Soccer Continues Road Swing at ETSU, Murray State

Oklahoma

East Tennessee State

Murray State

at East Tennesse State / Thursday / 5 p.m. CT / ESPN+ / LIVE STATS
at Murray State / Sunday / 12 p.m. CT / ESPN+ / LIVE STATS

NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma soccer team continues its non-conference road swing this weekend with a pair of matches. The Sooners head to Johnson City, Tenn., to face East Tennessee State on Thursday night at 5 p.m. CT before a noon CT match at Murray State in Murray, Ky., on Sunday.

Both games can be seen on ESPN+ and admission is free for Sooner fans in the area.

The Sooners conclude their non-conference slate with the pair of matches out East. OU is 3-2-2 on the year and have won two straight and are unbeaten in its last four matches, with three being wins and one tie vs. No. 15 SMU. Last time out, the Sooners rolled at Oral Roberts, winning 5-2 with all five goals coming from five different Sooners. It marked the highest scoring output for an OU squad since 2018 and the most goals scored in a match in head coach Mark Carr's three-year tenure.

Seniors Bri Amos and Emma Hawkins pace OU with three goals a piece, while freshmen Morganne Eikelbarner and Chelsea Wagner have each found the back of the net twice in 2022. Freshman Alexis Washington leads all Sooners with three assists while Amos has a team-best seven points.

WEEK FIVE STORYLINES

• Still Streaking: The Sooners have responded to a 0-2-1 start by rattling off four straight unbeaten, going 3-0-1 over the past two weeks and outscoring opponents 10-5. OU is putting 43% of its shots on goal and averaging nearly 16 shots/game.

• Michel Named to TDS Team of the Week: OU sophomore captain Sheridan Michel was named to Top Drawer Soccer's 'Team of the Week' after leading OU's backline to a shutout and just two goals allowed last week. Michel also recorded her fist collegiate goal with a header in OU's 5-2 win over ORU on Sunday.

• Preseason Picks: Oklahoma was picked sixth in the 2022 Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll after a seventh-place finish in 2021. The Sooners received one first-place vote in this year's poll.

NEW FACES MAKING MOVES

New faces have been on display for OU in 2022 as the Sooners have 18 newcomers: 14 true freshmen and four transfers. The 2022 recruiting class ranked 11th in the country via Top Drawer Soccer and No. 1 in the Big 12. Nine true freshmen have already started for Coach Carr in 2022, and 13 of the 14 have seen playing time.

Three of the four transfers have played, led by UCA transfer Emma Hawkins, who brought 34 career goals with her from her three years at UCA and is tied for the team lead with three goals in 2022. Fellow senior transfer Makinzie Short leads OU in goal with 24 saves.

Of OU's 13 goals on the year, seven have come from newcomers, including four goals from freshmen.

Lead, Eikelbarner SOC _{Freshman Morganne Eikelbarner has scored goals in two straight matches for the Sooners.}

KEY RETURNERS

Fifth-year senior and high-point scorer from a season ago, Bri Amos, has picked up where she left off, leading OU with five points and tied with a team-best two goals. A season ago, the Tulsa product scored six goals, made five assists and racked up 17 points. She put 58% of her 46 shots on target and tallied a team-high three GWG. Second-year Sooners Leonie Weber and Ella Pappas bring back a combined five goals, five assists and three GWG. Staples over the past few years in the midfield and on the defense, junior Cailey England (42 career starts) and sophomore Sheridan Michel (28 career starts), are also back.

Lead, Michel SOC _{Sophomore captain Sheridan Michel scored her first collegiate goal in last Sunday's 5-2 win over ORU.}

UP NEXT

The Sooners conclude their five-match road swing with a conference-opening match at Baylor on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. CT.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma Soccer, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_WSoccer) and like Oklahoma Soccer on Facebook.