Cowgirls face top-seed Duke

The OSU Cowgirls are coming off a shootout victory over Missouri State at home in the first round of the NCAA tournament and now get a second-round matchup at powerhouse Duke on Friday.

These are the moments Colin Carmichael wanted to prepare his team for.

When the Oklahoma State women’s soccer coach scheduled road games at places like Texas A&M and Cal, he believed the experience of playing tough matches on the road would benefit the Cowgirls down the line.

And it doesn’t get much tougher than what Friday night has to offer, with a second-round NCAA tournament matchup at top-seeded Duke at 6:30 p.m.

The Cowgirls are com- ing off a shootout victory over Missouri State at home in the first round, but Duke presents a different type of test.

“I definitely think it’s helped that we’ve had such tough road games,” said forward Haley Woodard, a junior from Norman North High School who leads the team with eight goals. “We’ve found a way to win on the road, and that was one of our goals this season.

“We know how we have to play and the level of the intensity and the focus we have to bring.”

Highlighting the Cowgirls’ road schedule was a win at Texas and a draw at Texas A&M, both top10 programs. OSU was 6-2-2 on the road as part of a 16-3-3 overall record.

“We defended really well in all those games,” Carmichael said. “We just have to be very solid defensively and good in the attack.”

Though the Cowgirls have reached the NCAA tournament four times in the last five years, this is the first time for most of the current players to go past the opening round. But Carmichael feels they’ll be prepared for the environment.

“Only 32 teams are playing,” Carmichael said. “Everybody else has packed up and gone home, so we’re very excited for the opportunity, and very proud of this group. We’re not ready to be done yet.”