Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Nebraska
Cowgirls Unbeaten Streak Reaches 13
October 16, 2010 | Cowgirl Soccer
Oct. 16, 2010
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State tied a school record and capped an undefeated and untied regular season on its home field as the No. 5 Cowgirls knocked off Nebraska, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex.
Four different Cowgirls netted goals in the win as OSU cemented its spot atop the Big 12 Conference standings at 7-0-0 while climbing to 14-1-1 overall.
Coach Colin Carmichael's squad also extended its unbeaten streak to 13 matches, tying the school record set in 2003. The Cowgirls are 12-0-1 during the streak, while the '03 squad was 11-0-2.
Adding to the historic day, OSU finished the regular season 9-0-0 on its home field. The only other time the Cowgirls were unbeaten and untied at home came in 2008 when that team finished 10-0-0 in Stillwater.
OSU used a pair of second-half goals in the game's final 24 minutes to lift it to the win over Nebraska (11-5-1, 4-3-1).
"It was a great game," Carmichael said. "Nebraska is a really good team. In my opinion, they deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. They made it very difficult for us all game, but as seems to be the case, our girls rose to the challenge. It's great to have so many players step up and get the job done."
OSU was able to do that after NU tied the game at 2-2 in the 63rd minute. The Cowgirls never trailed in the contest, but the Cornhuskers knotted the score for the second time when Jaclyn White took a cross from Morgan Marlborough and beat OSU goalie AD Franch for the score.
But the score did not remain tied for long as less than four minutes later, OSU freshman Taylor Mathews put the Cowgirls back on top.
After NU goalie Tara Macdonald saved a shot by Megan Marchesano but was unable to secure the ball, Mathews blasted the rebound into the back of the net to give OSU a 3-2 lead.
Marchesano helped seal the win in the 79th minute when he took a pass from Krista Lopez, beat her defender and delivered her fifth goal of the season past Macdonald.
"It was a perfect ball by Krista. I couldn't have asked for a better ball," Marchesano said. "I made the run, and she just looked up. I couldn't have gotten (the goal) without her."
The Cowgirls, who outshot the visitors by a 22-12 margin in the match, took an early lead just 6:41 in when senior Whitney Wernimont recorded the second goal of her career off an assist from Katie Richardson.
NU answered when Marlborough, the Big 12' leading scorer, tied the game at 1-1 with her 16th goal of the season at the 14:55 mark.
But OSU would take the lead into intermission compliments of Richardson's goal at the 27-minute mark, the senior's third goal of the weekend and fifth of the season.
"Nebraska is very physical and one of the best teams in our conference," Marchesano said. "We knew it was gonna be a really tough game, especially with our ranking, everybody is gonna come out and give us their best game. It's really cool how our team works together and is really mentally tough and to be able to get a win like that is a great feeling."
OSU returns to action Friday at 7 p.m. when they face Texas in Austin.
