Cowgirls Drop a Match for the First Time this Season in Overtime to TCU

The No. 4 ranked and unbeaten Oklahoma State Cowgirls went to overtime with No. 12 and unbeaten TCU in Big 12 soccer.

STILLWATER -- Two weeks ago it was Oklahoma State at the very end of the two overtimes that scored a "golden goal" to knock off unbeaten West Virginia 2-1 and tonight the Cowgirls, still unbeaten and ranked No. 4 in the nation felt the sting of a sudden loss at the hands of No. 12 TCU. This overtime goal came just 33 seconds into the first of the 10-minute overtime periods as Atlanta, Georgia native Brandi Peterson took a pass off the opening kickoff and dribbled toward the goal and then just inside the box worked a little her left to her right and then drilled the shot with her right foot across toward the left post and just past the diving Emily Plotz to give TCU the 2-1 victory.

"It happened so quick," Oklahoma State head coach Colin Carmichael said. "I was walking away and turned around and the kid (Peterson) had gone by our defense and got a free running shot. I don't want to be critical of our girls until I see the video, but that was uncharacteristic of our backs."

The loss was the first for the Cowgirls this season and drops them out of first place as they go to 3-1-1 on the season. TCU will move into first as the only unbeaten remaining in the Big 12 at 3-0-1. Kansas was also unbeaten, but lost to Baylor on Friday. It is the second time in a row for TCU to win in Stillwater, while the two teams tied in Fort Worth last season 1-1. 

"This is a tough place for us to play and I think it was overtime two years ago when we won here 3-2," said Horned Frogs head coach Eric Bell. "Give credit to Oklahoma State because they are a very tough team to break down and have a chance to score against, but give our team credit for getting it done. I'm very happy."

TCU had several scoring opportunities in the first half but those were turned away and thwarted by physical defensive play by the likes of Kionna Simon and Camy Huddleston. There was also a diving save of a shot on goal by TCU's Grace Cohen by Cowgirls goalkeeper Emily Plotz.

After those close calls by the Frogs, Oklahoma State got on the board first with a sensational goal by wingback Hannah Webb. Webb dribbled left to center under pressure and then unloaded with a powerful right foot shot that had spin and curled up and over All-Big 12 goalkeeper Emily Alvarado and into the upper corner of the goal. It was the first goal of the Cowgirl senior's career.

You always remember your first! @hannah_webb99 finds the back of the net for the 1st time in her #okstate career to give the Cowgirls a first-half lead#OneMore I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/nnxajLfsu5

— OSU Cowgirl Soccer (@CowgirlFC) October 10, 2020

"It was super impressive," said Carmichael of Webb's goal. "It had to be to beat Alvarado because she is an outstanding keeper. She kind of kicked it off the inside of her foot and it was curling."

"I saw it moving toward the top corner and I was hoping it was going to go in," Webb said. "It was pretty cool to see it."

The Cowgirls had a couple of opportunities in the second half to get that crucial second goal and a cushion that Carmichael said they talked about needing at halftime.

"It's tough to beat a good team with one goal," he added.

Maybe the best opportunity was an entry by Webb in front of the TCU goal that Huddleston headed but it hit the crossbar and went over the goal. 

Oklahoma State led 1-0 all the way to the 2:37 mark in regulation when TCU evened it as Payton Crews passed to Messiah Bright and she put it in front of the goal to Grace Collins who fired a shot that was redirected off of teammate Maddy Warren and the junior forward from Los Angeles got the credit for the goal that Collins may have had more to do with. 

Either way it got TCU to even and they rode the momentum into overtime and the quick strike to win the match.