Mizzou Soccer Out of Big 12 Tourney After Semi-Final Loss to Texas A&M
Posted on 04. Nov, 2011 by Alyssa McKee in Featured, Sports, Sports Articles
Friday, Nov. 4 –
After an exhilarating upset victory over Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 tournament, the Missouri women’s soccer team entered its semifinal showdown with Texas A&M on a full head of steam. The Aggies were having none of it, shutting out the Tigers in a 3-0 romp in San Antonio on Friday night.
Mizzou was vying to reach the final for the first time since 2008, but A&M’s true freshman goalie Jordan Day refused to let the Tigers reach their goal. Day posted her seventh shutout of the season.
Day was not the only freshman to give Mizzou a hard time. In the 55th minute, Kelley Monogue hurtled a shot past goalie McKenzie Sauerwein and gave her team a commanding 2-0 lead. The 30-yard strike was her Big 12-leading 18th goal of the year.
Missouri could not get anything going, attempting a feeble nine shots total. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ defense could not find an answer for the Aggies’ stellar group of freshman.
In the 82nd minute, with the game well in hand, A&M added to their comfortable lead on the foot of freshman Annie Kunz.
The strong performance from the Aggies’ young talent catapulted them into a position to win a fifth conference championship. They face no. 1 Oklahoma State in the final on Sunday.
Following their fifth shutout defeat of the season, Missouri’s destiny lies in the hands of the NCAA tournament selection committee. The Tigers are on the bubble with wins against No. 7 Ohio State and No. 17 Texas A&M but also with home losses to Texas and Iowa State.
NCAA.com will announce the field of 64 on Nov. 7 at 3:30p.m. CT.
Bryan Blitz’ squad hopes to send the three seniors Kelsey Blincow, Kendra Collins and Mallory Stipetich off right with a tournament bid. For now, the girls will spend their weekend eagerly awaiting Monday’s verdict.
- RJ Layton
23 Sports
Staff Writer