Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Open NCAA Play With UAPB
November 10, 2011 | Cowgirl Soccer
Nov. 10, 2011
#2-seed Oklahoma State (19-1-2)
vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (16-4-1)
at the NCAA Soccer Championship
Nov. 11 • 7 p.m. • Stillwater, Okla.
Cowgirl Soccer Complex (1,450)
Oklahoma State
OSU will be making its sixth-straight and seventh-overall appearance in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship when the Cowgirls host Arkansas-Pine Bluff in first-round action at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex Friday at 7 p.m. OSU is a No. 2 national seed, its highest ever, and brings a 19-1-2 record into tourney play. The Cowgirls claimed their second Big 12 Conference regular season championship and fourth-straight league title in 2011, and coach Colin Carmichael's squad has been dominant along the way, outscoring its opponents by a 44-6 margin and recording 16 shutouts.
In 2011, OSU returns 10 of its 11 starters from last season, and six All-Big 12 performers are back on the pitch. All-Americans Melinda Mercado and AD Franch anchor one of the nation's top defenses, while the Cowgirls also return five of their top six goal scorers from a year ago, led by seniors Krista Lopez and Kyndall Treadwell.
The 2011 Cowgirls are a strong nucleus of proven veterans. OSU has won four-straight Big 12 titles, and every returning player on the roster has been a part of an NCAA Women's Soccer Championship team as head coach Colin Carmichael's squad has made five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The senior class is seven players strong, and that group has combined for 72 victories and won more than 80 percent of its matches.
Cowgirls At The NCAA Soccer Championship
OSU is making its sixth-straight NCAA Soccer Championship appearance and seventh overall (in 16 seasons), and the Cowgirls are 6-3-4 all time in NCAA tourney play. OSU will be looking to advance to the second round for the sixth consecutive year, and if the Cowgirls defeat UAPB, they would host the Notre Dame-Illinois winner next Friday. A year ago, OSU made its deepest NCAA tourney run ever when they advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Notre Dame.
About UAPB
Arkansas-Pine Bluff is 16-4-1 on the season and is unbeaten in its last 16 matches, including entering NCAA tourney play on a 13-game winning streak. The SWAC champions are led by Silvia Fuentes, who has racked up 15 goals and an NCAA-best 28 assists in 2011.
On The Air & The Web
Fans wishing to follow Friday's match can do so in a variety of ways. A free live webcast with audio, as well as live stats, are available at www.ncaa.com and www.okstate.com. The game will also be carried tape-delayed by Stillwater Radio on KGFY 105.5 FM and will air following high school football.
Big 12's Best
OSU finished the regular season 17-0-2, joining the 2006 Nebraska team as the only Big 12 teams in history to go unbeaten during the regular season.
The Cowgirls finished 6-0-2 in conference play to claim their second regular-season Big 12 title, and in doing so they became the first Big 12 team since Texas A&M in 2002 to complete the league schedule without a loss.
Four Play
OSU has won four consecutive Big 12 Conference championships and has captured five conference titles in the last nine seasons -- three tournament (2003, '09, '10) and two regular season (2008, '11).
Moving On Up
Earlier this season, OSU was ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire poll for eight consecutive weeks, marking the Cowgirls' highest-ever national ranking.
The Cowgirls' previous high ranking was No. 4, which they reached on Sept. 6. They have been ranked in the top five for 11-straight weeks.
OSU is currently ranked 4th by the NSCAA, Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer.com and 5th by SoccerTimes.com.
Home Sweet Home
OSU is 10-0-1 in 2011 at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex. The Cowgirls sport a 40-3-1 record on their home field since 2008.
Seniors Rule
OSU's 2011 senior class (Brown, DeLozier, Dougherty, Lopez, Mercado, Niemeier and Treadwell) is the fourth-winningest senior class in the nation. Over the last three-plus years, the Cowgirls own a 72-13-10 (.811) record. The 72 wins are the most among Big 12 schools during that span.
Second To One
With its 39-5-4 record, OSU owns the second-most wins in the nation over the last two seasons. The Cowgirls' win total trails only Stanford, which is 42-1-3 over the span.
Century Mark
With the win over Creighton on Sept. 2, OSU head coach Colin Carmichael notched his 100th career victory. In his seventh season at the helm, Carmichael sports a career mark of 113-28-19 (.759).
Karen Hancock, now a Cowgirl assistant, served as OSU's first-ever head coach and was 110-89-19 in 11 seasons.
Hermann Watch
For the fifth-straight year, OSU placed a player on the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List as senior defender Melinda Mercado and junior goalie AD Franch both made the 42-player list.
The Hermann Trophy is considered the highest individual honor in collegiate soccer.
Franch was one of 15 semifinalists for the 2010 Hermann Trophy. Yolanda Odenyo (2008) is the only other Cowgirl semifinalist.
Award Tour
OSU had a school-record seven players named to the 2011 All-Big 12 Team. Forward Krista Lopez, midfielder Elizabeth DeLozier, defenders Melinda Mercado and Carson Michalowski and goalie AD Franch earned first-team honors, while forward Megan Marchesano and midfielder Kyndall Treadwell made the second team.
Mercado was also named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year, while Colin Carmichael garnered Big 12 Coach of the Year accolades for the fourth time and second year in a row.
Freshman defender Miriam Rhinehart was also named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.
Shutouts and Scores
OSU has established itself as one of the top defensive programs in the country. The Cowgirls have led the Big 12 in shutouts in five of the last six seasons (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011), and they have recorded 72 shutouts in 141 games during that span.
The Cowgirls don't just thrive on defense. They've also led the Big 12 in goals scored in two of the last four seasons (74 in '08 and 52 in '10) and are currently third in the league with 44 goals this season.
Making History
OSU is coming off a 2010 season that saw it embark on a magical postseason run as the Cowgirls captured their second-straight Big 12 Soccer Championship title before their deepest-ever NCAA tourney run, during which they advanced to the Elite Eight. OSU finished the season with a 20-4-2 record, which included an 8-2-0 mark and second-place finish in the always tough Big 12 Conference.
1,359 Minutes & 13 Seconds
That's how long OSU went this season before trailing in a match. The Cowgirls never trailed in their first 15 games before Texas took a 1-0 lead 3:49 into their match on Oct. 24.
The Cowgirls tied UT at the 56:35 mark of that game and then did not trail in a match again until the final nine seconds of the Big 12 Championship title game vs. Texas A&M.
Broken Record
Junior goalie AD Franch set OSU's career shutouts record against Oklahoma on Aug. 26 by notching her 22nd shutout in just her 51st career game. Erin Stigler, whose record Franch broke, had 21 shutouts in 64 games from 2005-08.
Franch led the Big 12 in shutouts in each of her first two collegiate seasons, setting an OSU record with 11 as a freshman and then recording nine a year ago. She has 10 in 16 games this season, which again leads the league.
Broken Record, Pt. II
Krista Lopez set a pair of OSU records in the win over UALR. She recorded four goals against the Trojans to become the first Cowgirl in history to score four goals in a single game. Lopez broke the previous mark of three, which she held with nine other players. Lopez, who was the first Big 12 player to record four goals in a match since 2009, also set OSU's single-game record by collecting eight points.
Lopez notched the hat trick with three goals in the opening half against the Trojans, then added her record-setting fourth just over five minutes into the second half.
With eight goals this season, Lopez has moved into fifth place all time at OSU with 27 career goals, and she ranks seventh on the Cowgirls' career points list with 70.
Statistically Speaking
OSU leads the NCAA in goals-against average (0.26) and save percentage (.936) and ranks third in shutout percentage (.073) and winning percentage (.909), while junior goalie AD Franch leads the nation in save percentage (.941) and goals-against average (0.25).
The Cowgirls also lead the Big 12 in shutouts (16), goals allowed (6) and corner kicks (152).
Krista Lopez is tied for the Big 12 lead with four game-winning goals and is in the top 10 in goals (8) and points (22), while Franch's 10 shutouts are a league high.
Four Score
Seniors Annika Niemeier, Krista Lopez and Kyndall Treadwell, along with junior Megan Marchesano, have combined for 84 goals and 58 assists during their careers.
Niemeier, Lopez and Treadwell each ranks among the top 10 on OSU's career goals, assists and points lists.
Balanced Attack
The Cowgirls have recorded 44 goals by 12 different players in 2011, and 12 different players have notched assists.
11, 14 & 21
OSU set a school record for consecutive wins when it earned its 11th-straight victory vs. Utah State on Sept. 18. The previous record was 10, which the Cowgirls achieved in 2003.
With its win over Oklahoma on Sept. 30, OSU set the mark for the longest unbeaten streak in school history at 14. The Cowgirls had two previous 13-match unbeaten streaks -- in a 2010 stretch when they went 12-0-1 and the 13-game span to open the 2003 season (11-0-2).
OSU's record unbeaten streak was snapped at 21 with a loss to Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship final.
It's Academic
OSU's success on the pitch has carried over to the classroom. OSU had 13 players named to the 2011 Academic All-Big 12 First Team, with 12 of those earning first-team honors.
Krista Lopez, a 2010 Academic All-American, and Sarah Brown were named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-District 7 First Team, and Lopez is one of 10 finalists for the prestigious 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Records Watch
• OSU is one win shy of tying the school record for wins (20) set last season.
• OSU's 16 shutouts is the most in school history, besting the previous mark of 14 set in 2009. The Cowgirls also currently sport a 0.26 goals against average, which far bests the record 0.65 GAA of the 2009 squad.
• AD Franch has 10 shutouts, the second-most in a single season in OSU history. Franch owns the top spot with 11 shutouts in 2009.
• Franch is set to shatter her single-season record for goals-against average of 0.61 set in 2009. She enters NCAA tourney play at 0.25.
• OSU's 152 corner kicks is the second most in a single-season in program history. The record is 186 by the 2003 squad.
