Cowgirls' Season Ends In Shootout

Nov. 15, 2009

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Oklahoma State's season came to an end Sunday as the Cowgirls lost a penalty kick shootout to 11^th-ranked Santa Clara in the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship at Buck Shaw Stadium.

After battling the host Broncos to a 1-1 draw through regulation and two overtime periods, OSU lost the penalty kick shootout by a 6-5 count to end its season in the second round of the NCAA tourney for the fourth-straight year. The Cowgirls ended the season on a 10-game unbeaten streak and finished 15-7-2.

Sunday's match marks the third time in the last four years OSU has lost a penalty kick shootout in the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.

"Santa Clara is a great team and put us under quite a lot of pressure, and our kids showed a lot of determination and heart to hang in there and battle," Carmichael said. "We're disappointed in the way it ended because losing a shootout is very difficult. But we have no complaints about the game.

"We played hard against a great team. Unfortunately, a shootout is a hard way to lose it, but we have no regrets."

In the shootout, SCU (14-6-1) converted its first two penalty kicks, and OSU answered as Whitney Wernimont and Bridget Miller nailed their chances. Katherine Reynolds then gave the Broncos a 3-2 edge, and OSU was unable to keep pace when Bianca Henninger dove to her right to save AD Franch's shot.

But Franch responded immediately as the Cowgirls' freshman goalie stepped in and saved an attempt by Lindsey Johnson by leaping and deflecting the ball off the post.

OSU would then tie the shootout at 3-3 when Elizabeth DeLozier converted her try.

The two teams traded two-straight successful attempts before SCU took a 6-5 edge following a kick by Lauren Matheson. That brought OSU's Colleen Dougherty to the line, and Henninger came up with the decisive save as she knocked the shot away to send the Broncos to the Sweet 16.

"We felt good about our (penalty kick) chances," Carmichael said. "Anytime you get in (a shootout), it's a crapshoot. Friday night (in OSU's shootout win vs. USC), there wasn't a thousand people yelling and screaming as we were about to shoot. We hit some good penalties, and they hit some good ones. Unfortunately somebody has to lose."

In regulation, OSU made the first of several big defensive plays in the match as, just over 10 minutes in, Carson Michalowski kicked the ball off the goal line after a shot by Reynolds.

But the Broncos would strike first just minutes later. Off a flip throw in deep in OSU territory by Kiki Bosio, Jordan Angeli headed the ball past Cowgirl goalie AD Franch to put Santa Clara up 1-0 in the 12^th minute of the match.

Santa Clara nearly added to its lead with 12:45 remaining in the opening half, but Franch made a diving save off a shot by Amanda Poach, extending her body and knocking the ball over the endline.

The first half ended with the Broncos leading 1-0 and having outshot OSU by a 9-1 margin.

OSU wasted almost no time tying the score after halftime, however.

Just 1:51 into the second half, Kyndall Treadwell sent a cross to Kasey Langdon in the middle of the box. Langdon made a few dribbles before blasting the ball off the hands of Henninger and into the back of the net to knot the score at 1-1. The goal was the sixth of the season for Langdon, while tied for team-high honors with her fifth assist.

Michalowski saved the Cowgirls once again in the 58^th minute. After Franch came out of the box and created an open-goal situation, Santa Clara's Anessa Patton had a shot on goal from 10-yards out. But Michalowski again saved the ball off the line, and the score remained tied.

At the 25-minute mark, OSU missed an opportunity off a free kick as they scored what appeared to be the go-ahead goal but was whistled for offsides.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, the Cowgirls came oh-so-close once more. Off a corner kick, Michalowski sent a header towards the goal, but Lauren Matheson was able to clear the ball away.

Next it was Santa Clara creating a pair of chances in the 83^rd minute. But the first, a shot off the foot of Jordan Angeli, sailed wide. Just seconds later, it was Dougherty clearing a cross just outside the six-yard box to help the Cowgirls escape danger.

After a scoreless first overtime in which both teams recorded just one shot each, Santa Clara had a shot on goal off a header early in the second overtime. But Franch saved the shot to extend the game.

Just over a minute later, it was Henninger notching a save off a shot from Langdon to deny the Cowgirls.

Santa Clara finished the match with a 17-6 advantage on shots, but the Cowgirls owned a 3-2 edge in overtime. Franch recorded five saves for OSU.