Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Open NCAA Soccer Championship At Home
November 11, 2010 | Cowgirl Soccer
Nov. 11, 2010
OSU NCAA Championship Game Notes in PDF Format
#3-Seed Oklahoma State (17-3-2)
at the 2010 NCAA Soccer Championship
Nov. 12 & 14 • Stillwater, Okla.
Cowgirl Soccer Complex (1,450)
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is 17-3-2 overall and was selected as No. 3 national seed and first- and second-round host for the 2010 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship after the Cowgirls won their third consecutive Big 12 Conference championship last week. OSU opens tournament play against Michigan Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex. Friday's other first-round matchup in Stillwater pits Oregon State vs. Memphis.
With its strong performances in 2010 and a nucleus of proven stars that includes five All-Big 12 performers, OSU achieved its highest-ever national ranking at No. 5 last month and enters the NCAA tourney ranked No. 6 and on a four-match unbeaten streak (3 wins, 1 tie).
The Cowgirls returned eight starters in 2010 from a squad that went 15-7-2 a year ago, won a Big 12 Soccer Championship title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship for the fourth consecutive year. OSU returned a trio of All-Big 12 First Team performers -- senior midfielder Annika Niemeier, junior defender Melinda Mercado and sophomore goalie AD Franch -- but Niemeier was lost for the rest of the '10 season after suffering a knee injury at Oregon in OSU's second game of the year.
Colin Carmichael is in his sixth season as OSU's head coach. The Cowgirls have a .743 winning percentage under Carmichael, having compiled an 91-26-17 record during his tenure.
Cowgirls At The NCAA Soccer Championship
OSU is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Women's Soccer Championship appearance and the sixth in the program's 15-year history.
The Cowgirls have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Soccer Championship each of the last four seasons, and OSU is 3-2-4 all time in NCAA tourney play.
If OSU wins its opening round game against Michigan, the Cowgirls would advance to play the Memphis-Oregon State winner Sunday at 1 p.m.
In its only previous meeting against Michigan, the Cowgirls and Wolverines battled to a 1-1 tie in Stillwater in 2006. OSU is 1-0-0 against Memphis, having knocked off the 13th-ranked Tigers in Stillwater by a 2-1 count earlier this season. The Cowgirls have never faced Oregon State.
On The Air & The Web
Fans wishing to follow the 2010 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship matches in Stillwater can do so in a variety of ways. Free live webcasts are available for each match at www.okstate.com, while live stats are also available at okstate.com as well as ncaa.com. All Oklahoma State games will be carried live by Stillwater Radio, with Friday's match airing on KSPI 93.7 FM and Sunday's match on KSPI 780 AM.
Three-Peat
Oklahoma State has won three consecutive Big 12 Conference championships and has captured four conference titles in the last eight seasons -- three tournament (2003, '09, '10) and one regular season (2008).
The Cowgirls won this year's conference tourney as the No. 2 seed, winning a PK shootout over rival Oklahoma in the finals.
OSU entered the 2009 conference tourney as the fifth seed and proceeded to knock off fourth-seeded Nebraska, top-seeded Missouri and second-seeded Texas A&M en route to the title. The 1-0 win over TAMU was the Cowgirls' first-ever victory over the Aggies.
In 2008, OSU set a school record with 18 wins, finishing 18-1-4, and won the first regular season Big 12 championship in school history by finishing league play with a 7-1-2 mark.
OSU won the 2003 tourney title by defeating Missouri in double overtime, a win that gave the Cowgirls their first-ever NCAA Women's Soccer Championship appearance.
Trendy
OSU has earned a berth in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship in each of the last five years and has made six tourney appearances in the program's 15-year history.
OSU has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament each of the last four years and is 3-2-4 all-time in the tourney.
High Five
In back-to-back weeks in October, OSU was ranked No. 5 in the NSCAA poll, marking the program's highest-ever national ranking. The Cowgirls' previous-best national ranking was No. 7, which they had reached three times (2006, 2008 and 2010).
In November 2008, OSU entered the NCAA Soccer Championship with a No. 7 ranking. The Cowgirls also climbed as high as the seventh spot in the polls in 2006.
This season marked the fourth straight that OSU was nationally ranked in the preseason polls as the Cowgirls were as high as No. 19.
In 2007, OSU began and ended the season in the national rankings, the first time that had happened in its history. The Cowgirls ended the season ranked as high as 17th.
The '07 season came on the heels of a 2006 campaign that saw OSU achieve its highest national ranking ever and earn a spot in the final national polls for the first time in the program's history.
Among The Nation's Best
OSU is fifth in the latest official NCAA RPI standings, and the Cowgirls' .818 winning percentage ranks 13th nationally.
Seniors Rule
OSU's 2010 senior class (A. Leggett, Niemeier, Richardson, Thompson, Wernimont) currently ranks as the 12th-winningest senior class in the country. Over the last three-plus seasons (2007-pres.), the Cowgirls have compiled a 64-17-11 record (.755). Among Big 12 schools, only Texas A&M, with 66, has more wins than OSU during that span.
Streakers
From Sept. 3-Oct. 22, Oklahoma State recorded a 13-game unbeaten streak (12 wins, 1 tie), which tied a school record. The 2003 Cowgirls also went 13 games without a loss, compiling an 11-0-2 mark during that stretch.
OSU entered the 2010 season on a 10-game unbeaten streak and extended it to 12 with wins in their first two outings before the sneak was snapped with a 1-0 loss at Portland. The Cowgirls were 10-0-2 during the unbeaten streak as they won their final five regular season games in 2009, then went 3-0 at the Big 12 Soccer Championship before being credited with a pair of ties in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.
1x3x3x3
• OSU is one win shy of tying the highest single-season total in school history.
• With three shutouts, AD Franch would break OSU's career record and also tie her own single-season shutout record.
• Krista Lopez needs three goals to tie for the most in a single-season in OSU history.
Five Stars
OSU had five players earn 2010 All-Big 12 honors, including a league-high four named first-team all-conference.
Defender Melinda Mercado and goalie AD Franch were each named to the All-Big 12 First Team for the second-straight year, while forwards Krista Lopez and Kyndall Treadwell earned that distinction for the first time in their careers. In addition, Mercado garnered Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
Defender Carson Michalowski was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
The Defense Never Rests
One of the biggest reasons for OSU's success over the last several seasons is defenses that have been among the best in the Big 12 Conference.
That trend continues in 2010 as the Cowgirls sport a conference-best 0.68 goals against average and rank third in the league with nine shutouts while allowing just 17 goals in 22 games.
Last season, 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.
In 2008, OSU allowed just 18 goals and recorded 10 shutouts. The Cowgirls ranked third in the Big 12 in goals allowed and goals against average (0.75).
OSU recorded 10 shutouts in 2007, which once again tied for the most in the Big 12, and the Cowgirls ranked among the conference's best in goals allowed (20), goals-against average (0.84) and save percentage (82.1).
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. 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 its 0.66 goals against average was also tops in the conference.
Balanced Attack
OSU ranks second in the Big 12 with 46 goals on the season. While junior Krista Lopez leads the way and ranks second in the league with 13 goals, the Cowgirls have had 10 different players find the back of the net.
In addition, five other players have notched assists, giving OSU 15 players who have recorded points in 2010.
Dominant Defender
Junior Melinda Mercado has established herself as one of college soccer's top defenders in her first three seasons as a Cowgirl.
During Mercado's career in Stillwater, she has started all 68 of the games she has played in and anchored defenses that have racked up 33 shutouts.
A native of Sapulpa, Okla., "Minnie" started every game at defender for OSU in 2008 and was a key part of a defense that recorded 10 shutouts and allowed just 18 goals.
Mercado's stellar play did not go unnoticed as she earned third-team Freshman All-America honors from Soccer Buzz and a spot on the Big 12 All-Newcomer team.
Following the season, Mercado joined the OSU basketball team and appeared in 29 games for the Cowgirls. It was her only season to play collegiate hoops.
The spring of '08 was also highlighted by Mercado's participation in the U.S. Soccer Under-20 Women's National Team Domestic Training Camp in April.
There was no sophomore slump for Mercado as she anchored an OSU defense that set a school record for shutouts in '09. She was named All-Big 12 First Team and was the Defensive MVP at the Big 12 Soccer Championship.
It's been more of the same in 2010. Mercado was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year to go along with repeating as an All-Big 12 first teamer and Defensive MVP of the conference tourney.
AD
A big reason for OSU's staunch defense a year ago was the play of freshman goalie Adrianna "AD" Franch. All she did was lead the Big 12 with 11 shutouts, a 0.61 goals against average and an .843 save percentage.
Franch, who collected 75 saves on the season, earned All-Big 12 and NSCAA All-Central Region First Team honors and was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.
Over OSU's last 10 games in 2009, during which the Cowgirls went 8-0-2, Franch allowed just four goals. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team after recording a pair of shutouts at the Big 12 Soccer Championship, including a seven-save effort in a 1-0 triumph over Texas A&M in the title game.
In 2010, Franch duplicated her All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team honors.
More On AD
There has been no sophomore slump for AD Franch in 2010.
Through 22 games, Franch ranks among the nation's best in goals against average (0.68) and save percentage (.845), and she is tied for the Big 12 lead with eight shutouts.
The Salina, Kan. native already owns several OSU records and is on the verge of adding to that list. Among them:
• Franch holds the OSU record for most shutouts in a season with 11.
• Franch's goals against average of 0.61 in 2009 was the best ever in a season at OSU. Erin Stigler's 0.71 mark in 2006 was the previous best.
• With 19 shutouts, Franch already ranks second on OSU's career shutouts list. Stigler owns the all-time mark with 21.
• Franch has recorded 143 saves, which ranks fourth on OSU's career list.
They Shoot, They Score
Helping lead the scoring attack for OSU in 2010 are forwards Megan Marchesano, Katie Richardson and Kyndall Treadwell, a trio that has combined for 46 goals and 30 assists in their careers.
With 19 goals and 13 assists, Richardson ranks ninth on OSU's career charts in goals and points and 11th in assists. Following a two-game performance in which she had three goals and an assist in wins over Colorado and Nebraska, the senior earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week honors.
Treadwell has notched 16 goals and 13 assists in three seasons for the Cowgirls, while Marchesano has seven goals and four assists in 2010 after recording four goals as a freshman last season.
Lopez Adds To Resumé
Junior Krista Lopez' outstanding play this season has been rewarded by several outlets.
Along with being named an All-Big 12 First Team forward, Lopez has been named a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer of the Week, the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week and to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week.
Lopez' first honors came after she led OSU to wins over 13th-ranked Memphis and Murray State. She netted three goals that weekend, getting the game winner vs. Memphis then notching the first multi-goal game of her career with two goals against Murray State.
Lopez has not slowed down since. She ranks second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally with 13 goals, which is also tied for the third-most goals in a single season in OSU history. Her six game-winning goals lead the league, and she is tied for third with 29 points.
Against Mississippi State, Lopez became just the 10th different OSU player to record a hat trick as she recorded three goals. It marked only the 14th time in program history a player has collected three goals in a game.
To The Victors Go The Spoils
Following its title at the 2010 Big 12 Soccer Championship, OSU had four players named to the All-Tournament Team as AD Franch, Kristen Kelley, Krista Lopez and Melinda Mercado each earned that distinction.
Mercado was named the tourney's Defensive MVP for the second-straight year.
It's Academic
OSU's success on the pitch has carried over to the classroom. OSU had a program-record 13 players named to the 2010 Academic All-Big 12 First Team. The Cowgirls have also earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award eight-straight years.
