Oklahoma State Cowgirl Soccer Tops Oral Roberts In Home Opener
STILLWATER – A single second-half goal by Xcaret Pineda was enough to propel Oklahoma State to a 1-0 victory over Oral Roberts in the Cowgirls’ home opener Sunday night at Neal Patterson Stadium.
With the win, OSU improved to 2-0-0 on the young season, while the Golden Eagles fell to 0-2-0.
The Cowgirls dominated the match statistically, outshooting the visitors by a 34-4 margin and owning a 6-3 edge in corner kicks. OSU recorded 15 shots on goal, with ORU goalie Alexa Riefer making 14 saves.
In the opening half, 13 different Cowgirls attempted shots with some solid chances from close range and distance, but none found their way into the goal.
On the defensive side, OSU held the Golden Eagles to just a single shot in the opening 45 minutes, and the match went into intermission scoreless.
In the 56th minute, a corner kick by the Golden Eagles nearly resulted in a score as the ensuing shot attempt got past goalie Grace Gordon. But Chloé Joseph was there on the near post to save the ball off the line, kicking it out of harm’s way to keep the match at 0-0.
It wasn’t until the 78th minute that OSU was able to secure the game winning goal. After Logan Heausler sent a pass to Lexi Lee at the top of the 18-yard box, Lee flicked the ball to Pineda, who took one dribble to her right and rifled a shot to the near post past Riefer and into the net.
Gordon posted her second shutout of the season for the Cowgirls, finishing the match with three saves.
The Cowgirls return to action Thursday at Neal Patterson Stadium against Bedlam rival Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.