Sooners Draw Season Opener against Gamecocks

²⁴South Carolina

1 (2OT)

Oklahoma

Box Score

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Stat Comparison
Category	SC	OU
Shots	24	13
Shots on Goal	9	9
Corners	10	2
Fouls	17	13

Scoring Summary
Player	Assist	Time
SC: Paige Bendell	Chelsea Drennan	18:31
OU: Rachel Ressler	Lizzie Luallin	69:38

Goalkeepers
Player	Mins	GA	SV
OU: Kassidie Stade	110	1	8
SC: Mikayla Krzeczowski	110	1	8

NORMAN — The Oklahoma women's soccer team started its 2016 campaign on a solid note, recording a 1-1, double-overtime draw against No. 24 South Carolina in the Nike Sooner Classic on Friday night at John Crain Field.

The Gamecocks struck first with a score in the 19th minute as senior defender Paige Bendell headed in a corner kick from senior midfielder Chelsea Drennan.

In the 70th minute, Rachel Ressler came up clutch, finding the equalizer for OU. The senior defender tapped in the score following a deflected cross from Lizzie Luallin in the box. After a collision with Drennan in the 86th minute, Ressler came in to finish the rest of the match, which Potter says epitomizes the mentality his team needs to have.

"What a tremendous effort from Rachel Ressler to pop up," fifth-year OU head coach Matt Potter said. "That kind of grit and determination, I thought, carried us forward from there.

"That's what it's going to take this year," Potter continued. "It's going to take a collective attitude that, 'Hey, we're not done, and we've got to keep working, and we've got to keep getting after it.' So, tonight she was the epitome of what every player's got to strive for in terms of this season to have the season that we all desire."

In the first half, the Sooners had limited looks, recording just five shots, although they were solid chances with four of those going on goal. OU's offense opened up some in the second half as it tallied seven shots in the frame. The Sooners finished with 13 total shots, nine of which were on goal, while the Gamecocks recorded 24.

"I thought we were kind of nervous to begin with, and that's going to come with a new season," Potter said. "Second half, we kind of laughed a little bit in the locker room at halftime to say, 'Hey, let's not take ourselves so seriously.' Once we kind of allowed ourselves to go forward a little bit more, allowed ourselves to fail a little bit more, then we kind of grew within the game and got our just reward."

The goalkeepers tallied identical statistics on the night, with OU redshirt senior Kassidie Stade and South Carolina freshman Mikayla Krzeczowski both recording eight saves to just one goal allowed in a full 110 minutes in goal.

Late in the match, Stade made key back-to-back saves in the 83rd minute to preserve the tie and eventually aid in forcing overtime.

On Sunday, OU closes out the Nike Sooner Classic with a 3 p.m. CT match against No. 25 Loyola Marymount. This season, the Sooners are celebrating 20 years of their program, which began in 1996. Tickets are available online through SoonerSports.com or over the phone at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free at 800-456-GoOU.