Missouri players celebrate Leah Selm’s goal during a game against Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Walton Stadium. | (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)

We’re in the homestretch, folks

This is it, folks. The last week of the regular season is upon us. But hopefully for Mizzou soccer this isn’t the end. After a crucial 3-1 home win against Oklahoma, the Tigers are tied for 8th in the SEC and are nearly guaranteed to make the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2018.

But there is still plenty to play for. Mizzou faces a Texas team on the road that sits ahead of them in the conference standings, but has been notably prone to upsets in the past. Closing the season the Tigers matchup against another Tigers team in LSU that sits below them and is fighting for a berth in the conference tournament.

Here is your full guide to the defeat of the Sooners, previews for the week and a comprehensive look at the SEC standings. Without further ado, here we go!

See ya, Sooners

Entering the matchup Thursday, Mizzou sat at 12th place in the SEC while Oklahoma was 15th, and a win from the Sooners would have tanked the Tigers’ chances of a trip to Pensacola in early November.

But Mizzou held strong at home, thanks to another offensive explosion with three goals. Leah Selm had her fingerprints all over this one with a pair of goals plus an assist on the eventual winner from Keegan Good.

An interesting tidbit was once again the shot difference. Oklahoma outshot Mizzou 15-10, but they both finished with 6 shots on goal. This season the Tigers have made the adjustment that they can allow shots, as long as they keep opponents away from the box, and Kate Phillips will do the rest.

The one goal came on a penalty drawn inside the box, so avoiding those sort of mental mistakes in closer games will be crucial.

Hook ‘em

Texas entered the season as a projected contender during their first year in the SEC, finishing 2nd in the preseason poll. Everything went according to plan in the non-conference, finishing 7-0-1 while allowing only one goal.

Things have gotten rocky in conference play, as top tier teams like Arkansas and Mississippi State have given the Longhorns some grief. You also can’t forget possibly the SEC upset of the year when Florida took down Texas in the Swamp 2-1.

Currently the Longhorns are 5th in the conference, and will be looking for points down the stretch as they search for a top-4 seed and a first round bye. Texas is also currently a projected 8-seed in the NCAA tournament, but that can quickly move up/down in these next two weeks.

Offensively, Texas has looked elite, and one player to watch for is senior midfielder Lexi Missimo. The Texas native is red hot, riding a three-game goal streak heading into Thursday’s game against Mizzou. In addition to leading the team with 10 goals, Missimo is an elite passer, ranking first on the team with nine assists. If Mizzou hopes to march into Austin and pull off the upset, keep the ball away from Missimo.

Tiger Showdown

Closing the season is a date against the LSU. The Tigers from Baton Rouge started hot like Texas, but has seen that success cool with the temperature.

After seeming like a surefire team to make the SEC tournament, a stretch of 0-4-1 has left LSU sitting as the “First Team Out” with very limited time to move up. As a result, every point will matter, so they enter this matchup hungry for a win, especially given that Mizzou is one of the teams they’re trying to catch.

Similar to Texas, everything for LSU will run through their offense. One dynamic player to watch is Ava Galligan, who currently ranks second on the team in both points and goals. She most recently had one of the two goals in a big tie against Texas A&M on Friday. Galligan is also one who can distribute the ball to dangerous areas, with a pair of assists on the year.

SEC Standings

As I teased earlier, the Tigers are tied for 8th in the conference alongside Kentucky and Texas A&M with 10 points. For those who don’t know, you get 3 points for a win and 1 for a tie. I won’t even go through the tie-breaker between those three teams since it’s quite complicated and there’s plenty of games to be played amongst EVERYONE in the conference.

As a result, we have no clue who they will be playing or even when their next game will be. The Tigers could finish anywhere from 3rd with a first round bye or down to 14th and missing the conference tournament entirely. In order to secure their spot, Mizzou will likely need 2+ points to close the season— two ties or a win.

As a fan, you should feel good, but there’s no time to be comfortable. The Tigers control their own destiny, so they have to make the most of it.

Player to Watch: Mia Yang

Alright, time to give a real shoutout to a player I don’t give enough credit to. Mia Yan has been rocksteady on Mizzou’s defensive line this season, coming as one of the most impactful players as only a sophomore.

After some rough outings early she has continued to improve in every game. Yang has played both on the boundary and in the center while starting in 12 games thus far.

With a pair of teams that can light it up on the offensive end, Yang will be crucial in holding the opposing players outside the box and out of harm’s way.

Yang and the rest of the Tigers travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 on SEC Network+.