The Missouri soccer team (5-7-2, SEC 2-3-1) was without its coach in the not-so-thrilling final minutes of what became a 2-1 loss to Louisiana State University (8-5-1, SEC 2-3-1).
Coach Bryan Blitz was charged with a red card just 19 seconds after Missouri put itself on the board to cut the deficit in half. A yellow card had been shown to the MU sideline earlier in the half during the 57th minute. The cause of both cards was an unspecified sideline violation.
Missouri’s lone goal for the game came during the 87th minute after a corner kick from defender Peyton Joseph. The ball found Madison Lewis before bouncing off of the far post and finding the feet of Julissa Cisneros, who tapped the ball into the goal.
Cisneros has been the only Tiger to score since the Sept. 23 loss against Vanderbilt in which Sarah Luebbert managed to net one during the first half. She’s recorded 16 shots so far in her freshman season, eight of which have been on goal. She’s tallied one assist, and now three goals. Her first and second career goals came during the Oct. 4 2-1 win over Ole Miss. She is now tied with Luebbert for the lead in the category for this season.
“I was so proud of our team in the second half,” coach Blitz said in a press release. “They put pressure on a very good LSU team.”
Prior to Cisneros’ late goal and coach Blitz’s ejection, however, Missouri’s chances of turning around the game in any way seemed slim.
LSU logged two goals early in the first half to give itself the advantage. Junior Marlena Cutura found the goal for the third time this season off of assists from both Tinaya Alexander and Lindsey Eaton. Her shot, which came off her left foot, rolled right past a diving Kelsey Dossey in the seventh minute.
Freshman Molly Thompson then extended the lead for the LSU Tigers in the 22nd minute by poking it past Joseph after the ball was deflected to her by teammate Alex Thomas.
Whatever adjustments Missouri made at halftime bolstered the team’s second half performance despite not being able to find the goal until late. The Tigers recorded 10 shots in the final 45, led by Lewis, Cisneros, Cassidy Nurnberger and Lindsey Whitmore.
Both Dossey and LSU goalkeeper Caroline Brockmeier recorded 6 saves in the game. Dossey has now moved into fifth place in all-time career saves with 181 after just moving into sixth on Oct. 4.
With no Thursday game this week, Missouri has all week to prepare for its Oct. 14 game against Auburn (10-3-1, SEC 2-3-1). The game will also be the Tiger’s annual Pink Out game for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
_Edited by Adam Cole | acole@themaneater.com_
