An explosive second half for Mizzou put the nail in Youngstown State’s coffin en route to a 5-0 win on Wednesday evening at Audrey J. Walton Stadium. Four different players scored goals, and the Tigers notched 20 shots on goal as a team.
It may have come in the second half with a comfortable 2-0 lead, but the most electric sequence of the game started with senior midfielder Hailey Chambliss. Coming into this season, she had not seen action for the Tigers and missed last season due to pregnancy.
In
the 80th minute, Chambliss had an absurd goal, knocking it in off the left post while being almost parallel to the post on the right side of the box. Less than a minute later, she wanted more. This time, Chambliss got help from freshman Ava Lamothe and Derucki for the goal in the bottom right of the net.
“To have Oakley and change her life as a mom, and kind of work her way back slowly in the spring, and then she showed up in preseason,” head coach Stefanie Golan said. “To have a moment like that this early in the season, I think it’s so awesome for her, and it’s so awesome for us as a team.”
The goals did not stop pouring in there. Sophomore forward Mia Devrouax joined the party in the 83rd minute with her first goal of her collegiate career. She was assisted on the play by fellow sophomore McKenna Moran.
Mizzou initially got on the board in the 20th minute courtesy of sophomore midfielder Landis Canada. The shot was pure as the young star put the ball in the top left of the net off her right foot, from just outside the penalty box.
Junior forward Bri Buels played with fire to open the game. She had two shots in the ninth and 11th minute, one going slightly wide left, and the second attempt was barely saved by redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Naimoli Maya at the top right of the net.
The hot streak for Buels continued shortly after the Canada goal. Carrillo and sophomore Emily Derucki both got credited for an insane cross into the goal box, and Buels finished it off using her head in the 26th minute.
Senior forward Keegan Good tried to join in on the fun with two shot attempts in the closing minutes of the first half, but she was off target. Mizzou had some padding with a 2-0 lead at the half. Buels and Canada each scored their first goals of the season in the first half.
Additional Notes
The one change Golan elected to make in the starting lineup for game two was junior midfielder Olivia Chianelli in for the injured redshirt sophomore midfielder Monica Brauner. She was seen wearing a boot on the sidelines, and there is currently no timeline for her return.
The Tigers will have their first true test of the season come August 24 with a matchup against Saint Louis. The Billikens face No. 14 Penn State on August 21, a match that will be telling of how talented head coach Katie Shield’s roster is.
“Winning is momentum,” Chambliss said. “Goals are momentum. So I feel like now that we see what we can do, I feel like it’ll just keep translating from game to game.”
