Tiger soccer ends season with loss to Cornhuskers
The Tigers finished the season with a 7-10-2 record.
Published Nov. 5, 2010
The Big 12 will have a different champion for the first time in two years after the Missouri Tigers soccer team fell 4-1 to Nebraska in the first round of the conference tournament Wednesday.
Going against the wind in the first half, the Tigers quickly fell behind when Nebraska player Jordan Jackson broke away from Missouri defenders and beat senior keeper Paula Pritzen to put the Huskers up 1-0. Nebraska capitalized on a throw-in only four minutes later, as Molly Thomas fired in a goal from the top of the box to give Nebraska a two-goal lead.
Missouri cut the score in half in the 32nd minute when senior midfielder Krista Kruse scored off a free kick from freshman forward Dominique Richardson. That was Missouri’s only goal in the game. Nebraska scored before halftime and once more in the second half to finish off the Tigers’ season.
Missouri finished the season 7-10-2 overall and 5-6-0 in Big 12 play. Because Missouri has a sub-.500 record, it will not be invited to play in the NCAA Tournament.
"We came out with a great game plan today and fought very hard," coach Bryan Blitz told mutigers.com. "I can't thank the seniors enough for all of their efforts today, this year and over their past four years here. The loss is disappointing, but you can't weigh enough the amount of experience this team gained going forward into next year."
Next season's squad will lose five seniors, including top scorer Alysha Bonnick. Bonnick finished sixth this season in the Big 12 with nine goals. MU will also miss Krista Kruse in the midfield, as she netted 5 goals in conference play.
But if the freshman campaigns of Danielle Nottingham and Dominique Richardson are any indication, the Tigers have a talented core of young players to build around the next few seasons. Nottingham proved to be a valuable weapon in the midfield, as her speed and aggressive play resulted in three goals and 10 points on the season. Richardson’s usefulness on free kicks helped her collect three goals and nine points.
Missouri will return all its defenders next season, including sophomores Sarah Thune and Jessica Greer. The two defenders combined for three goals and six points on the season. Likely joining them in 2010 will be Molly Bear, who did not play in her freshman season.
Despite facing a heavy amount of shots against, sophomore keeper Jessica Gwin finished fourth in the Big 12 in saves per game (4.54). But, she failed to place inside the top 10 in goals against average (2.22) and save percentage (.678). Freshman Mackenzie Sauerwein will see more playing time next season because senior keeper Paula Pritzen graduates in the spring.
After playing teams such as North Carolina and Duke early in the season, Blitz is banking on the experience to help the young squad next year and beyond.