Cowgirls Top TCU, 3-0

Sunday, October 16

Stillwater, OK

1:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

8-6-3, 3-3-1

TCU

8-4-2, 0-4-1

TCU

Oklahoma State

October 16, 2016 | Cowgirl Soccer

Box Score

PHOTO GALLERY

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State scored a pair of first-half goals en route to a 3-0 victory over TCU on Senior Day Sunday afternoon at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex.

With the win, OSU improved to 8-6-3 on the season and remains in fifth place in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 3-3-1 league mark.

The Cowgirls used winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour to their advantage in the opening half, getting goals from Jaci Jones and Haley Woodard in the first 45 minutes to take control of the match and fuel the win.

"I was really proud of how we rebounded from a tough game on Friday… our response was great," said OSU head coach Colin Carmichael. "We made a lot of changes from Friday, and a lot of those girls stepped up and did a great job for us. That's really pleasing, the team aspect of it. Different players all stepped up and helped us get the job done…

"The wind changes everything; we had it at our backs in the first half so we knew we had to capitalize. We got a couple of goals, and it gives you something to hold on to. TCU had the majority of play in the second half with the wind. I was proud of Michela (Ongaro) and the defense for holding out in the second half after the offense got it done in the first."

Jones provided OSU's first goal in the 22^nd minute when she took a pass from Julia Lenhardt, turned and fired a low shot from 20-yards out to the far post. The goal was the freshman's fifth of the season and first in league play.

Less than seven minutes later, the Cowgirls doubled their lead. This time it was Woodard with a long-distance blast from just outside the box as she went top shelf to the far post for her sixth score of the season.

After outshooting TCU (8-4-2, 0-4-1) by a 9-2 margin in the opening half, OSU was forced to defend more in the second half as the field flipped to give the Horned Frogs the wind.

But the Cowgirls' defense was up to the task against a TCU attack that recorded nine shots and six corner kicks after intermission. Goalie Michela Ongaro came up big, recording four saves in the match and snatching several balls out of the air to avoid trouble, as she posted her third shutout of the season and second in conference play.

"Defending against the wind for 45 minutes is a big factor, but our girls laid it on the line and really defended hard and worked hard. Our defenders stepped up huge," Ongaro said.

Fittingly, senior Courtney Dike capped off the OSU scoring with less than two minutes remaining in the match. After she was taken down in the box by a defender to earn a penalty kick, Dike stepped up and converted the chance to put the Cowgirls up, 3-0. The goal was Dike's Big 12-best ninth of the season and moved her career total to 30 as she became only the fifth player in OSU history to reach that mark; she is five shy of the school record held by Yolanda Odenyo and Jolene Schweitzer.

OSU will be off this week before returning to action Oct. 25 for its final home game against Little Rock before a showdown at top-ranked West Virginia to conclude the regular season on Oct. 28 in Morgantown.