McKenzie Sauerwein and Caroline Stanley must have enjoyed Friday night’s match immensely. The virtually unchallenged Missouri goalkeeping tandem didn’t fend off a single shot as the Tigers overcame a sloppy first half and rode a dominant defensive effort to a comfortable 3-0 win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
An early goal from suddenly surging sophomore midfielder Dominique Richardson in the seventh minute was all MU (4-1) needed. The Tigers dominated ball possession for most of the match and overcame several missed opportunities en route to a fourth-straight victory. Richardson’s tally, set up by a well-placed Danielle Nottingham cross, was the third goal in as many matches for the preseason All-Big 12 selection.
Admitting it felt good to score in three straight games, Richardson said she isn’t taking anyone lightly.
“You have to be ready to go,” Richardson said. “You can’t let traveling or tough opponents affect you. All road games are hard and we feel like we have something to prove on the road right now.”
After Missouri failed to capitalize on a couple of golden opportunities, including a clear breakaway for senior forward Kendra Collins, freshman forward Taylor Grant stepped up off the bench and buried her second goal of the year. The goal came in the 27th minute off a perfect touch pass from sophomore forward Alyssa Diggs, giving MU a 2-0 edge.
“This is what I came here to do is make an impact,” Grant said. “Coach said take people on and get past them and we did that. Alyssa (Diggs) and I were talking about that on the bench and that’s why we were so excited afterwards.”
The Tigers headed into the locker room leading by the same margin courtesy of a dominant first half that saw numerous chances go by the wayside.
“Our touch sputtered a bit and we weren’t as sharp attacking-wise,” Blitz said. “I was kind of disappointed in our first half. If we want to be the best we can be, we can’t be as lethargic in the first half and be mentally ready out of the gates.”
That same story played out over the first 28 minutes of the second half until sophomore forward Brooke Williams broke through in the 73rd minute with her first goal as a Tiger. The Missouri State transfer buried an advantageous deflection into the back of the net to essentially ice the game, putting Missouri up by a 3-0 margin.
Northern Arizona’s late attempts at a rally were quashed by the excellent play of the Tigers’ experienced back line and the Lumberjacks (0-5) suffered their fifth consecutive defeat without registering a single shot or corner kick.
Coach Bryan Blitz applauded his defense’s “sublime performance” but refused to fully endorse the Tigers’ overall efforts as they prepare to hit the road for a Sunday matinee against TCU.
“TCU’s gonna give us everything they’ve got,” Blitz said. “Tonight wasn’t up to the standards we were looking for and we need to get better. I’m hoping we can have a quick turnaround, be ‘A’ students, and we have to have a different plan going into Sunday.”
The streaking Tigers turn their attention toward a Horned Frogs’ side that is coming off a 3-1 victory over Texas State. Missouri will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday morning before matching up against TCU on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
