OSU Soccer: Cowgirls Host First Big 12 vs. SEC Bedlam Matchup

STILLWATER — Nonconference Bedlam games have been a thing in soccer for a while now, but Thursday night will be the first official Bedlam of Big 12 vs. SEC.

Oklahoma State hosts the Sooners at 7 p.m. Thursday in Neal Patterson Stadium. It looks like it’ll be a fun affair, as both teams enter the match at 2-0.

“When you’re a part of Oklahoma State, or I’m sure OU, whenever these games come around, it’s hard not to be excited,” OSU coach Colin Carmichael said. “We’re fired up. You obviously try to treat it as much as you can like another game because you still have to focus on the same things that make you successful, but it’s hard to keep that under wraps because there is an excitement when this game rolls around.”

The Cowgirls were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12. Two games into the season, that looks rather silly. The Cowgirls started the year by going on the road and besting No. 6 Nebraska 2-0. The Cornhuskers were an Elite Eight team last season.

Do your dance ‘Del! @Reganne20 ➡️ @adelhiaghonda #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/QFrjkwILVy

— OSU Cowgirl Soccer (@CowgirlFC) August 16, 2024

The Sooners also have a win over Nebraska, but theirs came as a 1-0 exhibition win Aug. 9 in Norman. The two wins on OU’s record are a 1-0 win against North Texas in Denton and a 2-1 win against FIU in Norman.

OSU followed its win against the Cornhuskers with a 1-0 home win against Oral Roberts, but the final score didn’t show just how dominant an outing it was for OSU. The Cowgirls outshot ORU 34-4, as the Golden Eagles parked the bus and tried to keep the game low scoring. It worked until the 78th minute, when Xcaret Pineda netted the winner.

Just doin’ what she does best. #GoPokes | @xcaret_pineda https://t.co/Pd4Kb4bEsP pic.twitter.com/7RZR1G5H9e

— OSU Cowgirl Soccer (@CowgirlFC) August 19, 2024

That strong first week led to Mollie Breiner earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, while Grace Gordon won the league’s Goalkeeper of the Week award.

In a world where the number of Bedlam games in all sports are going to go down a bit with OU’s move to the SEC, Thursday night’s match ought to be a good time. But take the logos away, and you’re still going to get two good teams doing battle at Neal Patterson Stadium.

“I think early preseason, we had an idea we could be pretty good,” Carmichael said. “I still think we still have a lot of room to grow, but we felt like we were way ahead of last year. That’s probably the best comparison point you have in preseason is we’re way ahead of where we were last year. A lot of that is player retention. We return nine of 11 starters, probably 15 of our top 18 kids were back, so I think that goes a long way early in the season because you’ve got more experience. …

“We certainly believed we could win [in Nebraska]. We felt like we had players that could compete at that level. It was really pleasing for me. These kids have worked hard in the offseason and in the spring on certain parts of our game, and they went out there and they executed it.”