Missouri soccer falls to Milwaukee in final non-conference game

The Tigers enter conference play with a record of 2-4-2 on the season.

By Pat Iversen

Published Sept. 21, 2010

The comeback kids ran out of magic Sunday as the Missouri Tigers soccer team fell to Milwaukee by a 3-2 score. The loss brings MU's record to 2-4-2 after a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Loyola on Friday.

“I think we just got beat by a better team today,” coach Bryan Blitz said Sunday. “They wanted it more, and it’s a good lesson for our young players, (Milwaukee is) a veteran team. I think that our lack of maturity and experience showed. On Sundays, our energy has to be there, and if it’s not, then I think a result like this can happen.”

Rain pelted campus all morning long, leaving behind a puddle-soaked Walton Field that made ball control difficult for both teams.  Missouri opened the scoring in the 31st minute when sophomore defender Sarah Thune fired a shot from 25 yards out that beat the keeper under the crossbar. Blitz said players like Thune were impressive during the game.

“I think our team could learn from Sarah and a lot of the players that came off the bench today,” Blitz said. “They came out and were simple, didn’t complicate things, and I thought some of our older players complicated things today and didn’t stick with the gameplan.”

Milwaukee equalized two minutes later, the first of three unanswered goals on three shots for the Panthers. Senior keeper Paula Pritzen was pulled midway through the second half for sophomore Jessica Gwin. Pritzen, who had no saves during the game, said she doesn’t make excuses for her play.

“Any time a goalkeeper lets goals in, they’re going to play it over again,” Pritzen said. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go our way. But I take responsibility for any mistakes I made, just as any player on the field would. I’m definitely going to look at tape and see how I can get better for next week.”

Fresh off her game-winning goal in overtime against Loyola, sophomore midfielder Haley Krentz netted her second goal of the season in the second half. That was the last goal to be scored in the game. Thune said that the wet conditions played a factor in how the team played.

“We have to change our style of play when the surface and conditions aren’t the greatest,” Thune said. “So we can’t play to feet as much or play fancy soccer. We’ve got to go out there and bring everything we have out there and go hard.”

With the non-conference schedule now behind them, the Tigers turn its focus to Big 12 play beginning with Kansas coming to town Friday. Although MU's current record isn’t much to look at, Blitz said that he doesn’t regret scheduling such tough early opponents.

“I’m not wishing I could do it over,” Blitz said. “Again, I might be saying something different at the end of the year, but I don’t think that we would have won that resoundly (against Arkansas) or been able to come back today or Friday if we didn’t have that schedule.”

Both Blitz and Pritzen mentioned improving the team’s mentality, and Pritzen said she is optimistic the team can turn things around during the next few days.

“I think we had two tough games this weekend,” Pritzen said. “I think that in this upcoming week we’re going to be focused on conference play, getting our mental toughness right. I think we’re good to go, we’re excited to get into conference and ready for whatever they bring to us.”