Three Takeaways on Oklahoma State Cowgirls Soccer’s First Week of Season

The Oklahoma State Cowgirls got their regular season off and running with two non-conference games last week.

Oklahoma State Cowboys logo. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One week into the 2026 season, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls soccer team has some work to do to get ready for Big 12 action.

The first week of the season offered the Cowgirls (1-0-1) a chance to play two teams that they had good odds of beating. The opener was against Sam Houston on Wednesday, followed by a home game against Stephen F. Austin on Sunday. The Cowgirls came away with a tie against Sam Houston and a victory over SFA.

Along the way the Cowgirls learned a couple of things about themselves things that will serve them well as they get closer to Big 12 action in September.

Here are three takeaways from the first week of the schedule.

Missed Opportunities

𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕖 𝔹 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕!

Gracie Bindbeutel gets us on the board for our first goal of the season!#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/G5iUdTF0ru

— OSU Cowgirl Soccer (@CowgirlFC) August 13, 2026

The Opener against Sam Houston was a clear missed opportunity for the Cowgirls, who had every chance to claim a victory in their season opener.

OSU had a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game when Gracie Bindbeutel booted in a shot that caromed off Sam Houston goaltender Hannah Stipp.

The Cowgirls had an incredible advantage in several areas of the game. They outshot the Bearkats, 24-4, led in shots on goal (8-2) and corner kicks (8-1). Sam Houston even committed 15 fouls while OSU had only eight. But only one OSU foul mattered.

A Cowgirls foul gave the Bearkats a free kick and Gabrielle Gipson slid it around a wall of defender and into the far post for a goal. It was a tremendous shot.

Oklahoma State dominated this game statistically and still ended up with a tie because they made one mistake at the wrong time. The game was a learning experience and how to close the deal.

Learning the Lesson

Sonora breaks the ice for her first goal of the season! 🔥#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/Pkri2ipxoE

— OSU Cowgirl Soccer (@CowgirlFC) August 17, 2026

If Sunday’s game with SFA showed anything it’s that the Cowgirls are quick studies. Keaton Mitchell scored 32:37 into the contest off an assist from Laudan Wilson. This time, Oklahoma State didn’t give up the equalizer. Instead, the Cowgirls poured it on.

Mitchell scored again at the 54:44 mark of the game off an assist by Emmy Hedden to make it 2-0. Sonora De Fini scored on a penalty kick at 60:51 to put the game on ice and finish off a 3-0 win over the Ladyjacks.

Like the Sam Houston game, the Cowgirls dominated in shots (19-8), shots on goal (10-4) and corner kicks (13-3). Like the Sam Houston game, OSU limited its penalties (12-6 in favor of SFA). But, this time, Oklahoma State closed the deal. It took them four days to learn a lesson that will help in conference play.

What’s Coming Up?

School starts this week in Stillwater, so the Cowgirls are only going to play one match this week, but it’s a big one. It’s the first Bedlam showdown of the season as Oklahoma State hosts Oklahoma on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Neal Patterson Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

That will be Oklahoma State’s fourth game at home to start the season, including its exhibition game against Tulsa. The Cowgirls then get a week off before they head to their only road game of non-conference action, which is at Mississippi State on Aug. 27.

The next two games offer Oklahoma State an opportunity to play two high-major opponents, their only two high major opponents before they get into conference play in September. Those are big opportunities to test themselves against talented teams and calibrate for conference action.