Mizzou Soccer Welcomes Omaha to Walton Stadium

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri soccer team returns home to Walton Soccer Stadium Thursday, Aug. 24 to face Omaha. The action is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on SEC Network+ with Nate Gatter and Simon Rose. 

GIRL ON FIRE

• It took just 15 minutes for sophomore Kylee Simmons to tally her first goal of the season and put Mizzou up 2-0 against SEMO on Aug. 17. She followed that performance with two goals at Creighton on Aug. 20 to help the team to a 3-1 win. 
• The West Chester, Ohio native tops the Southeastern Conference in multiple categories, including points (6), points per game (3.00), goals (3) and goals per game (1.5). 

HELPING HANDS

• Bella Carrillo and Elena Zuchowski earned their first career assists at Creighton in a 3-1 win on Aug. 20. Carrillo recorded the helper on the first goal of the game, crossing the ball in the box for classmate Kylee Simmons to tap in.
• On the Tigers’ second and third goal, Zuchowski picked her spots and delivered great final balls to sophomore Mallory McGuire and Simmons, lifting Mizzou to a dominant road win. The game-winning goal was McGuire’s first in Black and Gold after transferring from Rutgers in the offseason. 

FRESHMEN FIRSTS

• Five freshmen made their first career starts in the opening week of action: Brianna Buels, Olivia Chianelli, Ana DiMaria, Kate Phillips and Shania Spriggs versus SEMO (Aug. 17) and at Creighton (Aug. 20).
• Spriggs totaled a goal and an assist against the Redhawks. 
• Chianelli tallied her first career goal in the ninth minute of play against SEMO, assisted by Buels for her first career helper. 
• Phillips earned her first career start in net and her first career shutout in the 4-0 win. 

DOMINANT OPENER

• Mizzou had a dominant outing to start the 2023 season, topping SEMO at home 4-0. In the contest, the Redhawks did not register a shot. The Tigers held their opponent to zero shots for the first time since playing Indiana State on Sept. 4, 2001.  
• Additionally, Missouri recorded 24 shots on goal, the most since Aug. 27, 2021, when the Tigers totaled 27 shots against Indiana State in a 3-1 win.

ALL-TIME SERIES: THE MAVERICKS

• Missouri holds an all-time record against Omaha of 0-0-1. The Tigers’ first match against the Mavericks came last season on Aug. 28, 2022, and ended in a tie in Omaha, Neb. 

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS

• Omaha is 1-0-1 through the first week of the 2023 season, beating Southern Utah 4-0 and drawing even with Utah Tech 0-0. 
• Against the Thunderbirds, four different players scored, and Grace Crockett tallied two assists. Emma Konsmo started both contests for the Mavericks in net, facing 22 shots total and making seven saves. 

2022 REVIEW

• Mizzou finished the 2022 season with a 5-8-4 overall record and was 2-5-3 in SEC contests. The Tigers earned wins over No. 23 Auburn (1-0) Sept. 16 and tied No. 21 Mississippi State (0-0) Sept. 30. 
• Individually, Milena Fischer totaled seven points with two goals and three assists on the year. Kylee Simmons led the freshmen and earned six points with two goals and two assists. 
• In net, Bella Hollenbach made all 17 starts, made 54 saves and held a 1.35 goals-against average. The backline starters totaled 5,573 minutes played: Grace Pettet (1,530), Rachel Kutella (1,492), Megan Oduyoye (1,288) and Bella Carrillo (1,263). Together, the unit led the team to three clean sheets. 

STAFF ADDITION

• There is a new face on the Mizzou bench this season, with the addition of assistant coach Taylor Culp. Culp came to Missouri from Elon, where he worked with the men’s soccer team as a goalkeeper coach in 2019 before moving to the women’s program in 2020 as an assistant coach. 
• As an assistant, he was recruiting coordinator and led scouting/opposition analysis for the team.
• While at Elon, Culp helped the women’s team to three consecutive winning seasons and the program’s first-ever Colonial Athletic Conference Association (CAA) Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. 

UP NEXT

• Missouri hits the road next week, making its first stop at Nebraska on Thursday, Aug. 31, before traveling to rival Kansas on Sunday, Sept. 3. The contest against the Huskers is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. CT kickoff on the Big 10 Network+. In Lawrence, Kan., the game will begin at 1 p.m. CT and can be streamed via Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.