University of Missouri
South Carolina
Closing Out the Regular Season: Soccer Heads to No. 14 South Carolina
10/26/2022 8:44:00 AM | Soccer
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The University of Missouri soccer team looks to finish the regular season strong at No. 21 South Carolina Thursday, Oct. 27. The contest will play a major role in determining the team's fate for postseason play, and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium.
Missouri (5-7-4, 2-4-3 SEC) is coming off two 1-1 draws against Kentucky (Oct. 20) and at Texas A&M (Oct. 23). In both contests, the Tigers railed at halftime and tied the game late in the second half.
South Carolina (10-3-4, 5-3-1 SEC) moved up from No. 21 to No. 14 after a dominant performance in Knoxville, Tenn. over the Volunteers. The Gamecocks scored three goals in both the first and second stanzas of the game.
LAST TIME OUT
Earning a much-needed point to stay alive in the postseason hunt, Missouri ended its contest at Texas A&M University in a 1-1 draw Sunday, Oct. 23. The Aggies struck first, scoring in the 8th minute off a rebound from redshirt freshman Bella Hollenbach's initial save.
In the second half, the Tigers began to shift the moment and pressure the Texas A&M defense more, resulting in them earning two corner kicks. In the 68th minute of play, senior Jadyn Easley tied the game off a pass from junior Jenna Bartels.
ALL-TIME: South Carolina
The game between Missouri and South Carolina will mark the 11th meeting of the two conference foes. Additionally, Mizzou has not defeated the Gamecocks since Sept. 26, 2014, in Columbia, S.C. The Tigers look to end the eight-game losing skid against the SEC-East opponent.
LAST MEETING: The Gamecocks
Missouri fell at home to South Carolina late, Sept. 16, 2021, in the last meeting between the two squads. In the first half, the visitors controlled most of the possession, but neither side was able to make a difference on the board as the score was level at the break.
The Gamecocks got on the board in the 68th minute. A cross in the middle of the box bounced around and a missed clearance led to a wide-open net for Catherine Barry, who shot it just underneath the bar. Milena Fischer leveled the score, playing the ball wide for Blythe Beldner who cut back in and shot it into the right side of the goal in the 72nd minute. Late in the match, a dangerous cross was not cleared as South Carolina buried the eventual winner into the right side of the net.
LAST MEETING IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Mizzou soccer started its 2020 season at South Carolina, Sept. 27. Missouri struck first with a goal in the 11th minute from Julissa Cisneros. Cisneros took a free kick from roughly 20 yards out that went into the upper left corner of the goal for the early 1-0 lead.
Tied 1-1 entering the second half, Mizzou put immediate pressure on the South Carolina backline with three shots in the first three minutes. The Gamecocks were able to withstand the attack, and responded with three goals over the final 45 minutes for the win.
MAKIN' IT LOOK EASLEY
Senior Jadyn Easley came up big for Mizzou, tying the contest at Texas A&M, tying the game and earning the team a valuable point. Easley was able to slip her shot under the diving Aggie keeper in the 68th minute. The goal was the senior's first of the season and fourth of her career, as she tied her second-highest minute total of the season at 60.
ALL-TIME: SEC
Mizzou soccer is in its 27th season of competition and has accumulated an overall record of 59-80-18 against Southeastern Conference teams. The Tigers have seen the most success versus Kentucky, holding a 9-3-2 record.
Moreover, since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012 it has totaled a record of 46-53-14 against league competition.
ROAD TO PENSACOLA
The Southeastern Conference tournament will take place in Pensacola, Fla. Sunday, Oct. 30 - Sunday, Nov. 6. With the top-10 teams in the conference earning a spot in the postseason tournament, Mizzou will need to make a push at the end of the season to secure its spot.
The Tigers are tied with Texas A&M with nine points. The Aggies hold the tiebreaker with a higher goal differential between common opponents (0, -2).
RANKED OPPOSITION
As it stands, Mizzou has five opponents on its 2022 schedule ranked by United Soccer Coaches. The Tigers played then-No. 1 North Carolina, Sept. 1, at home, and No. 23 Auburn, Sept. 16. The squad tied No. 21 Mississippi State, Sept. 30, and fell at No. 19 Tennessee, Oct. 6.
Missouri's final ranked opponent on the schedule is South Carolina, who is currently tied for No. 14 in the country, and will welcome the Tigers to Columbia, S.C., Oct. 27, to close out the regular season.
FOLLOWING THE TIGERS
The contest against Georgia can be streamed on SEC Network+. Fans can also follow along on live stats, found on MUTigers.com, or Twitter by following @MizzouSoccer.
UP NEXT
Should the Tigers qualify for the SEC Tournament, the team will travel to Pensacola, Fla., and play their first game Sunday, Oct. 30.
