Sept. 26, 2008
AMES, Iowa - The University of Missouri women's soccer team (6-2-0) opened Big 12 competition on Friday with a convincing 3-0 win at Iowa State (4-5-0). Junior Kristin Andrighetto struck twice for the Tigers, sophomore Alysha Bonnick added another goal, and junior goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore made four saves in earning her fourth shutout of the season.
The Tigers' attack came out firing in the first half with Andrighetto nearly scoring in the fifth minute. After working her way into the left side of the box, her low shot to the far post beat Cyclones goalkeeper Ann Gleason only to be cleared off the line by Iowa State sophomore midfielder Jordan Bishop.
Five minutes later, Andrighetto would not be denied. Senior captain Mo Redmond played a pinpoint pass over the top of the Cyclones defense to an on-running Michelle Collins. The junior forward took her space before crossing to an open Andrighetto, who made no mistake in striking a sliding volley before Gleason could recover.
Missouri's lead nearly doubled in the 30th minute when sophomore forward Kari Adam took a pass from freshman Mallory Stipetich and unleashed a shot from outside the box only to see it hit off the top of the crossbar and out of play.
The Tigers would go on to outshoot the Cyclones 14-5 in the first half but Iowa State was not without scoring opportunities. In the 13th minute, Amanda Nimtz's run to the right-side endline allowed her to slot a pass to Casey Bothwell in the middle of the Tigers' box, but Missouri junior Crystal Wagner slid into to block the shot out for a Cyclones' corner kick. Then in the 20th minute, Mary Kat McLaughlin tested Dittamore from 25-yards out but the Tigers' netminder went high to keep Iowa State off the board. Three minutes later, the Cyclones' last promising chance of the half went just wide as McLaughlin won a header on an Iowa State free kick.
Despite going off with an injury in the 21st minute, Andrighetto started the second half and once again scored ten minutes into the period on an assist from Collins. In the 55th minute, sophomore forward Alysha Bonnick combined with Collins, who poked a pass to Andrighetto at the penalty spot. The Pleasant Hill, Calif., native shot to the right of Gleason for her team-leading third goal of the season. The four-point performance moved Andrighetto past Kristin Boeker (1997-00) for fifth on the Tigers' career points list.
For the second time in the match, Adam came close to getting on the scoresheet but was denied by the woodwork. In the 75th minute, senior captain Janelle Cordia lofted a free kick into the box that Adam volleyed into the right post.
Bonnick closed out the scoring for Missouri in the 85th minute. After the sophomore's first right-footed shot hit the post from close range, she followed it up with a strike that deflected off a Cyclone defender on the goalline before nestling in the side netting. The goal is Bonnick's third of the season.
The Tigers outshot Iowa State 31-9, with 15 shots on goal to the Cyclones' four and finished with a 12-2 advantage in corner kicks as well. With the shutout, Dittamore moves one shy of the single-season record set by three previous Tigers.
On the opposite end of the field, Gleason made 11 saves in the losing effort, one shy of her career-high.
The victory avenges a 1-0 overtime loss to Iowa State in Columbia last season and extends Missouri's winning streak to five games. Missouri improves its record in conference openers to 7-6-0 all time and adds to their advantage in the all-time series against Iowa State, which now stands at 9-4-1.
Missouri returns to action on Sunday, traveling to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Huskers (5-4-1). Nebraska won 2-1 in overtime at home against No. 25 Kansas on Friday, extending their winning streak to six.