Soccer survives scare to beat Iowa

The Tigers held on to beat the Hawkeyes 2-1.

By Greg Young

Published Sept. 20, 2008

The soccer team has had trouble scoring in the first half of games so far this season. Before Friday’s game against Iowa, its only first-half goal came against Butler, with only one minute remaining in the half.

Against Iowa, it took only four minutes for the Tigers to strike, and Missouri hung on to defeat the Hawkeyes, 2-1, improving its record to 5-2. Against Iowa, the Tigers are a perfect 7-0.

“It was a great goal,” coach Brian Blitz said.  “It set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Junior forward Bree Thornton, who slammed home a deflection from freshman midfielder Kelsey Blincow, scored MU’s opening goal. Thornton has recovered from a torn left ACL that knocked her out all of last year. ACL injuries are nothing new to Thornton, who tore her right ACL in high school.

“This is all really new and so exciting,” Thornton said.  “It was a great feeling to score.”

Iowa responded in the second half when midfielder Alexandria Seydel scored on a penalty kick in the 65th minute. Referees called the penalty kick when senior midfielder Janelle Cordia lost control of the ball inside the box and tackled an Iowa player from behind. Besides giving up a penalty kick, Corida also received a yellow card on the play.

The 1-1 score lasted only nine minutes, when junior forward Michelle Collins scored on a deflection from sophomore midfielder Krista Kruse in the 73rd minute. The goal came despite Iowa playing more conservatively, in an attempt to keep the tie.

“We had to make sure that we are persistent and positive,” Blitz said. After Iowa scored, “we turned it up a notch.”

The Tigers, who are now riding a four-game winning streak into conference play, outshot Iowa 22-8. Junior forward Kristen Andrighetto, who had seven shots, three of which on goal, was the top shooter for the Tigers.

“That is just who she is,” Blitz said.  “We just tell her to take as many chances as she can.”

The Tigers were led by another strong game from junior goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore. She had two critical, split-second reaction saves in the first half that, at the time, preserved MU’s 1-0 lead.

“We’ve really worked on me keeping my composure,” Dittamore said. “We are trying to just make the simple saves simple.”