Soccer Returns To Big 12 Tournament

SOONER SOCCER THIS WEEK
* No games this week

BIG 12 ACTION THIS WEEK
Oct. 31 (Friday)
*Texas Tech at Baylor, 7 p.m.
*Nebraska at Colorado, 4 p.m.
*Missouri at Iowa State, 5 p.m.
*Oklahoma State at Kansas, 3 p.m.
*Texas A&M at Texas, 7 p.m.

Nov. 2 (Sunday)
Rice at Baylor, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Iowa State, 1 p.m.
Arkansas at Oklahoma State, 1 p.m
All game times listed as Central

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT UP NEXT FOR OU
Thanks to the win and tie against Baylor and Texas Tech, respectively, over two weekends ago, the Sooners secured a spot in the Big 12 Soccer Tournament to be played in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 6, 7 & 9 at Blossom Soccer Stadium.

After tying Oklahoma State on Monday, the postseason looks to hold a No. 6 or No. 7 seed for the Sooners. They stand one point ahead of Oklahoma State and the Cowgirls have one Big 12 game remaining at Kansas this Friday.

Depending on how Texas, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Kansas fare, OU could match up with any of those four foes in the first round of tournament action. The Sooners werea a combined 1-3-1 against those opponents in the regular season.

The current 8-5-5 record for head coach Randy Evans and his Sooners secures the program's fourth straight winning seasons. In his fifth year, Evans is 44-42-8 at OU.

Oklahoma returns to postseason play after having missed last year's conference tourney. The Sooners made two previous Big 12 postseason appearances (2000 & 2001).

In 2001, the Sooners lost in the quarterfinals to Texas A&M, 1-0 in overtime. In the previous season, again it was the Aggies knocking off OU in the quarterfinals in a 1-0 contest.

LAST WEEKEND
The Sooners were handed their fifth loss of the season by Kansas on Friday in Lawrence, 3-1.
OU's Becky Nelson scored her sixth goal of the season in the 19th minute. Nelson was assisted by freshman Savannah Scott, her fourth assist of the season.

A couple of missed opportunities on offense for the Sooners allowed the Jayhawks to take the 3-1 lead at the half.

Goalkeeper Catherine Wade made nine saves in the defeat. OU managed 14 shots in the contest, nine from Nelson.

On Monday, the Sooners battled OSU in the annual Bedlam game to a 0-0 double overtime tie. It was the first tie in the series. With the tie, OU remained in the sixth spot in the Big 12 standings, one point ahead of OSU.

In 110 minutes of action, goalkeeper Catherine Wade was stellar. She made six saves and recorded her fourth shutout of 2003.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Sooners wrapped up action at John Crain Field on Oct. 19 with a 1-1 double overtime tie versus Baylor. That was their second tie at home in 2003 with the other coming against current No. 6 Colorado on Oct. 12. OU's lone home loss came at the hands of also-current-No. 6 Texas A&M on Sept. 26. OU won the six other home contests and posted a 6-1-2 mark at John Crain Field. In those contests, OU outscored their opponents 17-9 (9-1 advantage in the first half). In the Randy Evans era, OU is 27-11-5 at home.

SUPER SOPHOMORES
Sophomores Lauren MacIver and Becky Nelson have combined for one third of the team's offensive production (31 of 79 points). They rank in the top-five in all four offensive categories listed to the right.

GREAT SCOTT
Freshman midfielder/forward Savannah Scott scored her second game-winner in as many weeks on 10/5 against Missouri (the other was against Texas on 9/28). She is now tied for third on the team in goals (4), tied for second in assists (4) and is fourth in points (11). The week of 9/22-9/28, Scott was named to Soccer America's Team of the Week for her goal and assist in games against Texas A&M and Texas.

OVERTIME SUCCESS
The Sooners have played in nine overtime games this season and have suffered just one loss, going 3-1-5. In 944:39 of action in the eight games, Catherine Wade has 80 saves with a 0.86 GAA. She continues to lead the league in saves with 139 and Wade is 8-5-5 with four shutouts this season.

WADE EARNS BIG 12 DEFENSIVE HONORS TWICE
Oklahoma junior goalkeeper Catherine Wade was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week twice (9/16 and 9/23).

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. In the weekend before that, Wade went 1-0-1 in goal while posting a 0.88 goals-against average and making 12 saves. Wade posted the full 205:10 of playing time in the overtime games against TCU and SMU.

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

Evans' 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
The Sooners will take the field at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, for the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 6.

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 (10/27)
1. Colorado 14-2-1
    Texas A&M 12-3-2
3. Tennessee 12-4-1
4. Kansas  14-4-1
5. Nebraska 11-5-1
6. Texas  11-7-0
7. Mississippi 13-4-1
8. Denver  13-2-0
9. OKLAHOMA 8-5-4
10. SMU  15-3-0
      Mississippi St. 8-8-2

SOCCER BUZZ Central Region (10/27)
1. Texas A&M 12-3-2
2. Colorado 14-2-1
3. Tennessee 12-4-1
4. Kansas  14-4-1
5. Nebraska 11-5-1
6. Texas  11-7-0
7. Mississippi 13-4-1
8. Denver  13-2-0
9.   SMU  15-3-0
10. Oklahoma State 11-3-2

Votes: OKLAHOMA (8-5-4),
St. Louis (11-4-2)

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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