University of Missouri
SEMO
Mizzou Soccer Set to Start Season at Home Versus SEMO and Ohio State
8/17/2022 4:18:00 PM | Soccer
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou soccer is set to kick off the 2022 regular season with a pair of home contests Thursday, Aug. 18 against SEMO, and Sunday, Aug. 21 versus Ohio State.
The match against the Redhawks will be the first of the season for SEMO as well. Missouri welcomes the Buckeyes to Walton Stadium after they take on Kansas, Aug. 18.
2021 REVIEW
The Tigers closed out the 2021 campaign with an overall record of 7-10-0, having five of those seven wins come at home.
Sophomore Milena Fischer led the squad as a freshman in goals (five) and points (15), while former Tiger Julissa Cisneros topped the team with six assists.
Appearing in 11-of-17 games last season, McKenna Sheehan played 775+ minutes for Mizzou in net, making 42 total saves and posting a 2.09 goals against average.
PICKED AS THE UNDERDOG
Mizzou was picked to finish 13th in the Southeastern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, after being selected 12th the previous two seasons.
Tennessee was picked to finish first in the league, followed by Arkansas and South Carolina, respectively. Additionally, the Tigers will take on three of the top five this season; Tennesee, South Carolina, and Auburn.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Tennessee
2. Arkansas
3. South Carolina
4. Auburn
5. Alabama
6t. Georgia
6t. Vanderbilt
8. Texas A&M
9. Ole Miss
10. LSU
11. Mississippi State
12. Kentucky
13. Missouri
14. Florida
COACHING STAFF ADDITIONS
This season Mizzou soccer fans will see two new faces on the bench in assistant coach Kelsey Wys and volunteer coach Mario Felix.
Wys was a goalkeeper and four-year starter at Florida State from 2010-2013. The former keeper joins the Tigers after serving as an assistant with Appalachian State for two seasons (2020-21). She also spent time in the NWSL from 2014-2018 with the Western New York Flash and the Washington Spirit.
Felix comes to Columbia after spending the past two seasons as the associate head coach at Southern Utah. He briefly served as the head coach at Chicago State before opting to be a part of the Missouri staff. Felix has also served as a head coach at Bethel College (KS), an assistant at MidAmerica Nazarene University and Director of Operations at Kansas.
ALL-FRESHMAN FISCHER
At the conclusion of the 2021 season, Milena Fischer was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team. Fischer had a breakout season with five goals and five assists, leading the Tigers in goals and points while finishing second on the team in assists.
The freshman from Germany had a pair of braces on the season against Notre Dame and BYU. She scored two and assisted two versus BYU to become the first Tiger since 2001 to reach that mark in a single match.
LAST TIME AGAINST SEMO
In the last contest between Mizzou and SEMO, Aug. 30, 2013, the Tigers came away with a 4-0 victory inside Walton Soccer Stadium. The shots between the two squads were one-sided, with Missouri totaling 21 shots to the Redhawks three.
Lauren Selaiden scored two goals for the Black and Gold, kicking off her freshman season. Dominique Richardson and Kaysie Clark also knocked in one apiece for the Tigers, while McKenzie Sauerwein and Kristen Rivers combined for the shutout in net.
LAST TIME AGAINST OHIO STATE
Missouri and Ohio State last played Aug. 25, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. The Tigers came away with the 3-1 win and moved to 3-2 all-time against the Buckeyes.
Former Tiger, Julissa Cisernos, scored all three goals for Mizzou and recorded her first career hat trick. The keeper, Peyton Bauman, allowed a single goal in the first four minutes of the contest before closing the door.
SEC NETWORK GAMES
The Southeastern Conference announced its 2022 fall television schedule, including nationally televised games for Mizzou soccer. The contests against Kansas (Sept. 4), Florida (Oct. 9) and Kentucky (Oct. 20) have been designated for the SEC Network, while the remaining home games will be streamed on SEC Network+
THE ROAD TO PENSACOLA
The Tigers will look to book a trip to Pensacola, Fla. for the SEC Tournament. The top-10 teams in the conference reach the tournament. Mizzou has qualified for the tournament in nine of the program's 11 years in the SEC, with the last appearance coming in 2019.
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Mizzou has two alumnae playing in the NWSL, and seven total playing in professional leagues across the globe.
Sarah Luebbert ('20) signed with the Chicago Red Stars but is currently on loan with Club América of the Liga MX Femenil.
She is joined by Domi Richardson ('13) who plays with NJ/NY Gotham FC of the NWSL.
Internationally, the Tigers are represented by:
o Rachel Hise ('19)- Hapoel Ra'anana (Ligat Nishim / Israel)
o Kelsey Dossey ('19)- Currently signed as a replacement goalkeeper for Chicago Red Stars - RC Espanyol Femenino (Primera Division / Spain)
o Rachel Hignett ('17)- Medkila IL Damer (1. Divisjon/Norway)
o Janelle Cordia ('09)- Fortuna Hjorring (Danish Women's League / Denmark)
o Zoe Cross ('20) - Lewes FC (FA Women's Championship)
UP NEXT
The Tigers kick off their second week of action by welcoming Southern Illinois to Walton Stadium Thursday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. CT. Mizzou then hits the road for its first away game of 2022 against Omaha, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. CT.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Soccer. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouSoccer).
