Stillwater, Okla. - The University of Arizona Wildcat soccer team beat Oklahoma State 1-0 on Friday afternoon in Stillwater, Okla. In 30-degree temperatures, the Wildcats battled and were able to beat the Cowgirls for the second time this season. It was the third NCAA Tournament victory in program history, the other two came in 2005 when the team advanced to the Sweet 16. Arizona will face the winner of the Houston Baptist and Texas A&M matchup on Friday, Nov. 21.
“I thought we were really good today,” head coach Tony Amato said. “It was a gutsy performance to come up here, it's an NCAA tournament match, we were in cold conditions and we were able to perform at a high level. When you combine our performance with the results, you can definitely be very happy.”
Arizona won a set piece just a minute into the match. Freshman Gabi Stoian took it for the Wildcats, straightaway from about 35 yards out. Stoian took a shot and drilled the crossbar, then senior Alexandra Doller took a shot off the rebound but it weakly went right to the Oklahoma State goalkeeper.
Redshirt sophomore Lexe Selman took a pair of shots five minutes into the match, creating space in the middle of the pitch. Her first shot was just wide of the target and her second sailed high. The Cowgirls got involved on the attack early in the half as well, testing senior goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman twice but she was able to save both shots.
The Cowgirls saw more of the ball after the initial start of the match. They won multiple corner kicks and took shots but they were either off target or right at Kaufman.
The Wildcats created an opportunity with 13 minutes left in the half when Doller took a shot but the Cowgirl defender blocked it. Selman had a rocket of a shot with under a minute left in the half that had to be tipped over the bar by the Cowgirl goalkeeper.
Arizona ended the first period with nine shots and two forced saves from Oklahoma State. The Wildcats won three corner kicks and committed six fouls. Oklahoma State tallied eight shots and four were on target. They won seven corner kicks, committed three fouls and were called offside twice.
OSU started the second half attacking continuously, they won multiple corners and were near the UA area but never posed a real threat on a shot. Arizona countered and Stoian played sophomore Paige Crouch who had a quality shot but the Cowgirl keeper made a great save to parry it away. Arizona then won a set piece and Stoian took it for the Wildcats. It was flicked on by Doller and then headed by a defender, then headed from junior Kaitlyn Lopez but not strong enough to challenge the keeper. The ball was cleared out to Stoian again who ripped a shot but it was right at the OSU goalkeeper for the save.
With 24 minutes left in the match, Stoian found the ball in the middle of the 18-yard box with space but her shot was on the ground and right at the OSU goalkeeper for the save, a great opportunity for the Wildcats. Freshman Charlotte Brascia subbed on and found Doller in the middle of the box but she was dispossessed before she could shoot. Minutes later, Lopez found Doller in the middle of the box again but her shot was saved. It was another great chance for the Wildcats.
Arizona took the lead at the 77:43 mark when Brascia found Doller who scored from about 10 yards away. The OSU goalkeeper deflected her shot but it was too strong and still found the back of the net. It was Doller's seventh goal on the season and Brascia's first assist. Minutes later, Doller shot again inside the box but this time she drilled the crossbar.
“The thing I'm happiest with is that Doller had some chances and wasn't able to finish them off,” Amato said. “But she stuck with it. She wasn't discouraged, she kept putting herself in good positions and she stuck with it. It paid off for her and that's what it takes to be a striker at a high level. She's tough.”
Arizona finished the match with 19 shots and six were on target. The Wildcats won five corner kicks and fouled the Cowgirls 16 times. It was Kaufman's seventh shutout of the season, the third-best total in UA history for a single season. She now has 16 for her career, the second-best total in program history. Oklahoma State had 12 shots and seven were on target. They won 12 corner kicks, committed six fouls and were called offside twice.
Lopez was assessed a yellow card at the 71:05 mark and Doller got a yellow card at the 88:33 mark.
“Oklahoma State has four really good attackers and our back four did a great job of stopping them,” Amato said. “The thing that really makes me happy is that we were able to play well and win.”
For continued coverage of Arizona Wildcat soccer, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow @ArizonaWSoccer on Twitter.
