Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Open Big 12 Conference Play On The Road
September 26, 2007 | Cowgirl Soccer
#13 Oklahoma State (6-1-1)
at Iowa State (4-1-2)
Friday, Sept. 28 • 7 p.m.
Iowa State Soccer Complex (1,000)
• • •
at Nebraska (3-2-3)
Sunday, Sept. 30 • 1 p.m.
Nebraska Soccer Field (3,500)
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State opens Big 12 Conference play on the road with a Friday match against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, and a Sunday showdown vs. Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. The Cowgirls, who are coming off a 2-0 win over SMU last Sunday, are 6-1-1 on the season and tied with Texas A&M and Texas for the best record in the Big 12.
OSU earned its highest-ever finish in the Big 12 in 2006 when the Cowgirls finished second in the league standings with an 8-1-1 mark.
Iowa State
The Cyclones are 4-1-2 on the season, including a 2-0-0 mark on their home field.
OSU is 4-5-2 all-time against Iowa State, including a 3-2 win in overtime last season.
Players To Watch: F Leslie Hill, GK Ann Gleason, MF Elise Reid
Nebraska
Nebraska entered the weekend with a 3-2-3 record, and the Cornhuskers are undefeated in five games at home in 2007 (3-0-2).
The Cowgirls are 2-9-0 all-time against NU, including a 2-0 win in 2007.
Players To Watch: GK Jessica Mills, MF Sari Raber, MF Selenia Iacchelli
In The Polls
OSU's highest ranking is No. 13 by Soccer America. The Cowgirls are also ranked 16th in the NSCAA/adidas poll, 17th by SoccerTimes.com and No. 24 by Soccer Buzz.
Neither Iowa State nor Nebraska is ranked.
On The Air & The Web
Live stats for both of OSU's matches this weekend can be accessed via the internet by logging on to www.cyclones.com (Iowa State) or www.huskers.com (Nebraska). Links to the ISU and NU live stats pages can also be found at www.okstate.com.
Great Expectations
OSU is coming off the best season in the program's 12-year history, and optimism is high for an even better showing in 2007.
I n 2006, 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 its 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.
The Cowgirls returned eight starters 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.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The Cowgirls ended the season in the national rankings for the first time in school history in 2006, and the pollsters have not forgotten about OSU in 2007.
For the first time in program history, the Cowgirls were ranked among the nation's top teams in each of the four national preseason polls, and with their 6-1-1 start, they have continued to move up in the rankings.
OSU was also picked by the Big 12 Conference's head coaches to finish fourth in the league race in '07, and senior Yolanda Odenyo was chosen to the preseason All-Big 12 team, a pair of preseason All-America teams and to the Hermann Trophy watch list.
Landmark Win
On Sept. 16, Oklahoma State did something that has not been done in four years — defeat Notre Dame on its home field.
With its 2-1 overtime win against the No. 9 Fighting Irish at Alumni Field, OSU ended Notre Dame's 43-game home unbeaten streak, the third-longest streak in women's Division I soccer history.
Sasa Jackson scored the game-winning goal just 79 seconds into overtime to give the Cowgirls what head coach Colin Carmichael called the biggest win in the 12-year history of the OSU program.
Erin Stigler had eight saves in the win, and Siera Strawser also notched a goal.
Doing It With Defense
One of the biggest reasons for OSU's success in 2006 was a defense that was arguably the best in the Big 12 Conference.
The Cowgirls tied a school record with 12 shutouts in '06, and that total also tied OSU for the most blankings by a Big 12 team last season. Opponents attempted just 255 shots against the Cowgirls and only 16 of those found the back of the net. OSU ranked first in the league in goals allowed, and the Cowgirls' 0.66 goals against average was also tops in the conference.
Returning in '07 to anchor the defense are senior Niccole Grimaldi and sophomore Bridget Miller, along with record-setting goalkeeper Erin Stigler.
Led by those veterans, the Cowgirls are continuing to frustrate opponents. OSU has recorded a Big 12-best five shutous this season and ranks in the top 15 nationally in goals-against average (11th at 0.361 GAA) and shutout percentage (T-14th at 0.625).
Stigler's 0.415 goals-against average leads the Big 12 and ranks 18th nationally.
Quick Kicks
OSU's .889 winning percentage is tied for 20th nationally ... The Cowgirls are outshooting their opponents 162-60, an average of 20.2 to 7.5 per game ... OSU leads the Big 12 with a +2.25 scoring average margin ... OSU is averaging 811 fans per game at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex, which is the fourth-highest home attendance in the conference.
That's Offensive
While the defense has been strong, it certainly does not overshadow OSU's offensive attack.
OSU has scored 21 goals in eight games this season, giving the Cowgirls the 24th-highest scoring offense in the country at 2.63 GPG. The Cowgirls' 21 goals is tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference, and their 2.38 assists per match is tied for third in the league lead.
Six Cowgirls have at least four points this season, with Sasa Jackson's 12 leading the way. Jackson leads the Cowgirls with five goals, while Kasey Langdon and Katie Richardson each have four assists to pace the squad.
In 2006, the Cowgirls' 39 assists was the third-highest total in school history, while their 46 goals tied for fourth. OSU also racked up 131 points, which tied for the third-best output in program history.
Led by All-America midfielder Yolanda Odenyo, the Cowgirls ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring in 2006 at just under 5.7 points per game, as well as third in goals (46) and assists (38).
