Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
5-6-0, 1-0-0
Iowa State
6-5-0, 0-1-0
Cowgirls Open Big 12 Play With Win
September 26, 2014 | Cowgirl Soccer
STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State ran its winning streak to five games Friday night as it opened Big 12 Conference play with a 1-0 win over Iowa State at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex.
Kelsey Bass' first goal of the season was the difference, and OSU recorded its third shutout in its last four games to improve to 5-6-0 on the year.
“We've won five in a row against good teams, and that's not easy — it shows a level of consistency that we're happy about,” said OSU head coach Colin Carmichael. “Tonight's game in the first 15 or 20 minutes, Iowa State was clearly the better team, and we were pretty lucky they didn't score. But after that, I thought we came to grips with it, and in the second half we were really unlucky not to get another goal or two. Overall, we're pleased with the performance.”
Senior goalkeeper Rosa Medina helped OSU overcome its slow start with a pair of saves in the game's first nine minutes to keep the Cyclones (6-5-0) off the scoreboard. Medina would go on to record five saves in the match.
“In that first 20-minute span, (Medina) saved us with a great tip over the bar and a great diving save to keep it at nil,” Carmichael said. “Rosa, especially when our team wasn't playing well, she stepped up and kept us in it. She was huge.”
Carmichael also praised the play of freshman Laurene Tresfield, who was one of the keys to the defensive effort from her holding midfielder spot.
“(Tresfield) was awesome — that's the best she's played since she's been here,” Carmichael said. “She was huge physically, and some of her passing was excellent.”
OSU managed just two corner kicks in the match, but the first of those proved to be critical when, in the 29th minute, Bass delivered a ball from the right corner that deflected off an ISU defender and into the net for a goal.
“It was kind of fluky, but we have corners where I just try and place it on top of them and it just happened to go in,” Bass said.
The second half saw OSU double the visitors on shot attempts (12-6), but the Cowgirls could not capitalize with another goal. Their best chance came with just under four minutes left in the match when a Madison Mercado attempt was saved by diving ISU goalie Andrea Swanson.
Statistically, the match was even, with OSU owning a slight 19-16 advantage in shots, and the Cyclones recording five corner kicks to the Cowgirls' two. Swanson countered Medina's five saves with six of her own.
OSU will return to action Sunday with the last contest in its six-game home stand and its final non-conference matchup of the season when the Cowgirls host Dayton at 1 p.m.
“Our goal coming into this home stand was to win six games,” Bass said. “You always want to get on a win streak and keep it rolling so it feels pretty good. We played really well (vs. Iowa State) so hopefully we carry that play into the Sunday game and just keep it going.”
Team Stats
Bass, Kelsey (1)
Corner kick deflects off defender
28:59
