April 15, 2008
Columbia, Mo. -
The University of Missouri women's soccer team will host the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers in the final spring game for each team, Saturday (April 19) at Walton Stadium in Columbia. Admission for the 1 p.m. game is free.
Blitz Looks for a Full 90 Minutes
Mizzou fell to Illinois, 3-1, in their first spring game (April 5). They bounced back the next day with a 3-0 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee, scoring all thee goals in the final ten minutes of the game. Last Saturday (April 12) Mizzou beat Minnesota, 3-1, scoring all three goals in the second half. While Tiger Head Coach Bryan Blitz is pleased to see the high offensive output, he wants his team to put two good halves together.
"One of our goals is to play a complete 90 minutes of soccer and we will try to do that against Loyola," Blitz said after the win over Minnesota.
Tiger Quick Kicks
-Coach Blitz has alternated goalkeepers this spring. Tasha Dittamore started and played the entire game against Illinois (April 5). Mallory Forst played the entire UWM game (April 6), and they split halves last Saturday, as Dittamore started and Forst played the second half. So far this season, Dittamore has given up four goals in one and a half games, while Forst has not surrendered a score in a game and a half.
-Tiger forward Michelle Collins has scored two goals on the spring. She scored Mizzou's only goal in the team's loss to Illinois (April 5). She scored the game-winning goal last Saturday against Minnesota.
-Krista Kruse, Alysha Bonnick, Kristin Andrighetto and Taylor Hay also added one goal each this spring.
-Tiger midfielders Bree Thornton and Brittany Hopkins are back on the field after suffering knee injuries last season. Defender Lindsay McCoy and goalkeeper Emily Zaler will sit out the entire spring schedule due to injury.
Loyola Ramblers
Loyola played Northern Illinois and Illinois State last weekend in Chicago in their first spring contests. Last season they defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Horizon League Championship Game to advance to the NCAA Championships. Loyola lost to Notre Dame in the first round of the tournament, finishing the season 14-9-1.
Golf Tournament and Alumni Weekend
The game is a part of a big weekend for the Mizzou soccer program, as the team welcomes alumni back to Columbia. Also, before the game on Saturday, the soccer program will host the Inaugural Mizzou Soccer Golf Tournament at Gustin Golf Course in Columbia. Registration for the event begins at 7:30 a.m., and the shotgun start is set for 8. For more information, please visit MUTigers.com and click on the Golf Tournament link on the right side of the page.
