University of Missouri
4-10-2, 1-7-1
No. 11 Arkansas
8-3-4, 6-1-2
Soccer Ties No. 11 Arkansas on Senior Day
10/19/2025 5:00:00 PM | Soccer
Missouri earns its first result against a top-15 team since October 8, 2023.
Mizzou soccer played No. 11 Arkansas to a scoreless draw during the team's Senior Day match on Sunday afternoon at Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium.
Missouri (4-10-2, 1-7-1 SEC) turned in one of its strongest defensive efforts of the season to hold No. 11 Arkansas (8-3-4, 6-1-2 SEC) without a goal. The result marks the first time the Tigers have tied a ranked opponent since Oct. 8, 2023, against No. 13 South Carolina, and just the second time Missouri has held Arkansas scoreless in series history.
"We knew Arkansas was going to play a physical game, and I thought we did a great job of not letting that affect us," head coach Stefanie Golan said. "We competed for 90 minutes and stayed locked in defensively throughout."
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Riley Wilkerson (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) impressed in her Tiger debut, recording five saves across 90 minutes to secure the shutout.
"I found out yesterday afternoon that I was getting the start, but I prepared like I do for any other game," Wilkerson said. "It was an opportunity, and I just wanted to give my best effort. Our back line was spectacular today and made my job way easier. I'm really happy with how we performed as a team."
The Tigers opened with early offensive pressure, as sophomore Emily Derucki (Wildwood, Mo.) placed a shot in the ninth minute before a 16th-minute strike from Aly Bryant (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) sailed just over the crossbar. Junior Brianna Buels (Indianapolis, Ind.) added a shot of her own in the 40th minute that missed just left of the net. Mizzou controlled much of the first half, outshooting Arkansas 4-2 while limiting the Razorbacks to one corner kick.
After the break, the Tigers' back line, anchored by seniors Jessica Larson (St. Louis, Mo.), Morgan Meador (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and Shania Spriggs (St. Louis, Mo.), absorbed heavy pressure as Arkansas earned eight second-half corners and fired 11 shots, but the defense held strong to keep the opponent off the board. Wilkerson made three second-half saves, including key stops in the 68th and 82nd minutes, while the back line blocked multiple attempts and cleared dangerous crosses to preserve the clean sheet.
Missouri's best second-half look came in the 73rd minute when Buels' strike skimmed just in front of the crossbar and went narrowly wide.
Mizzou's back line stood tall in the final minutes as Arkansas continued to press for a winner, earning multiple corners and late shot attempts. The Tigers held firm, with Wilkerson punching away a dangerous cross in the 88th minute to preserve the draw in the team's final home match of the season.
UP NEXT
Mizzou travels to Auburn for its final match of the season on Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. at Auburn Soccer Complex. The contest will be livestreamed on SEC Network+.
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