ORLANDO – It’s been quite the entrance into the Big 12 for the No. 19 UCF women’s soccer team (7-2-0/3-0-0), with three wins and a share of first place in the conference standings preceding its third all-time meeting with Oklahoma State (10-2-0/3-0-0). The six-time Big 12 champions, along with Texas Tech, accompany the Knights atop the conference standings on the back of its strongest start to a season since 2019.
The match is slated for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday night from the impressive Neal Patterson Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and you can follow along here.
UCF possesses a perfect 2-0 record against Oklahoma State following a home-and-away series in 2015-16. The program's last meeting came in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in 2016, as UCF scored three goals in 13 minutes to overcome a 2-0 deficit as former Knight Morgan Ferrara converted a penalty kick in the early stages of OT to give the Black and Gold its second victory in as many years against its future Big 12 companions.
SQUAD INSIGHT
The Knights couldn’t have asked for a better start to their inaugural Big 12 conference campaign, a perfect 3-0 record and back-to-back shutouts. While the match against Kansas started off back-and-forth for the two squads, UCF came out for the second half aggressively, putting the pressure on the Jayhawks back line. Chloe Netzel drew a penalty on a gorgeous sequence and Katie Bradley set up to take the kick. Bradley placed the ball exactly where it needed to go to give the Knights the 1-0 advantage in the 84th minute. The defense kept everything locked down to secure the fifth-straight victory for the 19th-ranked Black and Gold.
It was a week full of awards for the members of the UCF team following the two victories, collecting two Big 12 weekly honors and a nod to the College Soccer News Team of the Week. Scoring both of the game-winners, including one off of a penalty kick, Bradley was named to the CSN National Team of the Week. With two goals on the season, she is already one goal away from matching her single-season high of three. Caroline DeLisle looked like a brick wall in net against both Houston and Kansas, making a combined nine saves and keeping a 1.000 save percentage, to earn Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week. The Tampa, Florida is in the top 50 in the nation in overall save percentage, with .837. The clean sheet against Kansas marked DeLisle’s 30th career shutout, which gave her a share of second place for career shutouts in program history. A new staple in the back line, Jessica McCullen collected her first career conference honors, being named the Freshman of the Week. The redshirt freshman was essential in both shutouts, showing off her passing abilities and strong physical presence.
THE OPPONENT
Oklahoma State, commonly known as the Cowgirls, is off to its best conference start since 2020-21, sitting at a perfect 3-0. Following seven wins and two defeats in non-conference play, with Florida Atlantic serving as the only common opponent, the Cowgirls notched 10 wins in just 12 matches, the best start to a season since they reached 10 wins through 11 matches in 2019. A formidable home form has propelled Oklahoma State to both the top of the Big 12 standings and into the top 50 in RPI. With a perfect 7-0 record when playing at Neal Patterson Stadium in Stillwater, the Cowgirls will be thankful to host the Knights, who too are a perfect 4-0 at home. Oklahoma State’s two defeats came in their first road match at Missouri State, 2-1, along with another one-goal loss to a familiar opponent for Knights fans, SMU, 1-0 in Dallas. Oklahoma State has outscored Big 12 opponents 7-1, including a dominant 4-1 victory at Iowa State to open conference play.
Nineteen seasons and nearly 250 wins at Oklahoma State make for an impressive resume for head coach Colin Carmichael. 12 NCAA Tournament appearances including back-to-back elite eight performances in 2010 and 2011 have propelled the Cowgirls into one of the top Big 12 programs. A four-peat from 2008-11, along with two in three years from 2017 and 2019, markup two successful eras in the program’s history.
The Cowgirls have a variety of players who can create and finish chances at their disposal. Both Hannah Chance and Logan Heausler have seven to their name and sit in sixth/seventh place in the Big 12, respectfully. With two marquee goal-scorers, Oklahoma State also presents an array of creative players, as Alex Morris and Laudan Wilson have notched 11 combined assists. Between the posts, Seton Hall transfer Garce Gordon has secured five shutouts in 11 matches, currently sitting at second in the Big 12 in goals against average (.590).
STORYLINES
- Caroline DeLisle is on the brink of setting the program record in shutouts. The fifth year currently sits tied for second with 30, having notched three in her past four matches. DeLisle’s career mark is fourth among active players.
- With a win, the Knights would improve to 4-0 in Big 12 play, marking their first 4-0 start to conference play since 2014.
- Katie Bradley will look to set a career-high in consecutive matches with a goal as she’s notched two for the second time in her career following match-winners at Houston and against Kansas (first vs. East Carolina on 10/21/21 and Temple on 10/24/21).