Missouri soccer easily routed Albany 3-0 on Sunday night to finish its non-conference schedule in dominant fashion. The Tigers are riding a three-game win streak during which they have outscored their opponents 8-2.
Freshman Tess Rellihan and redshirt sophomore Madison Lewis dominated the game for Mizzou. Rellihan had her first multi-goal game of her career, with two goals late in the second period to lead the Tigers to victory. Both players have contributed heavily to the three-game winning streak, with Lewis chipping in her second goal this weekend and Rellihan registering her third and fourth goals in her past five matches.
“Tess [Rellihan] is a pure goal scorer,” coach Bryan Blitz said. “She is very efficient.”
The Tigers attack started off strong in the first period. Senior Allie Hess nearly scored in the ninth minute when she launched the ball from just outside the box over the head of the Albany goalkeeper Sophia Chen, only to have it crash off the top crossbar.
This sequence was followed by a shot from senior Savannah Trujillo that was blocked. The ball was eventually stopped when Chen made a save on a soft shot from freshman Zoe Cross.
Mizzou missed another opportunity to score in the 19th minute. Sophomore Sarah Luebbert received a cross inside the box and headed the ball toward the goal. Chen had no chance of defending the play for Albany, but Luebbert’s header went just wide left.
Luebbert followed that with another near goal in the 23rd minute, when she blasted a deflected ball over the top crossbar.
Midway through the first period, the Tigers were dominating the game, but there was nothing to show for it. Mizzou left multiple scoring chances on the pitch in the first half.
All that changed when Lewis gave the Tigers the lead in the 34th minute when she scored a goal off of a free kick; the ball barely slid past defenders and Chen into the far post. It was Lewis’ third goal this season, surpassing her total of two goals from last year.
The second half proved to be more of the same for the Great Danes. Albany mustered two shots in the second half and left Mizzou’s second period starting goalkeeper, redshirt senior Kristen Rivers, unbothered.
In the 70th minute, Rellihan broke the game open when she chipped in an easy goal that was deflected off of Chen. She was assisted by Cross.
Rellihan quickly scored again in the 79th minute, making her the leading scorer for Mizzou so far. She is following in the footsteps of Mizzou’s lead scorer last year, former Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year Luebbert.
Mizzou returns to the pitch next Thursday, Sept. 21, against Mississippi State at 7 p.m. It will be the Tigers’ first SEC game on the road this season.
_Edited by Joe Noser | Jnoser@themaneater.com_
