Huge crowd watches the Tigers beat the Aggies
Published Oct. 2, 2007
In preseason polls, Big 12 coaches named the Texas A&M Aggies as the conference's team to beat. Just one gamAe into Big 12 play, the MU soccer team might have stolen that title.
Friday, the third-largest crowd in MU soccer history witnessed a thriller between the No. 16 Tigers and the No. 4 Aggies at Walton Stadium. Sophomore midfielder Kristin Andrighetto's breakaway finish with 34 seconds left in second overtime gave Missouri and its soccer program a signature 3-2 win.
"I'm proud of our team and how they stuck all the way through," coach Bryan Blitz said. "Their team (Texas A&M) is the standard in the Big 12.
"We knew what we were in for," Blitz said. "We tell our kids that we're good players, we don't have to play a 'Miracle on Ice.' Just play your game and things will go our way."
Missouri (7-2, 1-0 Big 12) was the more aggressive and more physical team throughout the game, out shooting Texas A&M 28-12 and committing 19 fouls to the Aggies' 13. Texas A&M (6-2-1, 0-1) appeared unable to match the depth of Missouri, which was bolstered by strong efforts by the freshman class playing in its first conference game.
"I'm sure as all freshmen they were nervous for their first Big 12 game, but they certainly dealt with that in a mentally tough way," Blitz said. "I think the reason for that is we played the Stanfords and the Santa Claras and the Californias and the Illinois. The type of schedule we played allowed them to get mentally tough early."
The Tigers fought back from two different one-goal deficits by way of a two-goal evening from freshman forward Kari Adam, the first two goals of her career. Her first goal came less than five minutes after Texas A&M took its first lead, ending a 242-minute shutout streak for the Aggies.
Adam's second goal, which came in the 71st minute and ultimately forced overtime, came on a defensive miscue that allowed her to chip the ball over the Texas A&M keeper from about 30 yards out.
"I probably couldn't do it again if I tried," Adam said. "I knew she was out so I thought I'd go for it. It wasn't the best angle. I got pretty lucky."
But the Missouri defense was not without its praise, beginning with the play of junior Mallory Forst in net. Missouri held the conference's leading scorer, Texas A&M senior forward Ashlee Pistorius, in check until the 55th minute, when Pistorius scored her ninth goal of the season on a low finish to the far post.
MU sophomore defender Crystal Wagner, a Houston native who said she has several friends playing for Texas A&M, helped slow down the Aggies' high-powered attack, which had scored nine goals in the last two games entering the game. Wagner, who missed her sorority initiation to play in the game, spoke afterward about what the team has learned about Missouri's ability to play with the nation's top teams.
"Honestly, our team is just working so well together and working so hard this year," Wagner said. "We can take any team. I truly believe that."