Tigers Face Trojans in Second Round of NCAA Championship
11/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Nov. 17, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - The 23rd-ranked University of Missouri women's soccer team (13-7-1) will face eighth-ranked USC (15-3-2) Sunday afternoon at Walton Stadium in Columbia. The Tigers will try to advance to the third round for the first time in program history when they face the Trojans, have never advanced past the second round themselves.
Watch the Big Game
Tiger fans can catch Mizzou's second-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship in person Sunday afternoon in Columbia. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $4 for children and students. If you are unable to make it to Walton Stadium, you can watch the game free of charge on Mizzou All-Access or listen to the game on KCOU FM in Columbia. Live stats are also available on mutigers.com.
First Round Recap
The Tigers advanced to the second round by tying Southeast Missouri, 1-1, and winning the penalty kick shootout, 2-0. Tiger forward Michelle Collins scored Mizzou's goal in regulation, and defender Kat Tarr and goalkeeper Mallory Forst each scored in the penalty kick shootout.
USC defeated Creighton, 3-0, in the first game of the day at Walton Stadium. The Trojans got goals from Amy Rodriguez, Marihelen Tomer and Lauren Brown to advance to the second round for the sixth time in program history.
Possible Storyline: High-powered offenses meet
Both the Tigers and Trojans dominated their respective first round games, offensively. Each team's offense kept the ball in their opponents' end for most of the night, out-shooting the opposition by gaudy margins. USC out-shot Creighton, 34-7, while the Tigers finished with a 26-3 advantage. The Tigers came into the NCAA Championship ranked 11th in the nation in goals per game, with a 2.60 average. That number dropped, slightly, after Mizzou scored only one goal Friday night, however. USC's goals per game total rose after Friday night's three-goal performance. They now boast a 2.00 goals per game average, which would likely rank in the top-50 nationally after the first round.
Inaugural Meeting
Sunday's game will be the first meeting between the USC and Missouri women's soccer teams. The Tigers did play two Pac-10 teams this season, however, falling to then-No. 1 Stanford, 3-2, Sept. 14, and defeating then-No. 19 California, 4-0, Sept. 21. USC tied Stanford and beat California this season. The Tigers and Trojans each played, and defeated, Nebraska earlier in the season.
Around the Tournament
The Big 12 went 4-0-1 in the first round of the NCAA Championship Thursday and Friday. Thursday, Texas A&M defeated Stephen F. Austin and Texas defeated BYU. Friday, Oklahoma State upset San Diego, 2-1 and Colorado defeated Hawaii. Texas and Texas A&M play Saturday evening in the second round in College Station, Texas. Looking at Mizzou's 2007 opponents; Stanford, California, and Illinois each advanced. The Tigers were 4-4 against the seven teams on their schedule that advanced to the second round.
Thinking Ahead...
The team that advances in Sunday's second round game between Mizzou and USC will face either Central Florida or Florida in the third round. The game between the in-state rivals is set to start at Noon (CT) Sunday in Gainesville, Fla. The Gators are one of the tournament's four No. 3 seeds.
