Soccer begins conference play today
Sept. 28, 2007
Last season, the MU women's soccer team burst on to the national scene with a school-record start. But the team faltered down the stretch with a 2-8 record in Big 12 play.
This season, the No. 16-ranked Tigers (6-2) enter Big 12 play following another stellar non-conference season. This year's Tigers appear determined to exorcise their conference demons, beginning at home at 6:30 p.m. today against the No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies (6-1-1).
"Last year, once we started losing, we just didn't come back from it," sophomore midfielder Kristin Andrighetto said. "This year we have a different mentality. If we go down a goal, we don't drop our heads. We keep our heads up and fight for each other."
Last year's Tigers would have little reason to put their heads down given the way the Tigers of 2007 have been playing. Missouri outscored its opponents 26-10 in non-conference play and lost only one-goal games to two of the nation's top teams.
Coach Bryan Blitz said the team has an increase in focus this season.
"That was the grand lesson of last year," he said. "We were 10th in the country, and in a one-week span went to 10,000," Blitz said. "We have no problem going game by game. Last year we had an issue, but we're quick learners."
This season, Missouri has yet to crack the top 10 in any national polls, but the Tigers continue to appear on the national radar. Earlier this week, Andrighetto was named to Soccer America's Women's Team of the Week, and freshman forward Alysha Bonnick was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
Andrighetto, Bonnick and sophomore forward/midfielder Michelle Collins fuel an up-tempo offense that thrives on defensive mistakes. The three have combined for 20 goals and 52 points in Missouri's first eight games.
The offense should continue to be a catalyst for the Tigers during conference play, especially given the unit's strong showings against several well-respected defenses. Among these teams are No. 1 Santa Clara, No. 3 Stanford and No. 22 California.
"We scored two on Stanford, and they had only given up two goals in four games up to that point," Blitz said. "We're a prolific goal-scoring team. We're capable of (scoring), but we'll take 1-0 if we have to."
The unit responded well in non-conference but will once again have to prove itself tonight against an Aggie defense that has surrendered less than half a goal per game this season. Going the other way, Missouri must account for Texas A&M senior forward Ashlee Pistorious, who is the Big 12's reigning offensive player of week and averaged a goal per game in non-conference play.
But despite the test Texas A&M poses in MU's conference opener, the drive to amend last year's mistakes still resonates with the Tigers.
"Coming out of Big 12 play last year was a little bit of a disappointment," Collins said. "But we've got this whole mentality that we have nothing to lose in Big 12 play."
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