Soccer Prepares For Big Weekend Against Nebraska And Colorado

SOONER SOCCER THIS WEEK
* No. 18 Oklahoma @ No. 22 Nebraska
   Friday, Oct. 10 - 7 p.m.
   Abbott Sports Complex
   Lincoln, Neb.

* No. 18 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Colorado
   Sunday, Oct. 12 - 1 p.m.
   John Crain Field (OU Soccer Complex)
   Norman, Okla.

PREVIEW: Oklahoma vs. Nebraska
Friday will mark the third Big 12 game in a row on the road for OU as it plays No. 22 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., at 7 p.m. Nebraska is in third place in the conference, just two points ahead of OU. NU leads the all-time series 6-1.

The Cornhuskers are 3-4-2 (3-1 Big 12) and lost at Baylor (1-2) and defeated Texas Tech (3-1) last weekend.

Ashley Carter leads NU in points (12), goals (5) and has two assists. Jessie Bruch and Nikki Baker each have tallied four goals this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Beth Chapman is 7-2-1 in goal. She sports a 1.00 goals-against average with 38 saves.

PREVIEW: Oklahoma vs. Colorado
The Sooners play Colorado on Sunday at John Crain Field at 1 p.m. CU sits atop the Big 12 conference with 12 points. Its lone loss on the season came in the season opener against then-No. 2 Portland (1-0).

OU and CU have met six times in the past and the series is knotted at three.

The Buffaloes are 10-1 (4-0) this season. They are coming off a weekend that saw them defeat Texas Tech on Friday, 5-1, and Baylor on Sunday, 2-0.

Offensively, Fran Munnelly (5 goals, 6 assists) leads the team with 16 points. Katie Griffen leads the Buffs in goals with seven.

Jessica Keller is one of the Big 12's best in goal. She is 9-0 with a 0.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.

Gates will open an hour prior to kickoff at John Crain Field and the first 250 fans will receive pom-poms.

LAST WEEKEND
The OU soccer team took its first ever top-25 ranking on the road last weekend and did not suffer a loss, tying Iowa State in Ames on Friday (2-2 in 2OT) and defeating Missouri in Columbia on Sunday (2-1 in OT).

As a result, the Sooners (7-3-2 / 2-1-1) have gained more national respect, receiving the No. 25 ranking in the Soccer Buzz Magazine national top-25 poll. On top of that feat, OU moved up to No. 18 in the NSCAA/adidas top-25 rankings. The Sooners were tabbed No. 24 in that same poll a week ago.

On Friday, OU went into double overtime before settling for the 2-2 tie. Heidi Martinson and Jessica Talton scored for OU as Catherine Wade made 12 saves.

On Sunday, freshman Savannah Scott propelled the Sooners to the 2-1 victory. Scott scored both goals in the game, her second coming in overtime. Wade improved to 7-3-2 and registered three saves in net for OU.

GREAT SCOTT
Freshman midfielder/forward Savannah Scott scored her second game-winner in as many weeks, on Sunday against Missouri (the other was against Texas Sept. 28). She is now tied for the team lead in goals with four and is tied for second in points with 11. Last week, 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 five overtime games this season and have yet to suffer a loss, going 3-0-2. The two ties both occurred followin double overtime sessions (9/13 vs. TCU), (10/3 vs. Iowa State). Only one of those games occurred at home for OU (2-1 win over New Mexico). The other two wins came against SMU and Missouri. In 510:56 of action in the five games, Catherine Wade has 32 saves with a 1.06 GAA. She continues to lead the league in saves with 78.

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. In the weekend before that, Wade went 1-0-1 in goal for the Sooners 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.

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 teams remain on OU's schedule, at No. 22 Nebraska on Oct. 10 and No. 12 Colorado on Oct. 12 at John Crain Field).

HEAD COACH RANDY EVANS
Oklahoma soccer head coach Randy Evans is in his fifth year 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.

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
OU goes back on the road for a Friday (10/12) contest with Texas Tech at 7 p.m. before returning home for a Sunday (10/14) showdown at John Crain Field with Baylor at 1 p.m.

NSCAA/adidas Poll (10/6/03)
1. North Carolina 13-0-0
2. Notre Dame 11-0-1
3. UCLA 6-1-2
4. Virginia 9-1-1
5. Texas A&M 8-1-2
6. Portland 10-2-0
7. Florida 10-1-0
8. West Virginia 10-2-0
9. Washington 7-2-2
10. Connecticut 7-2-2
11. Ohio State 8-1-2
12. Colorado 10-1-0
13. Pepperdine 9-2-0
14. Penn State 10-2-2
15. Duke 8-3-1
16. Wake Forest 8-2-1
17. Purdue 8-2-1
18. OKLAHOMA 7-3-2
19. Santa Clara 6-3-3
20. Boston College 8-1-2
21. California 5-2-3
22. Nebraska 8-3-1
23. Princeton 6-1-1
24. Clemson 7-2-1
25. Illinois 8-2-1

SOCCER BUZZ POLLS
*Top-25
The Sooners enter the top-25 poll for the first time at No. 25, as ranked by Soccer Buzz Magazine. Big 12 foe Texas A&M is ranked No. 5, Colorado is No. 11 and Oklahoma State is No. 22.

*Central Region
The Sooners sit fifth (up three spots) 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, Oklahoma State at No. 4, Nebraska at No. 6 and Kansas at No. 7.

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.

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

BIG 12 ACTION THIS WEEK
Oct. 10 (Friday)
*Baylor at Texas, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado, 5 p.m.
*Kansas at Iowa State, 7 p.m.
*Oklahoma State at Missouri, 7 p.m.
*OKLAHOMA at Nebraska, 7 p.m.
*Texas Tech at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 (Sunday)
*Baylor at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
*Colorado at OKLAHOMA, 1 p.m.
*Oklahoma State at Iowa State, 1 p.m.
*Kansas at Missouri, 1 p.m.
Texas Tech at Texas, 1 p.m.

All game times listed as Central

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Soccer Prepares For Big Weekend Against Nebraska And Colorado

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