University of Missouri
3-0-0
Cincinnati
1-2-0
Alessi's Brace Paces Mizzou Soccer to 2-1 Comeback Win Over Cincinnati
8/30/2019 12:20:00 AM | Soccer
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior Bella Alessi (Fort Collins, Colo.) tallied her first two career goals to help Mizzou Soccer (3-0-0) continue its undefeated start to the 2019 season with a 2-1 win over Cincinnati Bearcats on Thursday night at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.
TURNING POINT
With the Tigers down 1-0 and 15 minutes left on the clock, senior Sarah Luebbert (Jefferson City, Mo.) sent a cross into the box that found Alessi, who neatly tucked the finish to the keeper's left for the equalizer. The tally was the first goal of Alessi's career.
The Tigers pushed on and with just five minutes remaining, redshirt sophomore Zoe Cross (Pease Pottage, England) swung in a ball from the left and again found Alessi for her the match-winner. Cincinnati keeper Madison Less seemed to have a beat on the shot but the ball skipped out of her hands and across the goal line for the 2-1 Tiger advantage. Senior Anna Frick (Webster Groves, Mo.) was also credited an assist for the second goal.
The early storyline was two-and-a-half-hour weather delay, which moved kick off to 9:30 p.m. Both teams battled wet field conditions early, as rain continued to fall for much of the first half.
With 11 minutes remaining in the opening half, Cincinnati netted the night's first goal against the run of play. Bearcat Han Tang buried her shot off a short free kick for her first goal of the season.
QUOTABLES
"I think it says a lot about the team spirit, battling back with 15 minutes left," head coach Bryan Blitz said. "It was now or never against a good team like Cincinnati."
NOTES
- Redshirt sophomore Peyton Bauman (Flower Mound, Texas) has now only conceded two goals in 270 minutes for the 2019 season.
- Alessi scored in the 75th minute of the game for her first career goal, leveling the game. She added the game-winning goal in the 86th minute for her second career goal.
- Luebbert's assist to Alessi in the 75th minute marked her third of the 2019 season, matching her season total from a season ago
- Cross, who missed last season due to injury, tallied the assist on the game-winning goal, her first of the season. Previously, she recorded two assists in the 2017 campaign.
- Frick also recorded an assist on Alessi's second goal, her first of the season. She now has three assists in her Mizzou career
- Mizzou moved to 3-0 on the season, the best mark since 2012, when the Tigers opened up the season with five straight wins
TOP TIGERS
- Bella Alessi scored her first two-career goals in dramatic fashion Thursday night to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory.
- Sarah Luebbert's assist for the equalizer tonight marked a third-consecutive appearance with an assist.
- Zoe Cross took credit with the match-winning assist for her dangerously paced ball into the box that found Bella Alessi in the 86th
UP NEXT
Mizzou plays their second match of a six-game homestand against Xavier at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Audrey J. Walton Stadium. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network +.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Soccer. You can also find the Tigers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by following @MizzouSoccer
Team Stats
TANG, Han (1)
Assisted By: ZAHN, Ying
GOAL by CIN TANG, Han (FIRST GOAL), Assist by ZAHN, Ying, goal number 1 for season.
33:34
Bella Alessi (1)
Assisted By: Sarah Luebbert
GOAL by MIZ Bella Alessi, Assist by Sarah Luebbert, goal number 1 for season.
74:42
Bella Alessi (2)
Assisted By: Zoe Cross , Anna Frick
GOAL by MIZ Bella Alessi, Assist by Zoe Cross and Anna Frick, goal number 2 for season.
85:12
