Oklahoma State University Athletics
2007 Cowgirl Soccer Season Outlook
August 30, 2007 | Cowgirl Soccer
Coming off the best season in program history, Oklahoma State Cowgirl soccer has even higher goals and aspirations for 2007.
A year ago, the Cowgirls finished 17-3-3, setting a school record for wins. With an 8-1-1 mark, they finished second in the Big 12 Conference standings, also a program best. And after advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in their 12-year history, OSU won its first-ever NCAA tourney game with a 2-0 win over UNC-Greensboro before barely missing advancing to the Sweet 16 when they lost on penalty kicks to Clemson.
OSU climbed to as high as No. 7 in the national polls in 2006 and ended the season ranked 12th by Soccer Buzz and 17th in the NSCAA/adidas poll.
Coach 's squad was 7-0-1 in the spring and is nationally ranked entering the '07 season, and the Cowgirls aim to build on the success of a year ago.
“This past year was obviously our best season ever, and you look at what we have coming back and we should be as good as last year,” Carmichael said. “But there's a lot of things that go into having a successful season. You have to stay healthy, you have to win close games, you have to have a bit of luck and you have to get a few calls.
“We have the talent, we just have to control what we can control and hope for the best.”
The Cowgirls have eight starters returning from last season's squad, including six of their top seven scorers and the core of a defense that was among the Big 12's best in '06.
And those talented players will be challenged by a schedule that's as tough as any OSU has ever faced. Along with the tough Big 12 slate, in which four of the teams are nationally ranked in the preseason, OSU will travel to Notre Dame to take on the No. 2 Fighting Irish and Washington State. The Cowgirls schedule also includes the likes of SMU, Colorado College and Xavier.
Carmichael hopes the challenging schedule will prepare his team for a deep postseason run.
“Our goal is to compete for the Big 12 Championship and go farther in the NCAA Tournament,” Carmichael said. “When you have success, the hardest thing is to sustain it. We challenged the team with ‘Do you want to have a great program or just a successful season?' That's something we're definitely stressing.”
Forwards
One of the Cowgirls' international stars, , will be looking to cap a standout career in Stillwater. An All-Big 12 performer, the German native has 26 career goals to rank second on OSU's all-time list, while her 18 assists are third all time.
Another returner at the forward spot is sophomore . As a freshman, Hope recorded five goals, which tied for second on the team, and her .312 shot percentage was among the best on the team.
is a senior who is coming off an injury but who could see action up front.
Joining that trio in the mix at forward is freshman . Richardson is a Broken Arrow native who was one of Oklahoma's top recruits after scoring 12 goals and leading her team to the state tournament semifinals as a senior.
Newcomer could also contribute.
Midfielders
The Cowgirls are loaded with talent at the midfield spot and are led by a pair of senior veterans.
is the most highly decorated player in OSU soccer history and is on the preseason watch list for the 2007 Hermann Trophy, given to the nation's top collegiate player.
As a junior, Odenyo became OSU's first All-American and also earned Big 12 Co-Player of the Year honors. She led the Cowgirls in scoring with 18 points, which included five goals and eight assists. The native of Sweden has 12 goals and 12 assists in two seasons in Stillwater.
is coming off her best season in an OSU uniform, a season in which she scored five goals and had a .312 shot percentage.
The Cowgirls also have plenty of young returning talent. was a freshman All-American last season and was second on the team in scoring, while each of 's three goals last season were game winners. Carmichael also has high expectations for junior and redshirt freshman , who both excelled during the spring season.
Defenders
Defense was a strength for the Cowgirls last season as they surrendered the fewest goals of any Big 12 team and allowed just 85 shots on goal.
Anchoring the defender position for OSU is senior , an all-region performer who had a team-high nine assists last year and has 14 in her career.
was one of the top newcomers in the Big 12 and is poised for an even better sophomore campaign, while junior started 16 games last season.
Sophomores and add experience at the defender spot, and Carmichael also expects a pair of decorated freshman recruits, and , to contribute immediately.
Goalkeepers
Junior is coming off one of the top seasons in OSU history. She started eight games in 2006 and recorded eight shutouts. The eight shutouts set a Cowgirl record and tied for tops in the Big 12.
Stigler logged over 1,500 minutes in goal a year ago and led the conference in goals against average and save percentage.
Incoming freshman gives the Cowgirls another talented goalie, while and add depth.
2007 Cowgirls By Position
Forwards
7 , Sr.
28 , Sr.
19 , Jr.
20 , So.
14 , Fr.
Midfielders
8 , Sr.
99 , Sr.
5 , Jr.
6 , So.
15 , So.
9 , RFr.
17 , Fr.
25 , Fr.
26 , Fr.
Defenders
23 , Sr.
13 , Jr.
3 , So.
10 , So.
12 , So.
2 , Fr.
11 , Fr.
16 , Fr.
Goalkeepers
00 Jr.
01 RFr.
0 Fr.
1 Fr.
