Oct. 8, 2009

TIGERS RETURN HOME STILL UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE PLAY
The University of Missouri women's soccer team (6-4-3, 1-0-2) returns to Walton Stadium after a Texas road trip in which the Tigers drew at Texas 1-1 and at then-No. 15 Texas A&M 4-4. Missouri welcomes the Big 12 leading Colorado Buffaloes (7-6-0, 4-1-0) on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m., and will take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-4-1, 3-0-1) on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
On Friday, Oct. 2, the Tigers traveled to Austin, Texas for their first road game of conference play against the University of Texas. Missouri earned their first point at Texas since the program's inaugural season in battling the Longhorns to a 1-1 2OT finish. Texas was able to sit back and play defense for the majority of the game after forward Hannah Higgins sent a shot past goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore from ten yards out to give them the 1-0 lead. The Tigers would answer dramatically, however, as senior Michelle Collins scored the equalizer with just 1:01 remaining in regulation. Sophomore Kelsey Blincow began the play by finding Collins with a 25-yard pass down the left sideline. Collins put a move on her defender near the top of the penalty area, and fired her shot just inside the far post to draw the Tigers level at 1-1. Both teams fought hard to get the game-winning goal in the two ten-minute overtime periods, but the match would end in a draw.

Missouri then traveled to College Station for a nationally televised game against then-No. 15 Texas A&M on Sunday, Oct. 4. The two teams combined for five goals in the second half as a wild end to regulation time led to an eventual 4-4 tie after two overtimes. The Tigers took an early lead when Michelle Collins got her head on a cross from Kelsey Blincow in the 11th minute. The Aggies would level just four minutes later, when an attempted clearance in the Missouri box was intercepted and put in the net by forward Katie Hamilton. The two teams would enter halftime level at 1-1. A&M took their only lead of the game off of an Alyssa Mautz header in the 47th, but the Tigers drew even a minute later when Bree Thornton finished off a rebound off a Michelle Collins shot to make the score 2-2. Sophomore Kendra Collins put Missouri ahead in the 69th minute when she fired a long-range blast from outside the penalty area past Aggie keeper Kelly Dyer to make the score 3-2. A&M's Rachel Shipley then scored in the 82nd minute with a sailing shot from the top of the 18-yard box that floated over the fingertips of goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore. Senior Kristin Andrighetto didn't wait long to reclaim the lead for the Tigers, as she dribbled the ball downfield after the ensuing kickoff and slotted it past Dyer only 11 seconds later. The Aggies' leading scorer, Whitney Hooper, would snatch victory from Missouri in the 86th minute when she got her head on a corner kick to make the score 4-4. Two scoreless overtime periods resulted in the first ever draw between the two schools.

GETTING TO KNOW COLORADO
The Colorado Buffaloes (7-6-0, 4-1-0) are currently on top of the Big 12 table, and have won three of their previous four games. This past weekend, the Buffaloes shelled Oklahoma 5-1 in Boulder before falling to Baylor 2-1 in Waco. The defeat at Baylor marked the first game of a five-game road trip for Colorado.

Senior Nikki Marshall leads the team with 15 points in 12 games played so far this season. Marshall has one assist and a team-high seven goals so far in 2009, including four in this past weekend's 5-1 victory over Oklahoma. With her four-goal effort, she became CU's all-time points leader with 91. Sophomore Kelly Butler is near the top of the scoring charts, with four goals and two assists to her credit giving her the second highest point total on the team with 10. Freshman Erin Bricker has set up the most goals this season, registering three assists to her name.

Senior goalkeeper Kara Linder has given up just 14 goals in 12 games, good for a 1.19 GAA, and has stopped 38 shots while registering four shutouts. Head Coach Bill Hempen is 100-62-23 and is currently in his tenth season with the program. Missouri currently holds the all-time series lead over Colorado 11-6-1.

GETTING TO KNOW TEXAS TECH
The Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-4-1, 3-0-1) are currently second in the Big 12 table behind Colorado. The Red Raiders lost just once in their six-game home stand, which will end with this Friday's matchup at Kansas. This past weekend, Tech outscored their opponents 4-1 in victories over Baylor (W, 1-0) and Oklahoma (W, 3-1).

Red shirt freshman Dawn Ward is having a stellar 2009 campaign, as she currently leads the team in goals with nine and shares the lead in total points with 18. Wards co-points leader, sophomore Taylor Lytle, has provided top-notch service from the midfield in tallying 10 assists this season with four goals of her own. Lytle's 10 assists currently leads the NCAA and is the Texas Tech single-season record. Senior Brittney Harrison is second on the team in goals with five, and has 11 points of her own.

Goalkeepers Erin Wikelius and Colleen Pitts have combined for eight wins, two shutouts, and 47 saves in splitting time between the pipes this season. Head Coach Tom Stone is currently in his third season with the program and has compiled a record of 21-22-4. Missouri currently holds the all-time series lead over Texas Tech, 9-5-0.

TIGERS TO PROMOTE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS THIS WEEKEND
This Friday's game against Colorado will be Missouri's annual Playing for Pink promotion to support Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Tigers will wear pink uniforms that will be auctioned off following the match. Their will also be shirts given out to the first 100 fans in attendance. All proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation.

RECORDS TO WATCH IN 2009
Several players are poised to make a move on the Mizzou Soccer record books this season in the career statistical categories. Andrighetto sits in fourth for game winning goals (nine) and goals (31), and fifth in career points (79). Michelle Collins is tied for sixth in game winning goals (eight) and assists (19), tied for seventh in goals (25) and seventh points (69). Bonnick, as a junior, is tied for third in game winning goals (11), tied for seventh in goals (25), and eighth in points (66).

Senior goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore has set herself apart with a standout 2008 season in net for the Tigers. She currently sits third on the career charts in goals against (53), is tied for first shutouts (14), runner-up in win percentage (.727), goals against average (1.10), and wins (28), and is fifth in saves (145).

NEW LOOK TIGERS IN 2009
The Tigers return eight starters and 15 of 21 letter winners from their successful 2008 squad, but there are plenty of new faces as the Tigers kick off the 2009 campaign. Missouri signed one of its largest incoming classes in program history with the arrival of nine freshmen and a senior transfer for the 2009 season. Freshmen goalkeeper Jessica Gwin and freshman midfielder Haley Krentz were both named to TopDrawerSoccer's Top 100 Players to Watch, while Michelle Makasini comes to Columbia from LSU after earning TopDrawerSoccer All-American honors as a freshman and sophomore.

All told, the Tigers have a balance of 11 upperclassmen (seven seniors, four juniors) and 16 underclassmen (six sophomores, 10 freshmen) that hail from nine different states and Canada. Additionally, three new coaches will be on the sideline for the Tigers. Shaunna Daugherty, formerly an assistant at Illinois State, and Todd Shulenberger, from Clemson, join the Missouri coaching staff as assistants, while volunteer assistant Danny Graville enters his first season in charge of fitness and conditioning for the team.

MIZZOU SOCCER ONLINE
In addition to the official news, photos, statistics, and more available on mutigers.com, the Missouri soccer program is complementing the team's coverage for all those who follow Mizzou Soccer Online. The supplementary sites include a Twitter account for instant updates on the team, a YouTube channel to post match footage and media coverage, a Facebook Fan Page for news and information, and ThisIsMizzouSoccer.com which features a team blog, podcasts, and much more. The Tigers are excited to continue highlighting their program in the national spotlight via all of these resources and to provide up close and timely coverage of the team for fans, alumni, and recruits.

MU PICKED TO FINISH FIRST IN BIG 12
For the first time in program history, the Tigers were picked to finish first in the Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll as voted on by the conference's coaches. Missouri and Texas A&M tied atop the league standings in cumulative voting points, with the Tigers receiving four of the 11 first place votes. 2008 Big 12 Championship runner-up Colorado came in third with 76 points, while `08 regular season champions Oklahoma State were tabbed fourth with 68 points. Perennial power Texas finished fifth, followed by Kansas, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Iowa State.

THREE TIGERS NAMED ALL-BIG 12
For the second year in a row, the Preseason All-Big 12 Team featured three Missouri Tigers. Seniors Crystal Wagner, Meghan Pfeiffer, and Andrighetto were all selected to the conference preseason team as voted on by league coaches. The three selections were the second most of any team, trailing only Texas A&M's four honorees. Andrighetto is a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection and Pfeiffer is a two-time All-Big 12 Second Team selection; both players received the recognitions their sophomore and junior seasons.

BONNICK ON HERMANN WATCH LIST
Junior striker Alysha Bonnick is in consideration for one of the top recognitions in the sport with the NSCAA's announcement of the 2009 Hermann Trophy Watch List. Bonnick is one of 45 players in the country on the Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) list of potential award winners, and just one of five from the Big 12 conference. The Ontario, Canada native led Missouri in scoring last season with 26 points en route to earning Soccer Buzz All-America fourth team honors and All-Big 12 First Team accolades. Bonnick was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2007 after recording 32 points on 11 goals and 10 assists, all Missouri freshman records.

So far this season, Bonnick is third on the team in points with eight, notching three goals and two assists in 2009.

THREE TIGERS INVITED TO US U-23's
Pfeiffer, Wagner, and Collins all received call-ups to travel to England with the United States U-23 National Team in July for two games against the English U-23 National Team and a match versus the Reading women's club. Only Wagner was able to accept the invitation, and the senior co-captain appeared in all three matches for the USA while abroad. Wagner led a Tigers' defense that set school records in 2008 with 12 shutouts and a 0.80 goals against average, earning Soccer Buzz All-Central region second team and NSCAA/adidas All-Central region third team honors.

NEW LOOK VIDEO BOARD AT WALTON
Mizzou soccer spectators will enjoy a new video board and sound system at Walton Stadium this season. Installed by Daktronics, Inc., the 21 feet by 12 feet, full color display is one of four new state-of-the-art displays to be added to Missouri athletic facilities. The board will be display match statistics, marketing information, and live scores, with video features expected to be added as the season progresses.