COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou soccer freshman Rylie Morse (Lebanon, Ohio) was named the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

In a must-win situation against Texas A&M, Morse scored the equalizer with nine seconds left in the first half and set up the game-winning goal within the opening minute of the second. Her three-point night was her fourth multi-point game of the season and pushed her team-leading point total to 12. Morse also leads the Tigers with four assists and shares the team lead with four goals.

This marks the fifth time a Missouri student-athlete has won the SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor and the first since Kylee Simmons earned the accolade on Sept. 18, 2023. Morse is also just the second true freshman to win the award since the 2022 season.

“Rylie has been one of our most consistent players all year,” head coach Stefanie Golan said. “Rylie has been one of our most consistent players all year, and against Texas A&M she showed up in two of the biggest moments of the night, scoring the goal right before half and then setting up Brianna’s winner a minute later. For a freshman to have that kind of poise says a lot about who she is. She’d be the first to tell you it took the whole group, but this is a well-deserved honor and I’m really proud of her.”

With nine seconds remaining in the half, a Black & Gold corner kick found junior Emily Derucki (Wildwood, Mo.) at the back post, and Derucki slid it back across the face of goal for Morse to finish in the 45th minute, sending the teams to the locker room tied 2-2. It was the first time this season the Tigers scored multiple goals in the first half of a conference match.

The Tigers carried the momentum straight into the second half.    Just 59 seconds after the restart, Morse delivered a free kick into the box and senior Brianna Buels (Indianapolis, Ind.) rose to head it home in the 46th minute, completing Mizzou’s comeback.

The rally from a 2-0 deficit was Missouri’s largest comeback in SEC play since Oct. 23, 2016.

UP NEXT
Missouri wraps up the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 1, hosting LSU for its Sunday Funday match at Audrey J. Walton Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon CT, with the match set to be live streamed on SEC Network+.

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