Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Picked Second In Preseason Big 12 Poll
August 09, 2018 | Cowgirl Soccer
IRVING, Texas – The conference's defending regular season champion, Oklahoma State is the preseason pick by Big 12 coaches to finish second in the league standings in 2018, it was announced by the conference office today.
In a vote of the league's head coaches, who were not allowed to select their own team, West Virginia was the Big 12 favorite; OSU snapped the Mountaineers five-year streak of Big 12 titles with its championship last season. Following WVU and the Cowgirls are Texas and Baylor, who are tied for third, and TCU while Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State round out the 10-team list.
The Cowgirls are coming off a 16-4-3 season in which they claimed the Big 12 crown by going 8-1-0 in league play, tying a program record for conference wins along the way and also advancing to the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship for the first time since 2011.
Led by All-American forward Haley Woodard, OSU returns 10 players who started at least 12 games last season, and 76 percent of the players who accounted for the Cowgirls' Big 12-best 45 goals in 2017 are also back.
The Cowgirls open 2018 with a preseason exhibition match vs. Missouri at Kansas City's Swope Soccer Village Friday at 7 p.m. before kicking off the regular season with a match at Tulsa on Aug. 16.
2018 Big 12 Conference Preseason Soccer Poll
First place votes in (); coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team
In a vote of the league's head coaches, who were not allowed to select their own team, West Virginia was the Big 12 favorite; OSU snapped the Mountaineers five-year streak of Big 12 titles with its championship last season. Following WVU and the Cowgirls are Texas and Baylor, who are tied for third, and TCU while Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State round out the 10-team list.
The Cowgirls are coming off a 16-4-3 season in which they claimed the Big 12 crown by going 8-1-0 in league play, tying a program record for conference wins along the way and also advancing to the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship for the first time since 2011.
Led by All-American forward Haley Woodard, OSU returns 10 players who started at least 12 games last season, and 76 percent of the players who accounted for the Cowgirls' Big 12-best 45 goals in 2017 are also back.
The Cowgirls open 2018 with a preseason exhibition match vs. Missouri at Kansas City's Swope Soccer Village Friday at 7 p.m. before kicking off the regular season with a match at Tulsa on Aug. 16.
2018 Big 12 Conference Preseason Soccer Poll
First place votes in (); coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team
| Points | ||
| 1. | West Virginia (8) | 79 |
| 2. | Oklahoma State (1) | 69 |
| T-3. | Texas (1) | 59 |
| T-3. | Baylor | 59 |
| 5. | TCU | 54 |
| 6. | Texas Tech | 40 |
| 7. | Kansas | 39 |
| 8. | Oklahoma | 23 |
| 9. | Kansas State | 16 |
| 10. | Iowa State | 12 |
Players Mentioned
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