University of Missouri
LSU (RV)
@MizzouSoccer Opens SEC Tournament Action Wednesday
11/3/2015 10:02:00 AM | Soccer
The No. 2 seed, Mizzou faces LSU Wednesday at Noon in quarterfinal action
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. - The Mizzou soccer team opens play at the 2015 SEC Tournament Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Noon with a quarterfinal matchup against No. 7 seed LSU. The match will be televised live on the SEC Network and the WatchESPN app. As the No. 2 seed in the tournament, Mizzou received a first-round bye and is set to face LSU, which defeated No. 10 seed Kentucky, 2-1, in first round action on Monday.
This marks the third time in four years Missouri earned a first-round bye at the Tournament since the Tigers entered the league in 2012. The squad is 1-1 in quarterfinal action in tournament history.
TIGER TIDBITS
- Mizzou's second-place SEC fi nish marks the highest finish for the program since it joined the league in 2012. The previous best was fourth in 2014. The Tigers were picked to finish sixth by the coaches in the preseason poll.
- Head coach Bryan Blitz was chosen as the 2015 SEC Coach of the Year, as voted by the league's coaches. It is Blitz's fourth career coach of the year honor, as he claimed Big 12 honors in 2007 and 2009 and Midwest Collegiate Conference accolades in 1995 at Butler.
- Three other Tigers also earned All-SEC honors. Senior Candace Johnson was a first team selection and junior Melanie Donaldson and senior Reagan Russell earned spots on the second team.
- The Tigers are 4-0-1 in their last five matches and 6-1-2 over the last nine games.
- The Mizzou defense has allowed only 15 goals in 18 games this season, which is lowest output over the first 18 games in program history.
- The defense is also on the verge of history, as the 0.78 GAA is lower than the school record of 0.80, set in 2008.
- Additionally, Missouri's 0.78 GAA ranks first in the SEC.
- Missouri has scored 16 goals in its last nine games for a 1.8 goals per match average over that span. The previous five games, the Tigers averaged only 0.4 goals per game.
- Russell finished her final regular season on fire, with three goals and an assist over the last four games.
- Russell and sophomore Savannah Trujillo lead the Tigers with four goals on the year.
- Also with multiple goals this season are redshirt redshirt junior Jessica Herrman, seniors Lauren Flynn and Candace Johnson and sophomores Jessica Johnson and Alli Magaletta. Herrman, Flynn and Jessica Johnson all have three goals, while Candace Johnson and Magaletta have two.
- Redshirt sophomore keeper Kristen Rivers has started the last 10 games in net for Mizzou and boasts a 0.95 GAA and a .761 save percentage.
- Mizzou notched its fi fth shutout of the season in a 1-0 road win at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25.
- Mizzou's win over then-No. 9 Auburn on Sept. 11 marked the fi rst win for the Tigers over a top-10 team since a 1-0 victory against No. 7 Florida on Sept. 29, 2013.
