Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Back In Action At Home
September 01, 2010 | Cowgirl Soccer
Sept. 1, 2010
#18 Oklahoma State (2-1-0)
vs. #13 Memphis (3-0-0)
Friday, Sept. 3 • 7 p.m.
Cowgirl Soccer Complex (1,450)
...
vs. Murray State (1-1-2)
Sunday, Sept. 5 • 1 p.m.
Cowgirl Soccer Complex (1,450)
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is 2-1-0 on the young season, with wins over Oklahoma and Oregon and a loss at third-ranked Portland. Each of the Cowgirls' matches this season has been decided by one goal.
The 18th-ranked Cowgirls return to action Friday at 7 p.m. with a crucial showdown against No. 13 and undefeated Memphis in Stillwater. The game features two of the top teams in the Central Region as the Tigers are second and OSU third in the NSCAA Central Region Rankings. OSU closes the weekend with a 1 p.m. match Sunday at home against Murray State.
OSU returns 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. The Cowgirls return three All-Big 12 First Team performers in senior midfielder Annika Niemeier, junior defender Melinda Mercado and sophomore goalie AD Franch.
With a strong nucleus returning to a program that has won back-to-back conference championships, OSU is currently ranked between 18th and 20th nationally.
Colin Carmichael is in his sixth season as OSU's head coach. The Cowgirls have a .726 winning percentage under Carmichael, having compiled a 76-24-15 record during his tenure.
The Opponents
Memphis is 3-0-0 on the season and coming off a 1-0 win over No. 18 LSU last week. Friday's game will mark the first-ever matchup between the Tigers and Cowgirls.
Murray State brings a 1-1-2 record into the weekend. The Racers will be in action at Tulsa Friday night. OSU is 1-0-0 all time against MSU, winning by a 4-0 count on the road in 2006.
On The Air & The Web
Fans wishing to follow this weekend's matches can do so in a variety of ways. Live stats via Game Tracker can be accessed at www.okstate.com by clicking on the Schedule/Results link, and fans who subscribe to OKState.TV All-Access through okstate.com can watch a live webcast (with radio audio) of both games. Stillwater Radio will also air a tape-delayed broadcast of Friday's match on KGFY 105.5 FM following high school football, while Sunday's match will be carried live on KSPI 780 AM.
Back-to-Back Champs
Oklahoma State has won back-to-back Big 12 Conference championships and has captured three conference titles in the last seven seasons -- two tournament (2003, '09) and one regular season (2008).
The Cowgirls 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. OSU lost to each of those teams during the regular season, and the 1-0 win over Texas A&M was the first victory over the Aggies in program history.
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.
Three's Company
Three OSU players -- midfielder Annika Niemeier, defender Melinda Mercado and goalie AD Franch -- were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team in a vote of the league's head coaches.
OSU's three preseason All-Big 12 picks is tied with Texas A&M for the most in the league.
Hermann Watch
For the fourth-straight year, OSU has placed a player on the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List.
In 2010, there are two Cowgirls on that list -- Annika Niemeier and AD Franch. OSU is one of 10 schools with multiple players on the 45-player list.
The Hermann Trophy is considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer.
This year's duo joins Yolanda Odenyo (2007 and 2008) and Kasey Langdon (2009) as Cowgirls to appear on the Hermann Trophy Watch List. Odenyo was one of 15 semifinalists for the award in '08.
Five Stars
OSU had five players earn 2009 All-Big 12 honors, and four of those return in 2010.
The Cowgirls had a league-high three players -- midfielder Annika Niemeier, defender Melinda Mercado and goalie AD Franch -- on the All-Big 12 First Team in 2009. Forward Kasey Langdon ended her collegiate career as an All-Big 12 Second Team selection.
Franch, along with freshman defender Carson Michalowski, was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.
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.
To put Franch's rookie season in perspective, consider these: OSU's previous record for shutouts by a freshman was two by Bettina Grossman in 2005. The previous school record for goals against average by a freshman was 1.37, set by Breanna Truelove in 2004.
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 of the 2009 season, 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.
More On AD
A native of Salina, Kan., Franch 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 13 shutouts, Franch already ranks third on OSU's career shutouts list. Stigler owns the all-time mark with 21.
• Franch has recorded 87 saves, which ranks fourth on OSU's career list.
AD U.S. U-20
Earlier this year, AD Franch became the first OSU player to ever compete for a U.S. National Team.
In February, Franch competed for the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team at the La Manga Cup in Spain. She recorded a shutout in the opening round match against Norway.
Franch followed that by being named to the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team that travelled to the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany in June. Franch suffered a concussion prior to the tournament, however, and did not play in the tourney.
