The Missouri women’s soccer team has three wins against ranked opponents this season, all on the road.
The Tigers began their season with a 2-1 exhibition win over then-No. 4 North Carolina on Aug. 15. Mizzou defeated then-No. 14 South Carolina 2-1 on Sept. 26. The most recent upset came Oct. 17 in a 2-0 win over then-No. 17 Georgia.
“I think from the standpoint of ranked versus unranked, that’s a maturity step,” coach Bryan Blitz said. “We try to not look at the jersey and see where they’re ranked.”
But the story has been reversed, too. Mizzou, which finished the regular season 11-5-3 and 6-4-1 in Southeastern Conference play, has not always been the one upsetting others. The Tigers have lost following each of their wins against ranked opponents this season, experiencing both sides of the upset.
Blitz explains this by saying that his team has played after big victories thinking that it is “too cool for school.”
After upsetting North Carolina, Mizzou went winless at the Penn State Invitational. Mizzou tied Syracuse, which currently ranks No. 120 in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Rating Percentage Index. Against then-No. 17 West Virginia, the Tigers blew a 2-0 lead.
Following its win over South Carolina, Mizzou played at then-No. 7 Florida. Without senior midfielder Kaysie Clark, who was suffering from illness, the Tigers took a 3-1 loss to the Gators.
After a 2-1 win at Georgia — a game Blitz called “emotional” — Missouri went winless in its next three contests. The Tigers lost 1-0 to visiting Alabama on October 19.
Following that loss — the first game in the loss, tie, loss series against the Crimson Tide, Ole Miss and Tennessee — Blitz admitted he could have prepared his team more for that game. He said his team has gone into games with passion, referencing the Georgia game, but has also gone into games like Alabama unfocused and over-confident.
“We thought they were going to roll over, which no one does in the (Southeastern Conference),” Blitz said. “I give (my team) credit for the away game on Friday, and I want to credit Alabama for their play.”
Alabama, Ole Miss and Tennessee have RPIs of 54, 64 and 56, respectively. Meanwhile, Mizzou is at 29.
The Tigers sit unranked with a conference record of 6-4-1, but are still good enough for a four-seed and first-round bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
The Tigers will face off in a rematch against a familiar foe for their first tournament game, as they are scheduled to play No. 17 South Carolina 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Orange Beach, Alabama.
“You’re one-and-done (in the SEC Tournament), so I think there’s a sense of urgency from everybody,” Blitz said.
For redshirt senior goalkeeper McKenzie Sauerwein, the SEC tournament means a lot.
“It’s a time to get back at teams we lost to,” she said. “I think it’s going to be fun playing teams we’ve played before. Now we have a feel for them, so we have that advantage.”