For a while, it seemed like Coach Bryan Blitz would have to wait to earn his 200^th victory as the Tigers’ head coach. A late surge by the women’s soccer team in the final fifteen minutes of regulation, however, pushed the contest into overtime. A clutch goal won the Tigers the game and gave Coach Blitz his 200^th victory.
While the Tigers controlled possession in the first half, they had three offside calls against them in the first ten minutes of the game. The Grizzlies drew first blood in the first five minutes with a goal by midfielder Chloe Torres off of a corner kick.
Missouri continued to control possession and tied the match at one goal apiece with a goal by midfielder Alli Magaletta with 20 minutes left in the first half. That score would stand at halftime.
The game intensified in the second half. It started with a Montana goal with 21 minutes left in regulation. Then, only two minutes later, Montana midfielder Allie Lucas scored a goal of her own to make score 3-1 in favor of the Grizzlies.
With 13 minutes left on the clock, midfielder Melanie Donaldson cut the lead to one. Just five minutes later, defender Candace Johnson scored on a penalty kick, and the game was tied at three.
Neither team was able to capitalize in the final minutes of regulation, and the match went to overtime. The first half of overtime did not result in a goal. In the final minutes of the second overtime period, forward Taylor Grant came through with a goal, and the Tigers won the match 4-3.
Grant’s goal improved the Tigers record to 4-1-2 on the season, and gave Coach Bryan Blitz his 200^th win as the head coach of Missouri. The Tigers will be back on the field on Sunday at 1 p.m. to face Cal State Northridge.