Oklahoma State University Athletics
Five Cowgirls Named All-Central Region
December 02, 2010 | Cowgirl Soccer
Dec. 2, 2010
2010 NSCAA All-Central Region Teams
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Oklahoma State had a program-record five players named 2010 All-Central Region performers by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, it was announced today.
Three Cowgirls -- goalkeeper AD Franch, defender Melinda Mercado and forward Krista Lopez -- were named NSCAA All-Central Region First Team, while defender Carson Michalowski and forward Kyndall Treadwell were second-team selections.
OSU's five NSCAA All-Central Region selections surpassed last year's previous high of four. The three first-team honorees is also a program best. Franch was named an All-Central Region first teamer for the second-straight year, while Mercado made the first team after being a second-team choice a year ago.
A sophomore from Salina, Kan., Franch led the Big 12 Conference with nine shutouts in 2010, the second-best single-season total in school history and one that raised her career shutout total to 20. She ranked second in the league in goals against average (0.73) and save percentage (.826) and finished the season with 90 saves. Along with her All-Central Region honors, Franch was named All-Big 12 First Team and is one of 15 semifinalists for the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy.
Mercado started all 26 games at defender for the Cowgirls in 2010 and logged a team-high 2,353 minutes of action for one of the nation's top defenses. A junior who was named the 2010 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Mercado helped OSU record 10 shutouts and allow just 21 goals, and the Cowgirls sported a Big 12-best 0.79 goals against average.
Lopez enjoyed a breakout junior season for the Cowgirls in '10. The Carrollton, Texas native's 15 goals led OSU and rank ninth nationally. Seven of her goals were game winners, which led the Big 12. She also had five assists, with her 35 points ranking 12th nationally and second in the conference this season.
In leading OSU's scoring attack, Lopez recorded the second-most goals in a single season in OSU history and the third-most single-season points. She also became just the 10th player in school history to record a hat trick with three goals against Mississippi State in September.
Another key cog in OSU's defensive unit was Michalowski. An All-Big 12 Second Team honoree and native of Plano, Texas, Michalowski played in 25 games as a sophomore and was a standout on a defense that recorded 10 shutouts and a 0.79 goals against average while allowing only 21 goals.
Treadwell, who hails from Cleveland, Okla., was a significant part of OSU's offensive attack in 2010. She recorded four goals and four assists, and three of her goals were game winners. An All-Big 12 First Team performer, the junior ranked second on the Cowgirls with 65 shots.
