SOCCER BEATS MISSOURI 3-2 IN COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN

Friday, September 26

Boulder, Colo.

4:00 p.m.

Colorado

7-1-0, 1-0-0Big 12

Missouri

5-4-0, 0-1-0Big 12

Missouri

Colorado

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

September 26, 2003 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER - Jen Thais' game-winner in the 55th minute capped three Colorado unanswered goals as the Buffs overcame a 2-0 deficit to upend Missouri 3-2 here Friday in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

With the win, Colorado improves to 7-1-0, 1-0 in league play and protects its seven game win streak while Missouri falls to 5-4-0/0-1 in a game that had everything" a come from behind win, a yellow card, an ejection, physical play and conference bragging rights.

'Opponents that we played before today we were just better than, ' said head coach Bill Hempen. 'They didn't understand the pressure that Big 12 teams put on you. Missouri was more physical than the team's we've met. '

Missouri had the Buffs on their heels to open the game and got off a pair of unanswered shots by Kristen Heil in the seventh and eighth minutes before Colorado's Orly Ripmaster got off her first of three first half shots off in the 12th minute that was blocked. Missouri would make their dominance of the opening stanza official on a pair of goals within three minutes of each other to put the Tigers up 2-0.

For the first time since the season opener versus Portland, CU would find itself trailing in a game.

All alone at the top right corner of the box, Heil netted her first goal of the game in the 20th minute when her low shot into the left corner past CU keeper Jessica Keller, who gave up her first goal in six games (Aug. 31 vs. Georgia). Heil would make it a 2-0 Tiger advantage when she received a lofted pass from Missy Peabody, worked her way through three CU defenders just outside the box, and placed the ball again into the left corner.

'They battled the whole game,' said CU's Ripmaster. 'We worked hard to come back, but they took it to us. We're lucky to come out with a win. When we're vulnerable like that they'll find our weaknesses.'

The goals marked the first for a CU opponent in four games, ending the Buffs shutout streak at three.

With Colorado getting the message loud and clear, the Buffs went on the offensive and controlled the remaining 21 minutes of the first half outshooting Missouri 5-0 in that span. Ripmaster and Thais nearly put CU on the scoreboard in that time when Ripmaster's header in the 32nd minute hit the cross bar and seven seconds later, Thais' shot from 5 yards out hit the left post before it ricocheted toward the goal line when MU keeper Stephanie Krawczyk got a hand on it for the save.

Ripmaster's shot was her third near-score in as many games, 'When I score, I'm going to go nuts. I've just got to finish the shots. I'm getting chances" I've just got to do it.'

The Buffs went into the halftime intermission within one when a Fran Munnelly pass from the top of the box met a sliding Katie Griffin who got a shot off in the 36th minute on her side for the score.

Following the first half wake-up call, the Buffs came out for the second half on the offensive, taking the first four shots of the half in a two-minute span. But it was the fifth shot by Ashlie Mihalcin that knotted the game at two goals a piece when she carried a pass from Griffin into the box for the shot and her third goal of the season.

'I looked for the pass and there was nothing in front of me but the goal, so I went for it' said Mihalcin on her third goal of the season

Thirty-two seconds later, Thais recorded her first game-winner of the season when she took a served pass in the box from Fran Munnelly and put it past Krawczyk for the go-ahead-goal.

The heated battle of the game came to a head in the 58th minute when CU defender Laura Munnelly was all that stood between Missouri's Jennifer Nobis and a shot on goal. The ensuing contact resulted in a trip, a stoppage of play, a yellow card to Munnelly and a red card to Missouri head coach Bryan Bliss who, after coming to the aide of Nobis, was ejected in response to his verbal abuse to referee Des O'Sullivan in reaction to the play. Bliss will have to sit out Missouri's next game, at Nebraska on Sunday.

Missouri's only three shots of the half followed, but the Tigers couldn't get an equalizer of their own.

'It was a great win, but it definitely taught us to come out on top of our game. Coming back is good, but we need to get better,' added Mihalcin.

Colorado returns to the pitch Sunday, Sept. 28 when it hosts Iowa State in a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Cyclones play at Nebraska tonight.

'We need to play much better in conference to win some games,' concluded Hempen.