Soccer Hits The Road For Big 12 Action

SOONER SOCCER THIS WEEK
* No. 24 Oklahoma @ Iowa State
   LIVE STATS
   Friday, Oct. 3 - 7 p.m.
ISU Soccer Complex
   Ames, Iowa

* No. 24 Oklahoma @ Missouri
   LIVE AUDIO
   Sunday, Oct. 5 - 1 p.m.
Audrey J. Walton Track-Soccer Field
   Columbia, Mo.

PREVIEW: Oklahoma vs. Iowa State
Friday will mark the start of Big 12 action on the road for OU as they play Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, at 7 p.m. ISU leads the all-time series 5-1-1.

The Cyclones are 3-4-2 (1-1), with recent losses to Nebraska, 5-1, and Colorado, 2-0.

Kate Kirwan leads ISU in points (8), goals (3) and assists (2).

On the defensive side of the ball, Beth Chapman is 3-4-2 in goal. She has a 1.56 goals-against average with 45 saves.

PREVIEW: Oklahoma vs. Missouri
The Sooners play Missouri on Sunday in Columbia, Mo., at 1 p.m. Mizzou leads the all-time series 4-2.

The Tigers are 5-5 (0-2) this season. On Friday night they will play their sixth top-25 opponent in the last seven games when they host No. 17 California. Sunday's match with OU will be the Tigers fifth straight game against a top-25 team.

Offensively, Kristen Heil (6 goals) and Jennifer Nobis (5 goals, 2 assists) lead the team with 12 points each.

Stephanie Krawczyk sees the majority of time in net for Mizzou. She is 3-5-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and 44 saves.

SOONERS RANKED NO. 24
After going 1-1 last weekend against two top-25 teams that were picked to finish atop the Big 12 conference, the University of Oklahoma earned its first-ever national ranking (No. 24) in the NSCAA/adidas National poll.

Besides OU, three other Big 12 schools appear in the poll. Texas A&M remains at No. 3 and Nebraska and Colorado are 14th and 15th, respectively.

NSCAA/adidas Poll (9/29/03)

1. North Carolina 11-0-0
2. Notre Dame 8-0-1
3. Texas A&M 8-1-0
    UCLA   5-1-2
5. Virginia 6-1-1
6. Portland 6-2-0
7. Florida  7-0-0
8. West Virginia 7-1-0
9. Washington 5-1-2
10. Wake Forest 7-1-1
11. Pepperdine 7-1-0
12. Ohio State 6-0-1
13. Connecticut 4-1-2
14. Nebraska 6-1-0
15. Colorado 6-1-0
16. Penn State 6-1-2
17. California 3-0-3
18. Duke  5-2-1
19. Utah  6-1-2
20. Boston College 8-0-0
21. Purdue  7-2-1
      Princeton 4-0-1
22. Stanford 3-3-1
23. Denver  6-1-0
24. OKLAHOMA 6-3-1
25. Auburn  5-1-1

LAST WEEKEND
The Sooners hosted two of their toughest opponents of the season thus far and went 1-1 against two of the Big 12's preseason favorites.

On Friday, OU went into halftime with a 1-0 lead on No. 3 Texas A&M before the Aggies rallied to score four unanswered goals. Despite the 4-1 loss, OU manufactured numerous chances that could of put it ahead two or three goals in the first half.
Sophomore midfielder Lauren MacIver scored the lone goal for the Sooners and totaled four shots in the game.

On Sunday, the Sooners faced No. 16 Texas. And sent the Longhorns home with a 2-1 defeat. Once again, it was MacIver scoring the game's first goal off an assist by Kristen Vesely.

The teams went into halftime knotted at one apiece, but Savannah Scott changed that with her second goal of the year. Logan Womack assisted on the game winner.

SCOTT HONORED BY SOCCER AMERICA MAGAZINE
Freshman forward Savannah Scott was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week (Sept. 22-28). The Norman native scored her second goal of the year, a game-winner that beat then-No. 16 Texas at John Crain Field in Norman on Sept. 28. Scott is currently third on the team in goals, second in assists and fourth in total points.

MAC ATTACK
Sophomore midfielder Lauren MacIver had a productive freshman year a season ago with four goals and four assists as she garnered second-team All-Big 12 honors. In 2003, she has matched her totals in goals and assists after just 10 games and she leads OU in goals (4), assists (4), points (12) and shots taken (39).

MacIver was named to the all-tournament team at the Notre Dame Classic and at the Oklahoma Shootout.

WADE EARNS BIG 12 DEFENSIVE HONORS, TWICE
Oklahoma junior goalkeeper Catherine Wade was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Sept. 23. It marked the second week in a row for the Midland, Texas, native to win the award.

Against Oral Roberts and Tulsa, Wade went 2-0 in goal for the Sooners while posting her first two shutouts of the season. She made 12 saves combined. On Sept. 19, Wade saved six shots against Oral Roberts in a 2-0 home win. On Sept. 21, versus Tulsa, she duplicated Friday's accomplishment by shutting out the Golden Hurricane offense in another 2-0 home victory.

TOUGH 2003 SLATE
OU has played four pre-season top-25 teams and so far it is 2-2. The Sooners defeated SMU 2-1 in overtime and lost 5-1 to current No. 2 Notre Dame. At home, the Sooners lost to current No. 3 Texas A&M (4-1) and defeated then-No. 16 Texas (2-1). Two more current top-25 team remains on OU's schedule, at No. 14 Nebraska on Oct. 10, (7-2-1) and then No. 15 Colorado (8-1-0) on Oct. 12 at John Crain Field.

HEAD COACH RANDY EVANS
Oklahoma soccer head coach Randy Evans is in his fifth year in the at OUafter being named head coach on Jan. 11, 1999. He is coming off his second consecutive 11-win season, tying a school record for victories.

His 2002 squad won its first six games and stood at 11-3 at one point in the season. Logan Womack and Lauren MacIver both were named to the All-Big 12 second team as Evans and company just barely missed a berth in the conference tournament.

He coordinated the strongest season in OU's young soccer history in 2001. The Sooners won a school-record 11 games while compiling a stellar 8-1-1 record at home and notched their first victories ever over conference rivals Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Missouri. OU came within a goal of upsetting Texas A&M the eventual tournament champion in its second consecutive appearance in the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

In 2000, Evans led the Sooners to a 10-9-1 mark and an appearance in the Big 12 Tournament for the first time ever. His coaching performance earned him Big 12 Coach of the Year honors and, a month later, Evans was named the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year.

NEXT WEEK FOR THE SOONERS
OU faces two more current top-25 teams next week in No. 14 Nebraska and No. 15 Colorado. On Oct. 10, the Sooners face the Huskers in Lincoln at 7 p.m. Then on Oct. 12, OU plays the Buffaloes in Norman at 1 p.m.

SOCCER BUZZ CENTRAL REGION
The Sooners sit eighth in the Central Region Poll as ranked by Soccer Buzz Magazine. Texas A&M is ranked No. 1 and is followed by Big 12 schools Colorado at No. 2, Nebraska at No. 3, Kansas tied at No. 6 and Oklahoma State and Texas tied at No. 9.

FIELD NAMED FOR JOHN CRAIN
John Crain's gift of $600,000, one of the largest ever made to Sooner women's athletics, is being applied toward the second phase of the soccer project. With the $1.2 million first phase completed, attention is being turned toward the construction of a grandstand, locker room, concessions and restroom areas that will be shared with the tennis complex.

COLLEGIATE FIRSTS
Four Sooners have recorded collegiate firsts in either goals or assists this season:
*Savannah Scott (goal) vs. Tulsa
(assist) vs. New Mexico
*Kristin Vesely (goal) vs. SMU
*Michelle Enos (assist) vs. New Mexico
*Christy Kenkel (assist) vs. SMU

VOLCANSEK'S RUN
University of Oklahoma Assistant Soccer Coach Jessica Volcansek will be running in a marathon in December as part of the Team In Training Program to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

There will be a table at each home soccer game this season just inside the main gate, for fans wanting more information about The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Team In Training Program, or would care to make a donation to assist Jessica in raising funds for this worthwhile organization. Fans who want to help her in reaching the goal of $5,000 can also make out a check to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and send it to:
Jessica Volcansek
180 West Brooks Street
Norman, OK 73019

NSCAA/adidas Central Region (9/29/03)
1. Texas A&M 8-1-0
2. Colorado 8-1-0
3. Nebraska 7-2-1
4. OKLAHOMA 6-3-1
5. SMU  9-2-0
5. Texas  5-5-0
7. Denver  7-1-0
8. Tennessee 6-3-0
9. Kansas  9-2-0
10.Mississippi 9-1-0
10. Oklahoma State 10-0-0

BIG 12 ACTION THIS WEEK
Oct. 3 (Friday)
*Nebraska at Baylor, 7 p.m.
*Colorado at Texas Tech, 7 p.m.
*Oklahoma at Iowa State, 7 p.m.
*Texas at Kansas, 5 p.m.
California at Missouri, 7 p.m.
*Texas A&M at Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 (Saturday)
*Colorado at Baylor, 1 p.m.
Iowa State at Drake, 1 p.m.
*Texas A&M at Kansas, 1 p.m.
*Oklahoma at Missouri, 1 p.m.
*Nebraska at Texas Tech, 1 p.m.
*Texas at Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.

All game times listed as Central

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Soccer Hits The Road For Big 12 Action

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