Sept. 2, 2007

Stats |  Photo Gallery 

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri Tigers (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) defeated the Western Michigan Broncos (0-2, 0-0 Mid-American Conference), 5-2 Sunday afternoon at Walton Stadium in Columbia. A pair of Tigers scored their third goal of the season, as Michelle Collins knocked in the first Mizzou score and Kristin Andrighetto scored the second and fourth goals.

Despite all of the scoring, the game was tight in the first half, against a Western Michigan team picked to finish last in the Mid-American Conference.

"I think that was a good lesson for our girls here, we have to play the weekend the whole way through," Tiger Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. "Hats off to Western Michigan, they played hard, they probably out-hustled us in the first half. I think a lesson for our kids, is we need to be prepared, no matter who we play, from the first minute to the last minute."

The Tigers did pull through in the second half, however, outscoring the Broncos, 3-0, to take the game.

"Hats off to our team," Blitz said. "They found a way to win in the second half, but we certainly don't want that trend to continue, we just want to start from the very beginning."

The scoring went back and forth in the first half, as the Tigers got on the board first. In the sixth minute, as Collins gathered a rebound from a Krista Kruse shot and sent it in for Collins' third goal of the young season.

That goal gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead, but it wouldn't last long. About three minutes later, Western Michigan's Ashley Caliendo floated a free kick into the box and Nicole Dulyea knocked it off of MU goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore's hand to tie the game.

Kristin Andrighetto scored her second goal of the season in the 25th minute, as she got a pass from Mo Redmond and dribbled around a Bronco defender. She got free and shot it from the top of the box, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

But just like after the first goal, Western Michigan responded quickly, scoring after Patrice Impelido served a ball off Janelle Cordia, who misplayed it, giving Kelly Blenner an opportunity. Blenner kicked it over Dittamore, tying the game.

The Tigers and Broncos went into halftime tied at 2-2, but that was the last time the game would be tied. Mizzou came out firing in the second half, out-shooting the Broncos, 20-2, and scoring three times. Tiger freshman Alysha Bonnick scored her first of the year in the 53rd minute off a free kick. Lindsay McCoy served the ball to Redmond, who headed it to Bonnick right in front of the goal. She snuck it in for a 3-2 Tiger lead.

Andrighetto got on the board again in the 68th minute, for her second goal of the game and third of the season. Freshman Kari Adam passed it to Andrighetto, who was sitting on the right side of the box. She took the pass and shot it past goalkeeper Jessica Laning.

Redmond added the Tigers' fifth and last goal a little less than three minutes after Andrighetto's corralling a loose ball and putting it in the back of the net. From there, the Tiger defense continued to put pressure on the Broncos and kept them out of the net. Mizzou's midfielders and defenders kept Western Michigan to just five total shots, giving MU a 36-5 advantage in shots, including a 16-3 edge in shots on goal.

The Tigers will again play a road match on Friday of next week before heading home for a Sunday match up. Friday, Mizzou will play the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. in Iowa City, and Sunday they will host Eastern Illinois at 1 p.m. at Walton Stadium.