The No. 15 Missouri soccer team shot past Vanderbilt on Sunday at Walton Stadium 2-0, a final score indicative of an effort much more pedestrian than the one put forth by the Tigers.
Missouri (9-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) topped the Commodores by wide margins in every statistical offensive category. The team outshot Vanderbilt an eye-popping 39-6, with the two scores coming off a Jessica Greer tip in the first half and a Taiwo Adeshigbin strike in the second. The home scoreboard would have lit up much more often had it not been for the spectacular play of Vanderbilt goalkeeper Alexa Levick, many of whose 11 saves came off the diving variety.
“She had an outstanding game, she certainly rose to the challenge,” said Tigers coach Brian Blitz of the opponent keeper. “Although the shot count was high, they gave us everything they could handle on this Sunday.”
By the 23rd minute, Levick had already robbed sophomore midfielder Kaysie Clark and sophomore forward Taylor Grant of scores with sprawling saves on shots from close in. That’s when Clark flung a lob into the box from the right side that was tipped in by Greer just ahead of Levick’s outstretched hands. The score was Greer’s second of the season.
Adeshigbin put Missouri up 2-0 just three minutes into the second half. Running out ahead of the Tiger attack, the senior forward slashed into the box and finished a nifty pass from Clark in stride for her fifth goal of the season.
The two assists were Clark’s first two of the year.
Adeshigbin’s goal came on the Tigers’ 19th shot. They would attempt 20 more without success, following a pattern of low-efficiency scoring amid high-octane offense that began when they took 34 shots in a 2-0 win over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 2.
“We need to be more efficient in converting our chances,” Blitz said. “The World Cup statistic is that you need to shoot every eight or nine times to score, so we ask them to shoot and not have a conscience. That said, we need to be a little more composed in the box.”
The players expressed no worry in the lopsided ratio, echoing each other with the idea that more opportunities can only lead to more goals.
“We try to look at the positive,” said senior midfielder Haley Krentz. “If you hit the post you’re, what, millimeters, inches off? They’re eventually going to fall in.”
A play in the 52nd minute perfectly spotlighted the luck sometimes necessary for scoring in soccer. On one of the many Tiger pushes, Grant found herself wide open inside the box on the right side. Her shot banged off the post, only to deflect off the diving back of Levick and back toward the goal. Krentz corralled the rebound, only to see her shot rattle off the post and out of bounds.
“Kind of crazy how that happens,” Krentz said.
Blitz said that he’s happy if his team is creating chances, even if that isn’t translating into gaudy final scores.
“Obviously I want as many goals as possible, but we’ll win 1-0 or we’ll win 10-0,” he said. “I think our finishing can be a little bit cleaner in the box. Sometimes we make the goalkeepers look really good by trying to power in as opposed to being tidy and tucking it away.”
Clark thinks the only way to get more ticks on the scoreboard is through perseverance.
“You’ve just got to keep giving them the ball,” she said with a smile. “They’re going to finish eventually.
