Dan Murphy
Missouri forward Brianna Buels battles Tennessee defender Jasmine Boggs for possession of the ball during a match on Thursday, Sept. 18, at Walton Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Buels was held scoreless and shotless in a 2-0 loss to the Lady Vols.
Missouri soccer opened Southeastern Conference play with a mixed bag of results. The Tigers started the year by taking down Texas 3-1, before falling 2-0 to No. 5 Tennessee at home and then 1-0 to Kentucky in Lexington.
The first three contests have already showcased the highs and lows that come with league play. Here’s what we have learned so far.
Buels and Chambliss are off-the-bench sparks.
Depth has been a clear advantage for the Tigers. Junior Brianna Buels and senior Hailey Chambliss have bolstered the Missouri attack off the bench, offering fresh legs and attacking sparks when called upon.
The duo combined for four goal involvements in the SEC opener against Texas, where the Tigers scored three times to secure their lone conference win. Chambliss has been especially consistent in creating chances, leading the team in points despite playing fewer than 300 minutes.
Both players have injected energy into the Missouri side, often changing the tempo of matches when the offense stalls. If Missouri’s attack continues to sputter, the impact of Buels and Chambliss could become even more central to the team’s success.
Defensive consistency is keeping Missouri competitive
The core of the Tigers’ defense has remained unchanged, with the trio of junior Mia Yang, redshirt sophomore Morgan Meador and junior Kate Phillips being on the field for every single minute played thus far this season. That continuity has helped Missouri put together one of its more resilient defensive starts in recent years.
The Tigers have conceded four goals in their first three conference matches, which is tied with the 2022 season for the lowest number of goals allowed by the Tigers during the opening stretch of SEC matches since the 2018 season.
A major factor in that effort has been standout play from Phillips, who had a season-high performance with seven saves against Tennessee. She has 12 total saves during this conference stretch and continues to impress in her first season as the full-time starter.
Offensive woes
Missouri’s offense showed its potential against Texas with three different players scoring goals. The Tigers’ offensive diversity has been a trademark of this season, with five players already registering two goals and sharing the top scorer spot.
Since Texas, however, the offense has stalled. The Tigers only generated five shots apiece against Tennessee and Kentucky. They were outshot 26-10 across both matches and failed to score in either game. The lack of sustained pressure has put added stress on the defense to keep matches close.
For Missouri to capitalize on the strength of its defense, the attack needs to rediscover the form seen in the Texas match. Getting more consistent output from starters and continuing to lean on impact substitutes like Chambliss and Buels could be the key to unlocking more SEC wins.
The Tigers return to action Friday, Sept. 26, in Columbia, against their second-ranked SEC opponent of the season in No.12 Mississippi State.
Edited by Colin Simmons l [email protected]
Copy edited by Grace Morgan and Emma Harper | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]