Extended soccer preview
Friday’s MU soccer season preview should hopefully get you prepared for the season, but there are some key details and thoughts that we couldn’t get into print.
Junior forward Kristin Andrighetto led the Tigers in goals scored last season, but she didn’t start in the opener last Saturday. Coach Bryan Blitz said Andrighetto has yet to pass all of MU’s fitness tests that players must pass to start. Andrighetto was to get another shot sometime this week. No need to panic.
Senior midfielder Mo Redmond, who tied a Missouri record with five game-winning assists last year, missed the Illinois game, but she’s not hurt or ineligible or in Blitz’s doghouse. Redmond was attending her brother’s wedding last Saturday. Blitz said the Tigers missed her playmaking abilities against the Illini, but she’ll be back against Auburn this Friday.
Missouri was considered a young team last year, without a single senior on the roster. But the 2008 Tigers are pretty young themselves. While MU now has six seniors, five freshmen combined to play 167 minutes in the opener.
“We love all of our players, but this is the business part,” Blitz said. “We’re only loyal to the best player. If a freshman is on at that time, then they’re on the field.”
One of those freshmen is forward Kendra Collins, younger sister of junior forward Michelle Collins. Communication was clearly an issue for the Tigers against Illinois, which is expected with five freshmen seeing significant time. Because MU is still a young squad, it might take the Tigers a little longer to hit their stride. But that might actually be a good thing, Blitz said.
“We’re OK with that,” he said. “Last year we probably peaked too early. We really came out of the blocks quick, and we kind of fizzled at the end. I think this year we’re trying to really learn to peak at the right time.”