Bronchos Ready For National Tourney

11/12/2014 12:16:00 PM

Kate Foran

• Live Stats
• Tournament Program

Central Oklahoma heads to Warrensburg, Mo. Friday for the first round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships.

The Bronchos, 13-4-3 on the season, are the sixth seed in the Central Regional and will take on third-seeded Augustana (14-5) at 1 p.m. Friday at the South Recreation Complex. It's the first-ever meeting between the two.

The UCO-Augie winner moves on to face second-seeded and No. 10-ranked host Central Missouri (19-0-2) at 12 p.m. Sunday.

The other half of the regional will be played in Mankato, Minn., with fourth-seeded and No. 25-ranked Southwest Baptist (16-5) playing fifth-seeded Winona State (15-5-1) Friday. The winner takes on top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato (21-0) Sunday.

The winners of the two sub-regionals will meet for the following week at a site to be determined.

Forty-eight teams – six in each of eight regions around the country -- make the national tournament field.

UCO IN THE PLAYOFFS: UCO is making its 10^th Division II national tournament appearance, including the third in the past four seasons. The Bronchos are 4-6-3 in playoff games, having lost three shootouts that are officially recorded as ties.

UCO first qualified in 2000 and also qualified in 2002, '03, '05, '06, '07, '09, '11 and '12.

ABOUT UCO: The Bronchos finished third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season standings and won their first-round game in the MIAA Post-season Tournament before falling to UCM in a semifinal shootout (4-3) after the teams battled to a 0-0 tie.

UCO has recorded 14 shutouts in 20 games, having allowed 11 goals. Seven of those game in early season losses to MSU-Mankato (3-0) and Southwest Baptist (4-1). First-team All-MIAA defender Quinn Tookey has spearheaded the defensive efforts.

The Bronchos have scored 36 goals, with 14 players have registered at least one.

Freshman Lexi Carroll leads the team with six goals and has added three assists. Juniors Paige Matacchiera and Gabi Bochus and senior Emily Hahn have five goals apiece.

Senior Brandi Bartley has seen the most time in goal, though freshman Elle Stover has played considerably. Bartley has 54 saves with five goals allowed and Stover 33 saves with six goals allowed.

Bartley is second on UCO's career goals saved list with 195.

ABOUT THE COACH: Mike Cook is in his 17^th year at the helm, coming to UCO when the program started in 1998.

He has a 252-89-24 record with the Bronchos and is 340-111-25 in 22 years as a head women's coach.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Augustana was runner-up in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference before getting upset 1-0 in the first round of the conference tournament by Minnesota-Duluth.

The Vikings have set a school record for wins (14) and are making their first national tournament appearance since 2008.

Augie has scored 40 goals and four players have at least six goals each.

Payton Pry leads the team with 11 goals and one assist, while Samantha Arnold has added eight goals and four assists.

Ashley Limmer has made 88 saves while allowing 18 goals in seeing the bulk of time at goalkeeper.

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