For the seventh time in 12 games this season, the Missouri offense couldn’t get onto the scoresheet. For the fifth time in those seven games, the defense played well enough to keep the Tigers within striking distance of a result.

In Thursday’s 1-0 loss at Arkansas, Missouri’s inability to create and finish chances led to its second straight defeat, leaving it with a record of 4-6-2 (1-2-1 SEC).

After a scoreless first half, the Razorbacks (8-2-2, 3-1 SEC) scored the game’s lone goal in the 59th minute, when a cross was deflected in the box and landed at the feet of midfielder Taylor Malham. With senior goalkeeper Kelsey Dossey out of position thanks to the awkward bounce, Malham had no trouble tapping the ball into an open net for her second goal of the season.

Missouri’s offense mustered eight shots to the Razorbacks’ 17. The Tigers struggled to maintain possession and build attacks throughout the second half. Even after falling behind, they came closer to conceding a second goal than they did to scoring one of their own.

In the 72nd minute, Arkansas’ Marissa Kinsey hit the post with a shot from the edge of the box. In the 78th, Dossey came off her line to make two crucial, point-blank stops after multiple defenders were unable to clear the ball from the box during a Razorback offensive.

Uncharacteristically, Tiger attackers were called offside five times in the match, after only being caught nine previous times all season.

Redshirt junior Bethany Coons, who has started nearly every game for the Tigers and has one goal to her name this season, missed the match due to a one-game suspension resulting from her red card in a loss to Vanderbilt last Sunday.

Thursday’s defeat was the Tigers’ third this year by a score of 1-0. Add in two scoreless ties against Iowa and Georgia, and Missouri has had five games in which strong defensive efforts were wasted by an inability to break through on offense.

“We had our chances,” coach Bryan Blitz said in a press release, “and we just have to learn to put those away against good teams.”

Missouri defender Anna Frick, a back line regular who has been bothered by a knee injury for a couple of weeks, missed the game. After initially missing two games earlier this month, Frick returned against Georgia but had to be removed from the Vanderbilt game after just five minutes.

The Tigers have a rare weekend off before they host Mississippi next Thursday in Columbia.

_Edited by Bennett Durando | bdurando@themaneater.com_