No. 14 Cowgirls Sweep Bedlam with 2-0 Win

STILLWATER – The real winner at Neal Patterson Stadium for the final Bedlam soccer match of the season may have been the wind as Mother Nature played a huge role in the way the No. 14 Cowgirls and Sooners played the match. Oklahoma State had the wind in the first half going north to south on the pitch. Oklahoma State had five shots and four corner kicks and could not finish any opportunities. In the second half the Cowgirls had seven shots and connected on two penalty kicks to win 2-0, but don’t call it comfortable until that last five plus minutes following Olyvia Dowell’s penalty kick goal. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Cowgirls celebrate another Bedlam win.

Oklahoma State scored first when just short of five minutes into the second half the Cowgirls were fouled in the box. Hannah Webb was the OSU player fouled and Grace Yokum put the penalty kick in the far left side of the goal and past Oklahoma keeper Leah Radow. Radow, outside of penalty kicks, had a strong game with five saves on the 12 total shots by the Cowgirls.

“Unbelievable how good she has become under pressure,” head coach Colin Carmichael said of Yokum, who now leads the NCAA with eight-game winning goals this season. “I think that has been the biggest development in her game as she has always been a good player and a scorer, but now she really thirves on the pressure. Whenever there is a penalty kick or a situation in a tight match she stands out and shows you she wants the ball. She believes that is her time.”

Another foul against Dowell late with Dowell taking the penalty kick herself resulted in the final goal. 

Oklahoma only managed seven shots and just one on goal, but Amber Lockwood was excellent on her one save on a point blank shot. Lockwood was a surprise starter as Emily Plotz aggravated an ankle injury in warm-ups that first happened at North Texas and kept her out of the 5-0 win last week against UTEP, but Lockwood has been stout in backing Plotz up. The freshman from San Antonio, Texas has proven to be a trusty stopper.

“Emily was scheduled to start, but then before the game she re-injured the ankle and we turned to Amber,” Carmichael said. Just like when she came in at North Texas on short notice, she said ‘get me the gloves. I’m ready to go.’ I’m really proud of the way she handled that because she had to be mentally tough to get ready in a short period of time.”

Oklahoma State Athletics

Lockwood’s lone save in the match was a good one.

Oklahoma State now goes to 11-2-1 overall and 6-2-1 in Big 12 Conference action. Oklahoma falls to 0-11-2 on the season and 0-8-1 in the Big 12. It also sets up a very interesting match for the Cowgirls next week at Big 12 leader and unbeaten TCU. The Frogs are 9-0-1 and 8-0-1 in the Big 12. In the fall TCU beat the Cowgirls 2-1 in Stillwater in a match that went into overtime.