2012 IN REVIEW Mississippi State two days later. Missouri took to the road again for a much anticipated matchup with No. 9 Florida. Adeshigbin put the Tigers head 1-0 with a goal in the first half but the Gators responded with two second half goals to claim a 2-1 victory. The Tigers rebounded two days later with a dramatic 2-1 win at Alabama. Diggs struck first to give Mizzou a 1-0 advantage but the Crimson Tide later tied the game at 1-1. With just over a minute remaining in regulation, sophomore Taylor Grant laced a pass up to Richardson, who tallied her third game-winner of the year for a 2-1 final. Following two tough losses to Arkansas and LSU, the Tigers closed the regular season with a matchup at No. 13 Texas A&M on Oct. 25. Action went back and forth throughout much of the exciting match. With Mizzou down 1-0 and just eight minutes left in regulation, Clark knotted the score at 1-1 with her fourth goal of the year. The contest went to overtime, where the home Aggies ultimately prevailed, 2-1. Following the season, Top Drawer Soccer named the match the seventh-best game of the season. Mizzou made its third trip to Alabama in just over a month for the 2012 SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. The Tigers advanced to the semifinals following a 2-1 win over Kentucky in the first round. Despite a loss to No. 11 Florida in the semifinals, the Tigers earned their fifth NCAA Tournament berth in program history when the selections were announced on Nov. 5. Mizzou’s first round matchup against Illinois on No. 10 was reminiscent of the team’s last NCAA game against the Fighting Illini in 2009. Illinois went ahead 1-0 in the first half but tied the match in the 53rd minute when junior Danielle Nottingham tallied her first goal of the season. The two teams were still tied after 110 minutes of play to force a penalty kick shootout. Unfortunately, The Fighting Illini proved victorious in the shootout (3-0) to end the Tigers’ season. Even though Mizzou’s season did not end the way the team envisioned it, the year was still a success. “To come out and have our first season in the SEC and to have the season we did is one of the highlights of my career,” senior Jessica Greer said following the NCAA Tournament game. “Coming out and play the way we did this year I think we proved a lot of people wrong.” Many Tigers were recognized on an individual level following the season. Richardson and Diggs were both honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), as Richardson was named to the All-South Region second team and Diggs to the third team. Additionally, Diggs and Richardson both earned spots on the All-SEC first team, with Diggs becoming just the third Tiger to earn multiple all-conference first team accolades. Johnson was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and senior Allison Hu claimed SEC CoScholar Athlete of the Year honors. In the classroom, Hu became the second Academic All-American in program history when she earned a spot on the Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Women’s Soccer Second Team. Diggs was also honored for her work off the pitch after earning Capital One Academic All-District 6 accolades. Despite the loss of five seniors, Mizzou returns eight starters and a strong nucleus of players for the 2013 season. No longer the new kid on the block in the SEC, and with the recent NCAA bid under their belts, the Tigers will strive to reach new heights next year.
2012 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS • The Mizzou soccer team earned its fifth NCAA Tournament berth in program history and finished 2012 with a 14-7-1 record. • The Tigers were ranked in the national rankings for much of the season, including a high of 10 in early September. • Mizzou’s 10-1 record to begin the season marked the team’s best start in program history. The squad also started 5-0 in league play for the first time ever. • A 2-1 win over Auburn on Sept. 21 gave Missouri its first ever Southeastern Conference victory. • The Tigers advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals with a 2-1 win over Kentucky in the quarterfinals. • Senior Allison Hu was selected as the SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. She also became the second Academic All-American in program history when she earned a spot on the Capital One Academic All-America Division I Women’s Soccer Second Team. • Richardson and Diggs were also named to the All-SEC first team. With her honor, Diggs became just the third Tiger to earn multiple all-conference first team accolades. • Freshman Candace Johnson also received accolades from the SEC with a place on the SEC All-Freshman Team. • In the classroom, 12 Tigers were named to Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll: Taiwo Adeshigbin, Kaysie Clark, Brittany Conley, Diggs, Lauren Flynn, Hu, Haley Krentz, Danielle Nottingham, Brittanee Randle, Abi Raymer and Richardson.
2013 MEDIA GUIDE • 47