Nov. 9, 2007
San Antonio, Texas - The second-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (17-2-2) defeated the 22nd-ranked University of Missouri women's soccer team (13-7-0), 4-1, in the semifinal round of the Big 12 Soccer Championship in front of 1,838 fans at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.
"Well, we fought hard," Tiger Head Coach Bryan Blitz said after the loss. "We thought our team played well. Hats off to Texas A&M, though, they are definitely the class of the Big 12. But now we are moving on. We are looking forward to be in the NCAA Tournament, and that's where our focus is at this point."
The NCAA Selection Show is set for Monday (Nov. 12) at 7 p.m. The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews.
Mizzou had a good start to Friday's game, both offensively and defensively. Defensively, the Tigers only gave up one shot in the first 20 minutes. When the Aggies had the ball in Mizzou's end, Mizzou's defenders, midfielders and forwards kept A&M from getting early chances, making sure the Tigers could get quality chances on offense.
Mizzou's forward attack of Alysha Bonnick, Michelle Collins, and Kristin Andrighetto combined to score the first goal of the game in the 15th minute. Collins had the ball on the right side of the box, about 10 yards from the front of the goal. She kicked it in the air to Andrighetto, who was on the right side of the goal, near the end line. Aggie goalkeeper Kristin Arnold came out to challenge the play, and Andrighetto took advantage and headed it back to the center of the six-yard box, where Bonnick then headed it into the open goal. With the goal, Bonnick increased her season goal total to 11. It is the highest total by a Mizzou freshman in program history, and the highest by a newcomer since junior transfer Erin Grimsley scored 14 in 1998.
Texas A&M tied the game less than 10 minutes later, however, as they converted on their first corner kick of the night. Aggie senior Allison Martino put the ball into the box, where Amber Gnatzig headed it past Mizzou's defenders to the far post to tie the game at 1-1.
About seven minutes after their first goal, at the 31:41 mark, the Aggies got on the board once again, as A&M's Rachel Shipley put a shot on goal from about 30 yards out. The ball sailed high, beating Forst to the far post.
Just about seven minutes later, in the 39th minute, the Aggies scored again. The Tigers first dodged a bullet as Laura Grace Robinson's free kick hit the crossbar, and bounced out. Mizzou defenders were unable to clear the ball completely, however, and A&M's Amy Berend corralled it about 12 yards away from the goal. She sent it towards the net, and it went over Forst and under the crossbar for Berend's third goal of the season. The Aggies took a 3-1 advantage with that score.
The Tigers went into halftime down 3-1, their largest deficit of the season. They were also trailing in shots, 12-7, and shots on goal, 7-3.
Texas A&M only increased their lead after halftime, despite many good chances by the Tiger offense and solid play by Mizzou's defenders as well as Forst, who made many athletic saves on the night.
In the 54th minute, Forst made one of her eight stops, and perhaps her best of the night, as Pistorius took a low and hard shot from inside the box. Forst dove to her left and caught it with two hands, keeping the game at 3-1.
About one minute later, Andrighetto had a good chance for a goal, as she shot the ball towards the net from about eight yards out. She had beaten the A&M defense to the six-yard box, but Arnold made a great diving save, keeping the score at 3-1.
A&M would increase their lead in the 67th minute, after Tiger defender Lindsay McCoy tried to clear a ball, but could not get a solid foot on it. The ball only went a few yards. A&M's Elisabeth Jones ran to it, dribbled towards the goal, and beat Forst, who came out to challenge the play. The goal made the score 4-1.
The Tigers had a few more chances, including a Mo Redmond free kick, from about 25 yards out, that was saved by Arnold. Later in the half, Meghan Pfeiffer headed a Forst free kick, but Arnold was again able to keep it out of the net. Mizzou's last shot, and chance at a goal, came in the 78th minute as Bonnick took a shot from about nine yards out, but Arnold was able to knock it down for her sixth save of the night.
The Tigers will travel back to Columbia and wait for the NCAA Tournament selections to find out about their postseason plans.