When sophomore Jessica Herrman knew she had a scoring chance, all she could think was, “don’t mess up. You can do it.”
When she saw the ball hit the back of the net, all she could think was, “no, it didn’t just go in. No way. I didn’t do that.”
When Herrman scored her first goal of her college career, off the same left leg where two ACL surgeries cost her two years of soccer, she turned around and saw her teammates all looking at her with big eyes. Herrman ran to them. All she wanted was a big hug.
“I was overwhelmed that it even happened,” Herrman said. “Then I came off and Tara (Missouri’s athletic trainer) was like ‘I think I shed a tear.’ All of the coaches were happy. Everyone was smiling. It’s a good feeling that everyone supports you through it.”
Herrman’s goal occurred in the 75th minute, and gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead, a lead they would take to the final whistle. Missouri recorded a win over Kentucky on Friday afternoon in Columbia. The win improved the Tigers’ record to 8-2-2 overall and 3-1-0 in Southeastern Conference action, while the Wildcats fell to 8-3-0 and 2-2-0.
In the midst of a drizzle, the Wildcats struck first.
The scoreless tie was broken in the 12th minute. Missouri’s redshirt senior keeper McKenzie Sauerwein made a save on a shot from Kentucky’s Michaela Dooley, but the rebound bounced out to Jade Klump, who knocked the ball into the net for a 1-0 Kentucky advantage.
Missouri tallied an equalizer in the 39th minute. After sophomore Rachel Hignett lofted a one-timed cross into the box, the Wildcat goalie punched it away. After a couple deflections in the box, the ball was at the foot of freshman Allie Hess, who whiffed on the first try, but then punched an eight-yard shot into the left netting. The goal was also the first of Hess’s career.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster,” Hess said. “Hopefully there’s more to come. It just felt great.”
Herrman’s goal came to be after she dribbled into the box and sent a shot to the keeper’s left into the right netting off a pass from sophomore Melanie Donaldson.
Herrman’s game-winning goal came in her first game back from a pulled hamstring. The muscle pull was in that same leg that cost Herrman her 2012 and 2013 seasons. Bryan Blitz described the goal as “pure lady awesomeness.”
“I think it brought a tear to all of our eyes,” Blitz said. “I think the whole team relished in that. We celebrate for everything we see her do.”
Herrman was 13 months from her first surgery when she re-tore the same ACL muscle the summer before her sophomore year at Missouri. Herrman is currently 17 months off the operating table from her second surgery.
Throughout her two injury redshirted years, Herrman would sit on the bench imagining how her first goal would play out. She didn’t think it would feel like this.
“I’m much more happier than I envisioned,” Herrman said. “It’s a great positive out all the negative things that have gone on in my life. It felt good to finally do it.”
One minute after Herrman’s goal, Kentucky nearly leveled the match at 2-2 when Cara Ledman’s long attempt clanged off the crossbar. But that would be the last shot for the Wildcats.
While Kentucky edged Missouri 18-13 on total shots, shots on goal were even at 5-5 with Sauerwein notching four saves in net for the Tigers.
A few minutes into the second half, the rain stopped and the sun came out. In a postgame interview, Hess called the weather “bipolar.” Play became rough in the second half, and the players attributed a couple seemingly missed foul calls to the weather.
“I think maybe they thought it was slippery so they weren’t calling every foul because they thought it wasn’t intentional, but it was physical,” Herrman said. “You’ve just got to play through it.”
“We had a short week,” Blitz added. “We had no idea what it would look like. Give them credit. I’m really proud of them. That’s what has kept us going so far: that extra grit.”
Missouri returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 5 against Vanderbilt (5-5-1) at Audrey J. Walton Stadium in Columbia.