Sept. 30, 2009

OSU Game Notes in PDF Format

Oklahoma State (7-4-0, 1-2-0)
at Iowa State (4-3-4, 0-2-0)
Friday, Oct. 2 • 7 p.m.
ISU Soccer Complex (1,000)
...
at Nebraska (5-2-3, 0-1-1)
Sunday, Oct. 4 • 1 p.m.
Nebraska Soccer Field (3,500)


Oklahoma State
    Oklahoma State returns to Big 12 Conference action this weekend with another road trip as the Cowgirls take on Iowa State Friday in Ames before a Sunday showdown against Nebraska in Lincoln. The Cowgirls are 7-4-0 overall and in seventh place in the Big 12 standings with a 1-2-0 league mark.
    OSU, which has suffered all four of its losses by one goal, has outscored its opponents 27-7 on the season, and 11 different players have collected goals. Freshman goalie AD Franch has recorded shutouts in five of OSU's last eight matches.

Iowa State
    The Cylcones are 4-3-4 overall and 0-2-2 in conference play. OSU is 5-6-2 all time against Iowa State, including a 7-0 win in Stillwater last season.
    Players To Watch: GK Ann Gleason, MF Amanda Woelfel

Nebraska
    The Cornhuskers entered Friday's match against Green Bay with a 5-2-3 overall mark, which includes an 0-1-1 record in league play. NU leads the Big 12 in shots, goals and assists and is averaging nearly four goals per game. OSU is 4-9-0 all time against Nebraska, including a 2-1 win over the Huskers last season in Stillwater.    
    Players To Watch: F Morgan Marlborough, F Molly Thomas

In The Polls        
    OSU is ranked 20th by TopDrawerSoccer.com and is receiving votes in the NSCAA/adidas and SoccerTimes.com polls. Iowa State and Nebraska are both unranked.    

On The Air & The Web    
     Fans can access GameTracker live stats via the internet at the official OSU Athletics website: www.okstate.com under the Schedule/Results link on the soccer home page. Live stats are also available at the Iowa State athletic website: www.cyclones.com and the Nebraska athletic website: www.huskers.com.

That's Offensive
     OSU is coming off a season in which it shattered numerous school scoring records and established itself as one of the top scoring offenses in all of college soccer.
     The Cowgirls netted a school-record 74 goals, a total that ranked third nationally, and no team was more prolific than OSU with its 3.22 goals per game.
     OSU, which averaged just over 22 shots per game a year ago, recorded 15 more goals than the next highest Big 12 team in 2008.
     Fifteen different Cowgirls scored goals in '08, and 10 of those players returned this season. Also on the roster are five players who recorded at least 10 points a year ago.

The Defense Never Rests
     One of the biggest reasons for OSU's increased success over the last several seasons are defenses that have been among the best in the Big 12 Conference.
     Through the first 11 games of the 2009 season, OSU leads the Big 12 with seven shutouts. The Cowgirls also sport a 0.63 goals against average, and they have allowed just seven goals, both of which rank second in the league.
     In 2008, OSU allowed just 18 goals and recorded 10 shutouts. The Cowgirls ranked third in the Big 12 in goals allowed and goals against average (0.75).
     The Cowgirls tied a school record with 12 shutouts in '06, and that total also tied OSU for the most blankings by a Big 12 team. Opponents attempted just 255 shots against the Cowgirls and only 16 of those found the back of the net. OSU ranked first in the league in goals allowed, and its 0.66 goals against average was also tops in the conference.
     OSU recorded 10 shutouts in 2007, which once again tied for the most in the Big 12, and the Cowgirls ranked among the conference's best in goals allowed (20), goals-against average (0.84) and save percentage (82.1).

Terrific Trio
     OSU's 2009 senior class -- Siera Strawser, Kasey Langdon and Bridget Miller -- has had quite a successful career during its time in Stillwater. On the current list of the winningest senior classes in Division I soccer, OSU's trio is tied for 11th with a record of 56-14-10 (.762). Among Big 12 Conference teams, only Texas A&M's senior class has more wins over the last four seasons with 58.
Three's Company
     OSU had three players named to the 2009 preseason All-Big 12 Conference team, which was selected by the league's head coaches.
     Seniors Kasey Langdon and Siera Strawser and sophomore Melinda Mercado were named to the 16-player team.
     With three selections, OSU tied Missouri for the second-most preseason All-Big 12 players in the league. Texas A&M had four.

Records Are Made To Be Broken
     A pair of Cowgirls are climbing the OSU career charts and are on the verge of vaulting to the top of several of those lists.
     • Siera Strawser has 30 career goals and needs five to reach OSU's all-time mark, which is held by Yolanda Odenyo and Jolene Schweitzer.
     • Strawser is OSU's career leader in shots with 244.
     • With 17 career assists, Strawser needs just two more to move into the top five on OSU's all-time list.
     • Kasey Langdon needs just one assist to move into second all time at OSU. Langdon has racked up 24 assists in her first three seasons in Stillwater.
     • Langdon has 22 career goals, leaving her only two shy of moving into the top five on the Cowgirls' career list.
     • Strawser and Langdon rank fourth and sixth on OSU's all-time scoring list with 77 and 68 points. Odenyo's 90 points top the list.

1-2 Punch
     Seniors Kasey Langdon and Siera Strawser give OSU arguably the top scoring duo in the Big 12.
     Last season, Langdon and Strawser combined for 24 goals and 21 assists, accounting for 34 percent of OSU's scoring. They have combined for seven goals and four assists through 11 games this season.
     Both players rank among the top six on OSU's career charts in goals, assists and points.

Stay CLASSy
     Kasey Langdon is one of 30 candidates for the 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for women's soccer.
     The Senior CLASS award focuses on the total student-athlete and to be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, character, community and competition.
     Along with her exploits on the field, Langdon is a Scholar All-American and Scholar All-Region honoree and a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection. She carries a 3.27 GPA in nutritional sciences-allied health.

Fabulous Freshmen
     OSU leads the Big 12 with seven shutouts and ranks second in goals against average (0.63), and goals allowed (7).
     A big reason for OSU's staunch defense is a pair of freshmen -- goalie AD Franch and defender Carson Michalowski. Franch leads the Big 12 with five shutouts, and her 0.65 goals against average ranks third. Franch is threatening to shatter the OSU record for season GAA by a freshman (min. 900 minutes), which is held by Breanna Truelove (1.37 GAA in 2004). Michalowski has started every game at defender in her first season in Stillwater.
     A freshman is also tied for the team lead in goals as Megan Marchesano has four. She is fourth on the team in scoring.