The Missouri women’s soccer team came out of halftime resurgent and led an explosive second-half attack to best California 3-2 on Sunday night in Berkeley, Calif., to improve its record to 3-0, a program best since 2007.
The team scored all three of its goals in rapid-fire fashion during the second half, with two of them coming within eight minutes of each other. The final and deciding goal came from sophomore Abi Raymer with just 15 minutes remaining in the game.
Junior Alyssa Diggs, the team’s top returning scorer who sat out with a hamstring injury, took to Twitter after the game.
“(T)hink that was probably the best game I’ve ever watched,” Diggs said in a tweet. “So proud!!! My team is awesome and God is good.”
California got on the board first in the ninth minute on a one-timer from freshman forward Ifeoma Onumonu off a free kick. Only six minutes into the second frame, senior Taiwo Adeshigbin freelanced down the left side of the field and scored on a 16-yard strike to bring the score even at one. The goal was Adeshigbin’s third of the season, tying her for the team lead.
Not long after, fellow senior Haley Krentz found some low space in the left side of the net off a cross from junior Danielle Nottingham.
Two minutes after the Bears knotted the game 2-2, Raymer headed the ball into the net after a pass from Krentz. It was Raymer’s second game-winner in just as many games this season.
Sophomore goalie McKenzie Sauerwien finished with seven saves, including one in the 80th minute to preserve the lead.
The win caps a thrilling opening week for Missouri, which was ranked No. 13 in Soccer America’s poll after a 5-1 victory over then-No. 14 Memphis in the season-opener. After Memphis, the Tigers bested University of California-Santa Barbara 2-0.
California was ranked No. 15 in TopDrawerSoccer.com’s poll this week.
Missouri will host Arizona State at 6:30 p.m. Friday.