Oklahoma State University Athletics
Undefeated Soccer Team Opens Big 12 Play
September 25, 2003 | Cowgirl Soccer
Oklahoma State returns to the friendly confines of the Cowgirl Soccer Complex to open Big 12 play this weekend. The Cowgirls are a perfect 8-0 on the season and will look to equal last year's 10-0 start with a pair of wins. Friday's contest against Texas Tech kicks off a four-game homestand for the Cowgirls. The weekend draws to a close when Baylor comes calling on Sunday at 1 p.m. Texas Tech leads the series with Oklahoma State 4-3-0 but the Cowgirls have won the last two meetings. Baylor also holds the edge in the series, a commanding 5-1-1 advantage. The Cowgirls posted their first win over the Bears in Stillwater last year, shutting out the visitors 2-0.
Scouting Texas Tech
Texas Tech is 1-4-1 on the season. The Red Raiders had their best weekend yet last week, tying SFA 1-1 and defeating Texas State 3-1. Prior to the weekend the Red Raiders had not scored a goal. Freshman Jennifer Vasquez scored Texas Tech's first goal of the season against SFA. Three different Red Raiders, Catie Arsenault, Kim Warren and Karen Stephens, scored in the winning effort against Texas State. Megan Knauss has logged 460 minutes in goal this season. She has a 1.42 goals against average and 30 saves.
Scouting Baylor
Baylor enters the weekend at 5-3-0 on the season. Ginny Rosario-Tull leads the squad with 18 points on eight goals and two assists. Rosario-Tull has three of the Bears five game-winning goals. Missy McConnell is second in the goals race with three. Monica Housden has logged 737 minutes in net for Baylor, amassing a 1.22 goals against average and making 34 saves. The Bears face Kansas on Friday before traveling to Stillwater.
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 64-69-8 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.
Cowgirls Picked Eighth
Oklahoma State was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 race this season in the preseason poll voted on by the league coaches. Texas was picked to win the 2003 Big 12 title, followed by defending conference champion Texas A&M and defending Big 12 tournament champion Nebraska. Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State and Baylor rounded out the poll. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament in San Antonio, Texas.
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.
Radtke Leads The Pack
Adriane Radtke has earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors twice this season. The Munich, Germany, native leads the Cowgirls with 10 goals and 26 points, the most scored by a freshman since 1996. Radtke scored in OSU's first six contests, tying the longest scoring streak in program history. She had a hat trick vs. Vermont and is currently averaging a Big 12-leading 3.25 points per 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.
Cowgirls Capture Oklahoma Shootout
For the second consecutive year, Oklahoma State won the Oklahoma Shootout. Both OU and OSU were 2-0 in the event, but the Cowgirls edged the Sooners based on goal differential. Four Cowgirls, Marcela Nova, Kathrin Lehmann, Nikki Wojtowicz and Kim Graves were named to the all-tournament team. Graves was also tabbed the Offensive MVP.
Odds and Ends
• The Cowgirls are leading the Big 12 in several categories this season. The team sits atop 10 of the 12 categories. Individually, three of the top five spots for goals and the top four assists leaders are Cowgirls.
• Kim Graves took over the top spot for career goals, with a pair against McNeese State. The senior now has 20 in her career. Jolene Schweitzer is close behind with 19.
• Nikki Wojtowicz shattered the assist record just six games into her junior season. The midfielder has 31 career dishes with plenty more yet to come.
• Radtke is making a run for the season goal record that has held since the inaugural year of Cowgirl Soccer, 1996. Robin Rampey sits at No. 1 with 19 career goals. Radtke, a freshman, already has 10.
Weekend Promotions
Friday against Texas Tech
• Boy & Girl Scout Night - $2 admission for everyone in a scout uniform or with scout leader identification
Sunday against Baylor
• Mascot Soccer Game at halftime
• Postgame autograph session with OSU forwards and midfielders
Cowgirls on the Web
For the latest information on 2003 Cowgirl Soccer visit the official web site of Oklahoma State Athletics at www.okstate.com. All OSU home games will be broadcast live on the web site as part of the MVP portion of the site.
