Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Soccer Prepares for Home Opener
September 12, 2003 | Cowgirl Soccer
Oklahoma State opens the home portion of its schedule this weekend at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex, hosting Vermont and McNeese State. The Cowgirls host Vermont Friday at 7 p.m. in a first-ever meeting between the two squads. McNeese State then comes to town for a 1 p.m. tilt on Sunday to close out the weekend. The Cowgirls lead the series with McNeese State 1-0 after escaping with a 2-0 win in 1997. Seven of Oklahoma State's next eight contests will be in Stillwater with the lone road trip in that span being a visit to Norman to face Oral Roberts in the Oklahoma Shootout.
Scouting Vermont
Vermont is 2-1-1 on the season after opening with a pair of 4-0 shutouts over Stetson and Iona. Last weekend the Catamounts ended in a 0-0 tie with Brown and lost 3-1 to Harvard. Vermont was picked to finish eighth in the America East preseason poll. Nikki Hessney leads the Catamounts with three goals and seven points. All seven of Hessney's points were earned in the Stetson contest when she tallied a hat trick in 2 minutes and 22 seconds, the quickest in NCAA Division I history. Three other Catamounts; Cassie VanLeeuwen, Melissa Witkiewicz and Kate Moran, have registered a goal on the season.
Scouting McNeese State
McNeese State enters the weekend at 1-3-0 on the season. Allison Arnold leads the squad with five goals and 11 points. Arnold recorded a hat trick against Praire View A&M to lead the Cowgirls to a 7-2 win. Ashley Viscariello is the only other Cowgirl to score more than one goal so far this season. After opening the season with the win over Prairie View, McNeese State has dropped it last three contests to LSU, Loyola and Birmingham Southern. The Cowgirls will face Oral Roberts on Friday before traveling to Stillwater for Sunday's contest.
Head Coach Karen Hancock
Karen Hancock is in her eighth year at Oklahoma State, having started the program in 1996. In seven years at OSU, Hancock holds a 56-69-8 record and the program has grown stronger each year. Hancock led the 2002 squad to a 10-0 start, the best ever by a Cowgirl team and set a school record for wins in a season after finishing 13-7-0. Hancock's hard work paid off when the Cowgirls qualified for the Big 12 Tournament for the first time and she earned Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year honors.
Radtke Leads The Pack
Adriane Radtke was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday. The Munich, Germany, native scored two goals in each of the Cowgirls wins over the weekend and now leads the squad with six goals and 17 points. Radtke also dished out four assists over the weekend, including three in the Sam Houston State contest. Her seven points against SHSU tied the school record for points in a game.
Schweitzer Scores Three
Jolene Schweitzer notched the first hat trick of her career against Sam Houston State. The junior scored the game-winner and followed with two more over the next 22 minutes. The Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, native had tallied two goals in a game twice in her career prior to the contest.
Stellar Recruiting Class
Oklahoma State's 2003 recruiting class of Ashlyn Brantley, Katie Lacey, Kathrin Lehmann and Adriane Radtke earned national recognition. Soccer Buzz ranked the class seventh regionally and 38th nationally.
Weekend Promotions
Friday against Vermont
• $2 admission with a business card
• Register to win tickets to Saturday's football game vs. Southwest Missouri State
Sunday against McNeese State
• $2 admission for senior citizens (65+)
• $2 admission with a church bulletin
• Autograph session following the game with the Cowgirl defenders
