports.com.
Tigers Earn 13 Wins for Third Time
With Mizzou's win over Texas Tech, they improved their record to 13-6 on the season. MU's 13 win total ties the 2001 team for the second-most wins in program history. The 1999 Mizzou team holds the program record with 14 victories.
Exciting First Round of Big 12 Championship
Mizzou's double-overtime game was one of three games that were not decided in the first 100 minutes Wednesday at Blossom Soccer Stadium on the north side of the Alamo City. In the day's first game, No. 2 Texas A&M, the tournament's No. 1 seed, tied Iowa State, 1-1, after two overtime periods. The two teams battled it out in a penalty kick shootout to decide who would advance to the semifinal round. A&M took the close shootout, 8-7, to advance. After Mizzou's double-overtime win, No. 11 Texas tied Colorado, 0-0, and advanced on penalty kicks, by a 4-2 score. In the fourth game, 23rd-ranked Oklahoma State, the tournament's sixth seed, defeated Kansas, 3-0.
Mizzou Hopes for Deja Vu
Earlier this season, (Sept. 28) then-No. 16 Mizzou defeated then-No. 4 Texas A&M, 3-2, in double overtime. The Tigers were down twice in the game, 1-0, and 2-1, but Tiger freshman forward Kari Adam brought Mizzou back each time, sending the game into overtime with her second goal of the night. Tiger sophomore Kristin Andrighetto scored the game-winner in the second overtime period to give Mizzou a 7-2 start to the season.
Series Notes
The Tigers and Aggies have split their last six meetings, but A&M still holds a 9-4 lead in the series. The two teams have met once in the Big 12 Championship, in 2005. A&M won that contest, 3-1, at Blossom Soccer Stadium. Only three different Tigers have scored against the Aggies, but Mo Redmond, Adam and Andrighetto each have scored two career goals against A&M.
Top Offenses Clash
Texas A&M and Missouri sit atop the Big 12 in scoring offense, as the Aggies have scored 58 goals in 20 games, a 2.90 goals per game average, which ranks first in the league. Mizzou is not too far behind, as they have scored 51 in 19 games, a 2.68 goals per game average that ranks second in the league.
Pistorius Leads the Aggies
For the Tigers to be successful, they will have to contain Texas A&M's top offensive weapon, 2007 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Ashlee Pistorius, who leads the nation and Big 12 in points per game (2.65) and goals per game (1.15). She has scored four goals in five career games against the Tigers, and has managed to tally one goal in each of the last four games between A&M and Mizzou. A&M's No. 2 goal scorer, Melissa Garey, who has notched six on the season, will sit out Friday's game as she serves a suspension from a red card she received in A&M's tie against Iowa State Wednesday (Nov. 7). Elisabeth Jones, who scored the first goal in Mizzou's 3-2 double overtime win earlier in the season, sits behind Garey with five goals on the season.
Three Lead the Tigers
Mizzou features a trio of offensive stars, Andrighetto, Michelle Collins and Alysha Bonnick. Andrighetto, an All-Big 12 first team forward, is second in the Big 12 with 14 goals on the season. She has also added eight assists. Collins, an all-league second team selection, has scored 11 goals on the season, which ranks third in the Big 12. Bonnick, the 2007 Rookie of the Year, sits in third place with 29 total points (10g, 9a).
Bonnick's Freshman Numbers
Bonnick has scored 10 goals on the season, the most ever a Tiger freshman, and the most by a Tiger newcomer since Erin Grimsley scored 14 in 1998. Bonnick has also added the most assists (9) and points (29) by a freshman in program history. She has also scored the most game-winning goals (5) by a freshman in program history. Her next game-winner would tie Thole and Swinehart with the program lead for a season.
Andrighetto Moving Up
Andrighetto has now scored 14 goals on the season, the most by a Tiger since 1999, when Nikki Thole scored 23 and Grimsley finished with 16. Andrighetto is only the third Tiger, behind Thole and Grimsley to score at least 14 goals in a season. With her six shots Wednesday, Andrighetto has broken the program record for shots in a season. Andrighetto has 102 shots on the year. She is in second place on the all-time season list with 44 shots on goal. Career-wise, she is now sixth with 49 points, and sixth with 20 goals.
Defensive Match-up
The A&M defense has only given up 14 goals in their 20 games, a 0.67 goals-against average that ranks first in the Big 12. Mizzou's three-goal performance against the Aggies earlier in the season still stands as the highest total A&M has given up this season. In fact, the three goals was the highest total the Aggies have given up since their 3-2 loss to then-No. 1 North Carolina in last season's NCAA Tournament.
Mizzou's Defense
The Tigers have given up 26 goals in 19 games, a 1.34 goals-against average, which ranks seventh in the Big 12. The Tigers have earned six shutouts this season, however, which ranks fifth in the conference, and is one behind the season record of seven, held by the 2005 Tigers.
Keeper Match-up
Friday's starting keeper, Tasha Dittamore, left the game in the final minutes of regulation due to an apparent injury. Dittamore's status for Friday's game is unknown. Tiger goalkeeper Mallory Forst came into the game for Dittamore, made one save, and earned the win, her seventh of the season. She now has 16 career victories, which ties her for third on the all-time list with current Tiger Student Assistant Coach Laura Buehrig. Both Dittamore and Forst have recorded three shutouts on the season. A&M's keeper Kristin Arnold, who made the All-Big 12 first team as the league's best goalkeeper, leads the conference with seven shutouts. Her 0.72 goals-against average is second, and her .841 save percentage is tied for third in the league. In an interesting coaching move, Arnold was pulled in favor of Kelly Dyer in the penalty kick shootout. Dyer came in to face Iowa State's eighth shot, and made the save, giving the Aggies an opportunity to win the shootout. A&M's next shot went in, sending them to the second round.
If Mizzou Advances...
If the Tigers defeat the Aggies Friday night, they will play the winner of Friday's second semifinal game between Texas and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship game, Sunday (Nov. 11).