Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Advance To NCAA Second Round
November 14, 2009 | Cowgirl Soccer
Nov. 14, 2009
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Oklahoma State defeated Southern California in a penalty kick shootout Friday night in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship at Buck Shaw Stadium to advance to the second round of the NCAA tourney for the fourth-straight year.
After battling USC to a 0-0 draw through regulation and two overtimes, the Cowgirls won on penalty kicks, 5-4, and will now face host Santa Clara Sunday at 6 p.m. (CST) in the round of 32. OSU clinched the win when goalie AD Franch dove to her left to save a penalty kick by Alyssa Davila.
Winning on penalty kicks was especially sweet for an OSU team whose season had ended on penalty kicks in the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three years.
"That was a great soccer game, and USC is a great team," said OSU head coach Colin Carmichael, whose squad is now 15-7-1 on the season. "We've been on the other side of that so many times losing on shootouts so I know how (USC) feel right now.
"To get past a team as quality as USC and go on to the next round is just a great achievement for us."
OSU fell behind on the first penalty kick of the shootout when Annika Niemeier's shot was saved by USC goalie Brittany Massro.
The Trojans nailed their first two tries to take a 2-1 lead before Franch made the first of her two penalty-kick saves, this time stopping a ball off the foot of Carly Butcher.
Following Niemeier's miss, the Cowgirls converted five-straight attempts as Carson Michalowski, Whitney Wernimont, Bridget Miller, Elizabeth DeLozier and Franch sent shots into the back of the net.
After Franch's successful kick, the freshman goalie stepped back into her defensive role and made the pivotal save.
"The whole thing was in slow motion," said Franch, who added to her school-record total with her 11th shutout of the season. "I watched the ball roll away and was just like `Oh my gosh!' and jumped up and ran to my teammates to celebrate.
"You can read (penalty kicks) a little bit by how they stand and how they come up to the ball. But in the end you have to guess, and I guessed right."
OSU controlled the attack throughout most of regulation, possessing the ball in USC's half of the field during much of the match's first 90 minutes and outshooting the Trojans by a 17-3 margin during that span. The Cowgirls finished the match with a 19-8 edge in shots, with Siera Strawser and Kyndall Treadwell combining for 11 of OSU's 19 shots.
The Cowgirls' best scoring chance in the opening half came with just over one minute remaining until intermission when Katie Richardson sent a cross just outside the box that Krista Lopez sent into the back of the net. But OSU was whistled for offsides to nullify the goal.
With 21:30 remaining, OSU's Siera Strawser had a strong shot from just outside the 18-yard box, but her blast went right to USC goalie Kristin Olsen to keep the Cowgirls off the scoreboard.
USC's best chance in regulation came with 11:30 remaining, but Ashley Freyer's shot from eight-yards out sailed high and wide.
OSU had another opportunity with just under five minutes left in regulation, this time off counter attack as Treadwell raced downfield and drilled a shot that Olsen saved.
In the two overtime periods, USC outshot the Cowgirls, 4-2, but neither team was able to score.
Late in the first overtime, Franch made a leaping save of a shot by USC's Brittany Kerridge as she knocked her shot over the crossbar to keep the match scoreless.
