Soccer Takes On No. 7 Lady Vols In NCAA Tournament Tonight

SOONER SOCCER THIS WEEK
OKLAHOMA vs. No. 7 Tennessee
NCAA First Round
Nov. 14, 7 p.m. CST
UT Soccer Complex
Knoxville, Tenn.
Live Stats: REPLACE_ME

SOONERS vs. LADY VOLS PREVIEW
Friday's first round game in the NCAA Tournament marks the first ever meeting between Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The Sooners are making their first ever NCAA postseason appearance while Tennessee is making its third straight. Last year, UT lost to North Carolina in the Sweet 16. Oklahoma is 1-3 all-time in postseason play (all in Big 12 Tournament).

Tennessee is celebrating its highest ranking (No. 7) of the season after defeating Florida (No. 8) in the SEC Championship in penalty kicks.

UT's Lyndsey Patterson is the squad's leading goal scorer (10) and also leads the team in points (24). Ali Christoph's 10 assists leads UT and she has also tallied six goals.

The Lady Volunteer defense has quieted opponents with 10 shutouts in 2003. V. Phillips-Bosshart tends the goal for UT and is 15-4-2 with a 0.79 goals-against average. She also has 70 saves.

Oklahoma and Tennessee share two opponents on their respective 2003 schedules. OU defeated Arkansas 3-1 and UT won in a 4-0 contest.

Before the season started, the Sooners took on Mississippi in an exhibition match that ended up with OU on top 2-1. The Vols defeated Mississippi (2-0) and lost as well (1-0). The Sooners are 7-1-1 against SEC opponents all-time. That does not include this year's exhibition victory against Ole Miss.

LAST TIME OUT
OU played a hard fought match against No. 21 Kansas in the Big 12 quarterfinals, suffering a 1-0 defeat.

Kansas struck in the 13th minute with the only goal of the game off a cross from Caroline Smith that got behind the Sooner defense and found Jessica Kilpatrick for the score.

At the 4:30 mark, the Sooners had their best scoring chance of the first half as Lauren MacIver sent a long ball up the middle setting up Becky Nelson for a shot that went just over the crossbar. After 45 minutes of action, KU held an 8-5 shot advantage.

“It is unfortunate because we had our chances to score,” said Oklahoma head coach Randy Evans. “We could have easily had three or four goals in that game but we just could not finish and they scored on us off a defensive miscue.”

OU applied immediate pressure to start the second half as Michelle Enos headed the ball high over the crossbar after receiving a pass from Kristin Vesely near the 50th minute.

With just over six minutes remaining in the contest, goalkeeper Catherine Wade was taken out of the game and Kirstin Karfonta filled in as goalie for OU in an attempt to give the Sooners an extra-attacker. Unfortunately, the Sooners could not find the back of the net despite playing a strong second half that saw them create numerous scoring chances.

OU evened the shot count in the second half as the teams fired 14 shots each in 90 minutes of action. Wade made five saves in the game and Meghan Miller, her counterpart, stopped five shots.

WOMACK WRAPPING IT UP
Senior forward Logan Womack is concluding her OU career by achieving her goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament. The Norman native has made a name for herself and has made a major impact on OU soccer

Womack's name is currently inked all over the Sooner record book as she is OU's record holder for career goals (34) and goals in a season (13 in 2001). She also holds OU's mark for points in a season (27 in 2001) and points in a career (75).

Logan is also the only Sooner to record a hat trick in school history, which she did against Baylor last season. This year she has a career-high four assists and is tied for the team lead in goals with six.

SUPER SOPHOMORES
Sophomores Lauren MacIver and Becky Nelson have combined for 39 percent 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.

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.

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 (12).

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. 11 Colorado on Oct. 12. OU's lone home loss came at the hands of also-current-No. 23 Texas A&M on Sept. 26.

OU won its six other home games and posted a 6-1-2 mark at John Crain Field. In those contests, OU outscored its opponents 17-9 (9-1 advantage in the first half). In the Randy Evans era, OU is 27-11-5 at home.

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 nine games, Catherine Wade has 80 saves with a 0.86 GAA. Wade continues to lead the league in saves with 139 and is 8-5-5 with four shutouts this season.

MACIVER AND YOUNG NAMED SECOND-TEAM ALL-BIG 12
Oklahoma soccer's Lauren MacIver and Erin Young received second-team All-Big 12 Conference accolades on Nov. 4 as announced by the league.

MacIver, also a 2002 second-team member, is having another stellar season for OU controlling the midfield. MacIver is tied for second on the team in goals with four and is first in assists with five. She also leads the team in shots with 67, a mark that ranks her fourth in the conference in overall games.

The sophomore midfielder has two game-winning goals this season, the first coming in a season-opening 3-1 victory over Arkansas at OU's John Crain Field. The latter came again at home, versus Tulsa, in a 2-0 Sooner win in which MacIver fired a season-high nine shots.

Young, a junior defender, received her first All-Big 12 Team honor. Young was a member of the Academic All-Big 12 team the past two seasons. This year she is playing a vital role in the success of OU's defense. The Sooners have allowed one goal or less in 13 contests with four shutouts and a 1.32 goals-against average. In addition, OU has played in a school record nine overtime games this year and has a 3-1-5 record in those contests. The Norman native has played in and started all 19 games this season.

Colorado swept the player, coach and newcomer-of-the-year honors. Bill Hempen was selected Big 12 Coach of the Year, Fran Munnelly was named Big 12 Player of the Year, and Katie Griffin was selected Big 12 Rookie of the Year. A team has not swept the conference individual awards since Texas A&M in 1997.

YOUNG AND KENKEL NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRIC VI SECOND TEAM
Oklahoma's Erin Young and Christy Kenkel were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VI Second Team on Nov. 5.

In order to qualify, candidates must possess a 3.20 grade-point average or higher, have at least a sophomore standing and must have competed in 50 percent of their team's games this season.

Kenkel was the only member from the Big 12 Conference that held down a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and was one of five total in District VI.

Young and Kenkel are key components of a Sooner defense that has held opponents this season to one goal or less in 13 contests including four shutouts.

SOONERS LAND SEVEN ON ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 ACADEMIC TEAMS
The Oklahoma soccer team added another accomplishment to the 2003 season, as seven Sooners were named to the Academic All-Big 12 teams by the conference office on Nov. 5. Throughout the Big 12, 65 student-athletes made the grade.

OU placed three on the first-team list which recognized student-athletes who have maintained a 3.20 or better grade-point average for two semesters and participated in at least 60 percent of the team's scheduled contests.

Sophomore Christy Kenkel was the lone athlete to maintain a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in the conference. The Tulsa native is majoring in Arts and Sciences and made the first team in her first eligible year.

Also a first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree was sophomore midfielder Lauren MacIver and junior defender Erin Young, two Sooners who were just named to the All-Big 12 second team.

Senior Heidi Martinson, junior Kirstin Karfonta and sophomores Becky Nelson and Jenny Jones were named to the league's second team, which recognized student-athletes who have maintained a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

Young, Karfonta and Martinson were on the elite squads last season as well.

OU's seven team members were third most in the conference, tied with Colorado and Iowa State. Only Baylor (8) and Kansas (10) had more honorees. Last season, OU led all Big 12 schools with nine first-team members, including the only two 4.0 GPAs (Erin Young and Jana Cunningham).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Soccer Takes On No. 7 Lady Vols In NCAA Tournament Tonight

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