University of Missouri
Illinois
Soccer Heads to Illinois for Thursday Night Matchup
9/7/2022 10:02:00 AM | Soccer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Missouri soccer team hits the road for a matchup with the University of Illinois Thursday, Sept. 8. The contest marks just the second road match for Mizzou this regular season, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill.
The Tigers (3-2-1) are coming off a rivalry win over Kansas, 2-1, Sept. 4, and look to carry that momentum with them on the road. Mizzou also became the first team to score on then-No. 1 North Carolina, Sept. 1, in a 3-1 loss that saw the Tigers shut down the vaunted Tar Heel's offense in the second half. Illinois (4-2-0) most recently went 1-1 at home, falling 1-0 to No. 18 ranked Texas A&M before besting Indiana State, 3-2, Sept, 1 and 4, respectively.
KEEGAN'S GOOD
Freshman Keegan Good left her mark on the rivalry with Kansas, Sept. 4. Good scored the first two goals of her career in the second half, after being down 1-0 at halftime. The freshman put Mizzou on the board in the 58th minute with a shot from outside the box that found the top corner of the net to tie the game. Her brace came off a free kick, taken by sophomore Milena Fischer, that redirected to Good from freshman Kylee Simmons to end the stalemate in the 85th minute and secure the 2-1 win. Good is tied for the team lead in goals (two) and tied for second on the squad in points (four), having averaged 63.16 minutes per game with five starts.
SIMMONS BIG FIRST
Prior to playing Mizzou, Sept. 1, No. 1 ranked North Carolina had not given up a goal in 2022. The Tigers were down 3-0 at halftime to UNC before freshman Kylee Simmons scored the first goal of her career in the 59th minute. Simmons dribbled through the Tar Heels' backline to fire a shot past the outstretched arms of the opposing goalkeeper, and into the top right corner. The freshman has made two consecutive starts now and leads the team with 16 total shots.
FOLLOWING THE TIGERS
The contest at Illinois will be streamed on B1G+. A subscription will be required in order to watch. Fans can access just one month of B1G+ by choosing a school pass, selecting Illinois and paying $9.95 for a one-month subscription.
LAST TIME OUT
Mizzou went 1-1 at home in last week's action, becoming the first team to score on No. 1 North Carolina in a 3-1 loss, Sept. 1. The Tigers followed that with a big win over rival Kansas, Sept. 4, scoring two in the second half for a 2-1 victory. Additionally, the Tigers held both the Tar Heels (11) and Jayhawks (six) to season-lows in shot attempts.
ALL-TIME: ILLINOIS
Mizzou and Illinois have matched up a total of 12 times, with the Tigers holding the advantage, 6-4-2. Moreover, three games between the two have needed overtime and two have gone to penalty kicks.
LAST MEETING: The Illini
The last matchup between the Tigers and Illini ended in a 4-0 loss for Mizzou, Aug. 19, 2021. Illinois scored three second-half goals to secure the win in Columbia. Missouri was outshot 15-7 and was unable to find the back of the net. The loss is the only time Illinois has shut out the Black and Gold.
RANKED OPPOSITION
As it stands, Mizzou has four opponents on its 2022 schedule ranked by United Soccer Coaches. The Tigers played then-No. 1 North Carolina, Sept. 1, at home, with their next ranked opponent being No. 14 Auburn, Sept. 16, also at home. At the end of the season, Missouri takes on No. 21 Texas A&M (Oct 23) in College Station, Texas and No. 4 South Carolina (Oct. 27) in Columbia, S.C.
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+.
UP NEXT
Mizzou soccer returns to action Friday, Sept. 16 against No. 11 Auburn. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Walton Stadium.
