The Missouri soccer team dropped to 3-3-1 on the season Friday night, falling 3-1 on the road to Oklahoma at John Crain Field after digging itself into an early three-goal hole it couldn’t fully climb out of.
Oklahoma jumped ahead in the eighth minute and tacked on two more before the half was even 30 minutes old, leaving Missouri to search for answers against a Sooners squad that entered the match unbeaten. The Tigers found one — briefly — early in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to complete
the comeback.
The Sooners needed just over eight minutes to get on the board, with Narissa Fults finishing off a feed from Sadie Sterbenz and Elle Canty. It was the first of two goals on the night for Fults, who spent the evening as Missouri’s most persistent problem to solve.
Oklahoma doubled the lead in the 26th minute when Kayla Keefer converted off another Canty assist, and Fults struck again a minute later off a ball from Emily Davey, making it 3-0 before halftime. Missouri goalkeeper Riley Wilkerson kept the deficit from growing further, finishing the match with six saves against a Sooners attack that out-shot the Tigers 13-7 on the night.
Missouri came out of the break with more purpose. Just three minutes in, Emily Derucki got the Tigers on the board, finishing off an assist from Lana Adams to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The goal gave Missouri some life, and the Tigers pushed for a second. Adams tested Oklahoma keeper Callie Sullivan twice late, and Olivia Chianelli and Brianna Buels each drew saves out of Sullivan as well, but the equalizer never came.
Missouri’s best remaining chance arrived in the 85th minute, when the Tigers were awarded a penalty kick after a handball by Oklahoma’s Ariana Ellison. Rylie Morse stepped up, but Sullivan guessed right and saved it low to her right, snuffing out Missouri’s last real look at the match.
A VAR review for a potential penalty against Oklahoma was initiated in the 89th minute but did not result in a call, and the Tigers ran out of time shortly after.
Missouri finished with three shots on goal to Oklahoma’s nine and was whistled for 10 fouls to the Sooners’ five, though the Tigers matched Oklahoma with four corner kicks apiece. Missouri turned to its bench for a spark in the second half, with Audrey Gilbert, Landry Hopkins and Taryn Chance all seeing extended minutes as the Tigers chased the game.
Oklahoma moved to 6-0-2 with the win. Missouri will look to build on its second-half response when it returns to action next week when the Kentucky Wildcats come to Columbia.
