2010 Cowgirl Soccer Season Preview

August 13, 2010 | Cowgirl Soccer

Aug. 13, 2010

Fresh off back-to-back conference championships and a fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, Oklahoma State soccer continues to establish itself as one of the nation's elite programs, and the Cowgirls will look to build on that success in 2010.

The Cowgirls are coming off a 2009 season that saw them win the second Big 12 Conference Soccer Championship title in program history. The tourney triumph vaulted coach Colin Carmichael's squad into the NCAA Tournament, where the Cowgirls advanced to the second round for the fourth-straight year.

OSU finished the 2009 campaign with a 15-7-2 overall mark and ended the season on a 10-game unbeaten streak. In Big 12 play, the defending champs compiled a 5-5-0 record.

In 2010, the Cowgirls are focused on raising the bar even higher, and they have a strong nucleus of returning players intent on helping them reach their goals.

"We've established some pretty high expectations within our program," Carmichael said. "The players who we've got coming back are proven winners and know what it takes to win at a high level in this league. They want to continue this run of success and build on it to take this program to even greater heights."

OSU must replace a trio of four-year starters from last year (Kasey Langdon, Bridget Miller and Siera Strawser) who led the team to 64 wins during their careers, but the Cowgirls return eight starters from last year's squad, including three All-Big 12 First Team performers in senior midfielder Annika Niemeier, junior defender Melinda Mercado and sophomore goalkeeper Adrianna Franch.

The Cowgirls also return plenty of depth and experience, with 13 of the 19 returning letterwinners having appeared in at least 17 games last season. And of the 12 different OSU players who scored at least one goal a year ago, seven of those are back in 2010.

Carmichael said while the Cowgirls are certainly proud of their 2009 accomplishments, they won't dwell on the past and are focused on even bigger things moving forward.

"We're on people's radar nationally now, and everybody regionally already knows how good we've become," Carmichael said. "With the players we have returning, our job is to make sure we continue to progress and not step back and say `We've already accomplished our goals.' We have to make sure to build on the Big 12 championships and go forward."

Along with the always-tough Big 12 Conference schedule, OSU's 2010 slate pits them against the likes of Portland, Oregon, Memphis and Colorado College.

"It's by far the most challenging and toughest schedule we've ever had," Carmichael said. "We go on the road to Portland, who will probably be ranked No. 1, 2 or 3 in the preseason. We play Memphis, who's been an NCAA Tournament team the last three years. Colorado College is always an NCAA (tourney) team, and we play them at their place with the altitude. We've got games in the Dallas metroplex with TCU and SMU, and we bring in Mississippi State from the SEC.

"We're really going to test ourselves. The hope is playing such high-quality competition will pay off once we get into conference play because we'll be better prepared. It should also help us in the RPI, which will really be big for us at the end of the year when we're trying to get in the NCAA Tournament."

FORWARDS

OSU returns several talented players up top, led by senior Katie Richardson and junior Kyndall Treadwell. That duo combined for nine goals and seven assists a year ago and will be counted on for even more in 2010.

In her three seasons in Stillwater, Richardson has recorded 13 goals and nine assists, while Treadwell has 12 goals and 10 assists in two years at the collegiate level.

Carmichael said both will be counted on to step up and fill the void left by Kasey Langdon, who was one of the top scorers in OSU history.

"Kyndall has proven that she's a very good player at this level, and she can score goals. She had a very good spring so we're expecting her to be one of our key players," Carmichael said. "Katie is a senior who has been through the big games and knows what to expect.

"I think those two could score a lot of goals between them."

Also in the mix is sophomore Megan Marchesano, who netted four goals in 17 games as a true freshman, while the versatile Krista Lopez is also a threat at forward or midfielder.

"They contributed last year, and we expect a little bit more from them as they mature through their career," Carmichael said. "We have several attacking midfielders who can play up top so I think we have a strong group of goal scorers."

MIDFIELDERS

Annika Niemeier leads a solid group of Cowgirl midfielders as the German native returns for her final collegiate season looking to return to her all-conference form from a year ago.

As a junior, Niemeier led OSU with 11 goals and also chipped in four assists. Seven of those goals were game winners, a total that led the Big 12.

Niemeier's play at the end of the '09 season was critical to OSU's late-season surge as she racked up seven goals and three assists during an eight-game winning streak to end the regular season and help the Cowgirls win a Big 12 title.

"A lot of the things we do offensively go through Annika. She dictates the play and sets up a lot of attacks for us," Carmichael said. "She's a key player for us, and a lot of our offensive success is going to depend on how well Annika does.

"She's a team captain and has become one of our leaders, and we expect another great season from her."

Junior Elizabeth DeLozier started 12 games last season and thrived in a defensive role in the midfield.

In Krista Lopez, another junior, the Cowgirls have a player who has shown flashes of being an offensive force, something they hope will be more consistent this season.

"Krista is a natural midfielder who we've played forward the last two years. This spring we moved her back to midfield, and she played great so I would expect Krista to do very well in the midfield," Carmichael said. "Elizabeth DeLozier late last season was one of our best players in that defensive-mid role."

Junior Sarah Brown adds valuable experience and depth to the midfield, while freshmen Kristen Kelly and Taylor Mathews will compete for playing time immediately. Colleen Dougherty could also move from defender into a midfield spot at times.

DEFENDERS

With every starter at the defender position returning and a strong group of backups adding talented depth, the Cowgirls' defense is expected to carry the team in 2010.

OSU is coming off a 2009 season in which they set school records with 14 shutouts and a 0.65 goals against average, and the Cowgirls' 16 goals allowed tied the school mark for fewest in a season. OSU led the Big 12 in all three categories.

"We return our top five defenders from last year so you have to assume that they'll be very, very good again," Carmichael said. "It should absolutely be the strength of our team. We feel very, very good about our back line."

Melinda Mercado leads the group of defenders. The junior is coming off a season in which she earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was named the Defensive MVP at the Big 12 Soccer Championship.

"Minnie has been phenomenal -- for two years she's been one of the best backs in the country," Carmichael said. "She's one of those kids that forwards hate to play against. She's strong, she's smart, she's athletic. She's a huge part of our success."

Senior Allyson Leggett has started 61 games in her career, while junior Colleen Dougherty started 22 games last season and tied for the team lead with five assists.

The fourth returning starter is sophomore Carson Michalowski, who was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and the TopDrawerSoccer.com All-Rookie Second Team as a freshman last season.

Also in the mix at are seniors Whitney Wernimont and Amanda Robinson, as well as sophomore Catherine Parish, who transferred to OSU after a freshman season at Northwestern in which she started 17 games.

GOALKEEPERS

The Cowgirls will have one of the nation's top keepers in goal as AD Franch returns for her sophomore season.

Franch is coming off a highly decorated rookie season in '09 in which she earned all-conference and all-region honors and was named a Freshman All-American. She also earned a spot on the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team, the first player in OSU history to earn that distinction.

In her first collegiate season, Franch set a school record with 11 shutouts, and she led the Big 12 in shutouts, goals against average (0.61) and save percentage (.843).

"AD's freshman year was unbelievable and now she's under a little bit of pressure to perform," Carmichael said. "With the success she's had, there will be a lot of expectations on her, but I have no doubt she's mature and strong enough to deal with that and be even better."

Backing up Franch are sophomore Keely Kippenberger and freshman Hayley Harryman.

Kippenberger gained valuable experience last season as she appeared in four games and was part of three shutouts, while Harryman is coming off a standout high school career during which she was named the Oklahoma Girls Soccer Player of the Year as a senior.

OSU BY POSITION

Forwards

22 Becky Garrett So.

12 Kristen Kelley Fr.

2 Krista Lopez Jr.

16 Megan Marchesano So.

6 Taylor Mathews Fr.

30 Kayla Nsien Fr.

7 Katie Richardson Sr.

25 Ellen Thompson Sr.

5 Kyndall Treadwell Jr.

Midfielders