OXFORD, Miss. – The Mizzou soccer team erupted for five goals and notched its first shutout of the year as the Tigers defeated Ole Miss, 5-0, in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Missouri's five goals are the most ever for the team in an SEC match and are the most for the program since it defeated Pacific 5-1 on Aug. 23, 2013.
The Tigers improved to 5-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in SEC action, while the Rebels fell to 4-3-0 and 0-1-0.
Five different players found the back of the net for Mizzou, including freshman Sarah Luebbert (Jefferson City, Mo.), who tallied her team-leading fifth goal of the season. Also scoring were juniors Allie Hess (Kearney, Mo.), Jessica Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Savannah Trujillo (Kansas City, Mo.) and sophomore Amanda Shaw (Carmel, Ind.). Shaw's goal marked the first goal of her Tiger career.
Luebbert added an assist on Johnson's goal to up her season point total to 13 points on five goals and three assists.
After 22 minutes of back and forth play, Johnson's first goal of the season put the Tigers on top, 1-0, in the 23rd minute. Stationed at the left endline, Luebbert sent a cross four yards in front of the net that Johnson one-timed past the goalie. The tally was Johnson's first of the season and sixth of her career.
Continued pressure from the Tiger offense was rewarded 13 minutes later when Shaw played a ball out to a sprinting Trujillo. The junior took a touch and drilled a low shot to the left netting for her second goal of the year and second in as many matches.
Luebbert found the scoring column only three minutes into the second half for a 3-0 Mizzou advantage. The freshman headed a corner kick from junior Kaitlyn Clark (Liberty, Mo.) to the right post for her fifth goal in seven games in a Tiger uniform.
Missouri added its fourth and fifth tallies in less than a two minute span midway through the second half off goals from Shaw and Hess. Shaw headed home a two-yard shot off a cross from Johnson for her first career goal in the 61st minute of action. Less than two minutes later, senior Rachel Hignett (Llandough, Wales) was fouled in the box by the Ole Miss goalkeeper. Hess stepped to the spot and set the ball to the keeper's left for a 5-0 Tiger lead.
Sophomore keeper Kelsey Dossey (Plainfield, Ind.) made two saves to record her first shutout of the season.
Mizzou is idle until the Tigers travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face Tennessee on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. live on SEC Network.