Mizzou’s home opener had the kind of setting teams dream about and the kind of result they’d rather forget.
Behind a record crowd of 2,324 at Walton Stadium and a seven-save effort from senior goalkeeper Kate Phillips, the Tigers fell 1-0 to in-state rival Saint Louis University on Thursday. Missouri never found a way through a disciplined Billikens back line, and a penalty kick in the first half was enough to decide it.
The atmosphere was unlike anything Walton Stadium had seen before. Students packed the stands and spilled into the surrounding areas, pushing attendance past the previous mark of 1,926. It was also the first game on the athletic calendar, which gave Mizzou students their first chance to earn points toward football tickets in the new ticketing model.
“This is what we wanted to be all the time,” Golan said. “You want it to be when teams come and play here.
You want them to feel like they’re playing more than just the team that’s on the field. And I thought we had that today.”
Missouri tried to ride that energy early, but the Tigers could never settle into a rhythm. Their attack flashed pace in bursts, yet the pressure never stuck, and the first 70 minutes passed without a single shot from the home side.
“We wanted to switch the point of attack, and we didn’t do that,” Golan said. “We thought we could really get at them in the wide space, and we didn’t set that up as much as we needed to, so we just got to grow through that”
Saint Louis found the breakthrough from the penalty spot after a handball by junior forward Mia Deveroux. Senior midfielder Jennette Fieldsend converted from 12 yards, and the goal drained much of the life from the stadium. Missouri had little response after that, with its only real scoring look coming on a finish that was later disallowed.
Phillips kept the Tigers within striking distance throughout the first half. She made five saves before the break, including a one-handed stop on a curling 18-yard shot that looked destined for the corner. Saint Louis outshot Missouri 7-0 in the first half, but Phillips’ work kept the game from getting away.
She was back in goal after sitting out the previous match, and the competition between her and Riley Wilkerson remains wide open three games into the season.
“It’s neck and neck. They both bring great qualities to the table, and neither one has separated themselves, so they’re both going to play until that happens,” Golan said. “You love when you have that kind of competition because it forces them to be great every single day at training”
Senior midfielder Olivia Chianelli was one of Missouri’s few steady bright spots. She helped clean up plays in the middle of the field, won balls, and disrupted Saint Louis often enough to limit some of the damage. Her ability to break lines also helped create a few of the Tigers’ limited threats.
The second half brought even less from Missouri. As fans began to head for the exits, the Tigers struggled not just to generate shots but to get into the attacking third at all.
Missouri’s first shot finally came after 70 minutes, when senior forward Brianna Buels sent a tame effort from outside the box straight to the Saint Louis keeper. Buels has become a focal point of the offense early this season, but she couldn’t unlock the Billikens on this night.
The Tigers’ best chance came in the 88th minute, when sophomore Aly Bryant forced a reaching save from outside the box. It was Missouri’s sharpest look of the night, but it still wasn’t enough to seriously threaten the clean sheet.
“We know that we didn’t execute,” Golan said. “We just got to get back in training and continue to hammer it until we do it consistently.
Mizzou heads back on the road next, traveling to Springfield to face Missouri State. The Tigers beat the Bears 2-0 the last time they met.
In Other News...
Mark Mitchell Just Reopened A Mizzou Question Fans Thought Was Closed
Mark Mitchells path back into the NCAA picture just got a lot more interesting. The former Duke wing was granted eligibility for the 2026-27 season and access to the transfer portal after a temporary restraining order from Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards, a development tied to a broader lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules for players who used up eligibility under older formats. It is the kind of legal wrinkle that can quickly shift the conversation around a player whose college options seemed settled.
For Missouri fans, the timing matters because Mitchell has already been linked to the Tigers, along with Kentucky, even as Missouri is currently operating with a full roster. That leaves the Tigers in a familiar waiting game: watching a talented frontcourt piece stay in the mix while the bigger question remains where he will actually land once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzous Offensive Line Picture Just Got A Lot More Real
Missouri is heading into the final stretch of fall camp with a Fast Friday practice and a closed scrimmage, and the picture up front is starting to come into focus. Luke Work, the Mississippi State transfer, is expected to take over at right tackle after Josh Atkins went down, a development that has given the Tigers a more settled look on the edge. Work has drawn steady praise from the coaching staff throughout the offseason, and his arrival has helped clarify one of the most important spots on the line.
The other big clue came on the interior, where Tristan Wilson has moved to the front of the race at left guard after battling Zack Owens and Curtis Peagler. Coaches have liked the way Wilson has handled the competition, pointing to his versatility and the progress he has made since the spring. For Missouri, the encouraging part is not just who is stepping in, but that the line is beginning to look like a group with some real continuity as camp winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Hoops Has A Fall Chance Dennis Gates Cant Waste
Dennis Gates and his staff are heading into the fall with a recruiting window that could shape Missouri basketballs next class in a big way. Several of the Tigers top targets are lining up official visits over the coming weeks, giving the program a chance to put its pitch in front of priority prospects when attention is highest and the roster picture is coming into focus.
Cameron Barnes, Tyran Frazier and Devin Cleveland are all part of that group, each carrying a different timeline and a different set of schools still in the mix. Missouri also has committed guard Scottie Adkinson in the fold, and his presence during some of those visits should help the staff keep the momentum moving as the Tigers try to turn a busy fall into real traction on the trail. [Read more 🡒]