Missouri soccer team wins pair of weekend games
COLUMBIA — The Missouri women's soccer team posted two wins and two records this weekend in Big 12 Conference games against Colorado and Texas Tech.
On Sunday, the Tigers beat Texas Tech 2-1 in a physical game. Missouri (8-4-3) scored both its goals on headers off of corner kicks. Jessica Greer connected in the 43rd minute and Krista Kruse scored in the 66th minute. Despite a goal by Texas Tech’s main threat, Dawn Ward, in the 60th minute, the Tigers were able to hold on to their lead to stay undefeated in conference play at 3-0-2. In total, there were 17 fouls and four yellow cards on Missouri and 13 fouls and two yellow cards for Texas Tech (6-6-1).
“I think there were more calls (than usual), but it was a physical game,” Greer said. "But most of our games are physical, which is what Mizzou soccer takes pride in being physical — first to the ball and pressing hard. There were some fouls called that I thought weren’t fouls, but every team thinks that, they don’t want the fouls called against them. I just think we played our game and played hard and aggressive like we always do.”
Missouri had eight substitutes come off of the bench throughout the game, many for a substantial amount of time. Members of the team said depth is one of the reasons for the Tigers' success.
“Our depth is more than Mizzou’s ever had, and whenever we come off the bench, I think we’re just as strong and sometimes even stronger with the energy we bring out because the other team’s tired and they’re not getting subbed, and most of the teams we play don’t sub like we do,” Greer said. “We sub in quarters so whenever we come in we’re fresh and they’re not as fresh. We just put so much pressure on them that we wear them down even more in the second half.”
On Friday, the Tigers beat the Buffaloes 1-0 in overtime. Junior forward Alysha Bonnick tapped the ball into the net only 36 seconds into overtime to win the game for the Tigers. Bonnick’s goal was her second game-winning goal of the season and the 12th career game winner, setting a Missouri record.
The shutout of Colorado (7-7-0) was senior goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore's second of the season and 15th of her career, giving her the Missouri record for career shutouts despite transferring from Dayton after her freshman year. Dittamore attributed the record to help from her teammates.
“It’s always exciting to do something like that,” Dittamore said. “It was a good feeling. I was hoping that would happen this season, but basically my name’s on the record, but it’s a total team record. I talked to Crystal (Wagner) about it the other day and without her in front of me, and my girls in front of me, I would never have that.”
Missouri coach Bryan Blitz said he was happy with the team’s performance this weekend.
“We knew (Texas Tech was) going to give us all we could handle,” he said. “That was the most physical team we’ve played, and I think they’re in second place for a reason.”
The Tigers play next at 7 p.m. Friday at Baylor, then they play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Oklahoma.