Oklahoma State University Athletics
2009 Cowgirl Soccer Season Superlatives
January 04, 2010 | Cowgirl Soccer
Jan. 4, 2010
• Oklahoma State finished the 2009 season with a 15-7-2 record and ended the season on a 10-game unbeaten streak (eight wins, two ties).
• OSU claimed the second Big 12 Soccer Championship title in program history with a 1-0 win over Texas A&M in San Antonio. The Cowgirls also won the conference tourney in 2003.
• The Cowgirls were the fifth seed in the Big 12 Soccer Championship. They knocked off fourth-seeded Nebraska, 3-0, in the opening round, top-seeded Missouri, 3-2, in the semifinals and second-seeded Texas A&M, 1-0, in the finals en route to the title. OSU lost to each of those three teams during the regular season.
• OSU has now won three Big 12 championships in the last seven seasons - two tournament and one regular season (2008).
• By earning the conference's automatic berth as the tourney champion, OSU made its fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.
• For the fourth consecutive year, the Cowgirls advanced to the second round of the NCAA tourney. They advanced by winning a penalty-kick shootout for the first time in school history in the opening round against USC.
• The Cowgirls' win over Texas A&M in the Big 12 title game was their first-ever win over the Aggies. They entered the game 0-14-2 in the series.
• OSU outscored its final 10 opponents of the season by an 18-4 margin.
• OSU led the Big 12 Conference with three All-Big 12 First Team selections - junior midfielder Annika Niemeier, sophomore defender Melinda Mercado and freshman goalkeeper Adrianna "AD" Franch.
• Senior forward Kasey Langdon was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, while freshmen AD Franch and Carson Michalowski were named to the All-Newcomer Team.
• OSU's senior class of Bridget Miller, Kasey Langdon and Siera Strawser finished the season as the 12th winningest senior class in the NCAA in 2009. The Cowgirls were 64-17-12 (.753) over the last four seasons. Only one other Big 12 team - Texas A&M - won more games during that span.
• Freshman goalie AD Franch set a school record with 11 shutouts. She led the Big 12 in shutouts, goals against average (0.61) and save percentage (.843).
• Junior midfielder Annika Niemeier led OSU with 11 goals. Seven of those were game winners, a total that led the Big 12. During the Cowgirls' eight-game winning streak late in the season, Niemeier had seven goals and three assists.
• OSU set school records with 14 shutouts and a 0.65 goals against average, and the Cowgirls' 16 goals allowed tied the school mark. OSU led the Big 12 in all three categories.
• Five Cowgirls were named to the Big 12 Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team - AD Franch, Melinda Mercado, Annika Niemeier, Kasey Langdon and Siera Strawser. Mercado was named the tourney's Defensive MVP.
• Several Cowgirls were named to various teams of the week, including:
* AD Franch was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's Team of the Week on Nov. 9. She was also a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer of the Week for Week 12 on Nov. 18.
* Annika Niemeier and Colleen Dougherty were named CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performers of the Week for Week 11 on Nov. 11. • Freshman goalie AD Franch appeared in the Nov. 23 issue of Sports Illustrated in the "Faces In the Crowd" section.
• Four Cowgirls earned NSCAA All-Central Region honors. Goalie AD Franch was named to the first team, while midfielder Annika Niemeier and defender Melinda Mercado were second-team honorees. Kasey Langdon garnered third-team accolades.
• Freshman goalie AD Franch and freshman defender Carson Michalowski earned spots on the TopDrawerSoccer.com All-Rookie Teams. Franch was named to the first team, while Michalowski earned second-team honors.
• OSU earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the eighth-straight year with a team GPA of 3.39. The Cowgirls were one of four Big 12 programs to earn the award and had the highest GPA in the league.
• The Cowgirls led the Big 12 with 14 Academic All-Big 12 selections, including 11 first teamers. Both of those totals were also records for the program.
• Senior Bridget Miller earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 second team honors, and junior Annika Niemeier was a named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 third team.
• Bridget Miller and Annika Niemeier both earned Scholar All-South Region second team honors from the NSCAA.
