Soccer Ready To Take On Kansas In Big 12 Quarterfinals

Big 12 Quarterfinals
#6 Oklahoma vs. #3 Kansas
Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m. CST
Blossom Soccer Stadium
San Antonio, Texas
Live Stats: www.texassports.com/live/soc/xlive.htm

SOONERS vs. JAYHAWKS PREVIEW
OU heads into Thursday's Big 12 quarterfinal coming off a bye week, while Kansas defeated Oklahoma State at home, 2-0, last Friday. Kansas leads the all-time series, 4-3.

The Sooners, with the No. 6 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, return after barely missing last year's postseason.

Oklahoma is 1-2 all-time in postseason play. In 2001, OU took an 11-5-1 record into the tourney and lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Texas A&M, 1-0.

In 2000, it was the Aggies knocking off the Sooners 1-0 in semifinal action. Prior to that game, OU handled Texas 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

The Sooners (8-5-5/3-3-4) are led on offense this year by senior forward Logan Womack with 16 points (6 goals, 4 assists).

Like in past seasons, OU's defense has been the key again this year. Junior goalkeeper Catherine Wade is 8-5-5 with a 1.32 goals-against average. Wade and the Sooner defense has allowed a goal or less in 12 games, including four shutouts this season.

Kansas is ranked No. 21 in the nation and is averaging almost two goals a game. Caroline Smith leads the Big 12 with 18 goals and she also has two assists.

On defense, goalkeeper Meghan Smith leads a stingy unit, allowing 0.79 goals per game. Smith (15-4-1) has nine shutouts.

LAST TIME THEY MET
On Oct. 24 in Lawrence, Kan., OU suffered a 3-1 defeat against the Jayhawks. All four goals were scored in the opening half. KU got things going in the first seven minutes of the game, taking a 1-0 lead.

The Sooners countered ten minutes later to tie the game on a Becky Nelson goal. Nelson was assisted by Savannah Scott.

Kansas took the lead in the 23rd minute and put the game away six minutes later with another tally. Both teams were held scoreless in the second half (KU had 11 shots and OU six).
Overall, OU was outshot 20-14 in the contest. Nelson led the Sooner offensive charge firing nine shots in the contest, six of those on goal.

Goalkeeper Catherine Wade made nine saves in the game while counterpart Meghan Miller made seven stops.

The 3-1 loss was the first time OU's defense allowed more than two goals in a game since Sept. 26 (Texas A&M-4).

OTHER QUARTERFINAL ACTION- Nov. 6
No. 1 Colorado vs. No. 8 Missouri (11 a.m.)
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Texas A&M (1:30 p.m.)
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Oklahoma St. (5 p.m.)

SEMIFINALS- Nov. 7
Winner (No. 1/8) vs. Winner (No. 4/5) 5 p.m.
Winner (No. 2/7) vs. Winner (No. 3/6) 7:30 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP- Nov. 9
Semifinal Winners 1 p.m.

WOMACK WRAPPING IT UP
Senior forward Logan Womack is making her third postseason appearance with the game against Kansas on Thursday. The Norman native has made a name for herself in her OU career that will come to a close after this season.

Womack's name is currently inked all over the Sooner record book as she is OU's record holder for career goals with 34 and goals in a season with 13 in 2001. She also holds OU's mark for points in a season, with 27 in 2001 and points in a career with 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 for assists in a season with four and is tied for the team lead in goals with six.

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. 5 Colorado on Oct. 12. OU's lone home loss came at the hands of also-current-No. 14 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 its 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 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.

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. Wade continues to lead the league in saves with 139 and Wade is 8-5-5 with four shutouts this season.

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. Evans has secured his fourth straight winning season with the current 8-5-5 mark in 2003. Evans is 44-42-8 at the helm for OU.

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.

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 (11).

NSCAA/adidas Central Region (11/03)
1. Colorado         15-2-1
2. Texas              12-7-0
3. Kansas            15-4-1
    Tennessee        12-4-1
    Texas A&M     12-4-2
6. Nebraska         11-6-1
7. Mississippi        13-4-2
8. OKLAHOMA    8-5-5
9. SMU               15-3-1
    Mississippi St.   9-8-3

SOCCER BUZZ Central Region (11/03)
1. Colorado       14-2-1
2. Texas A&M 12-3-2
3. Tennessee      12-4-1
4. Kansas          14-4-1
5. Texas            11-7-0
6. Nebraska      11-5-1
7. Mississippi    13-4-1
8. SMU            15-3-0
9. Oklahoma St. 11-3-2
10. OKLAHOMA 8-5-5
      Denver         15-3-0
      Vanderbilt      8-6-3

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Soccer Ready To Take On Kansas In Big 12 Quarterfinals

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