NCAA women's tournament

Langdon tally completes Oklahoma State comeback, beats San Diego 2-1.

Kasey Langdon (6) scored the goal that gave Oklahoma Staet its second-ever NCAA tournament victory and a date with No. 1 UCLA in the second round. -- Oklahoma State University web site photo --

LOS ANGELES (Friday, November 16, 2007) -- Sophomore striker Kasey Langdon scored with four minutes remaining, completing a second-half comeback that lifted No. 24 Oklahoma State to a 2-1 decision over 12th-ranked San Diego tonight in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship before 717 at UCLA's Drake Stadium.

OSU (14-5-3) won only its second NCAA tournament match and advanced to a Sunday meeting with No. 1 UCLA. Behind two assists and then a goal from junior midfielder Christina DiMartino, the Bruins (17-1-2) were a 3-1 winner over California State-Fullerton in tonight's second match.

"We expected a battle from a very good San Diego team and it was a great game," OSU coach Colin Carmichael said. "In the first half, we played well without being very dangerous. In the second half, we got the goal to tie it and after that, it's just a matter of who wants it more. "

On the game's decisive tally, Cowgirls junior midfielder Yolanda Odenyo drilled a shot that San Diego junior goalkeeper Brittany Cameron blocked, but could not control. Langdon beat her defender to the rebound and put it away for her fifth goal of the season and a 2-1 advantage at 85:58.

Langdon leads her team with nine assists and 19 points.

"Yo made a great run and Kasey showed the desire to get in there in front of that back and put it in the net," Carmichael said.

Sophomore forward Siera Strawser had tied the game at 1-1 for OSU with her team-leading eighth goal, converting a corner kick from red-shirt freshman Annika Niemeier at 56:12. Nemeier recorded her sixth assist.

San Diego (15-3-3) took a 1-0 lead 9:28 into the match on a blast from junior striker Jen Mello, who shot from just outside of the penalty area into a top corner of the net. Junior goalkeeper Erin Stigler leapt and got her hands on the ball, but could not keep it out of her net.

Neither side produced much in the way of scoring chances. The Toreros, who had a 5-3 shots edge in the first half, did not manage another shot after intermission while OSU took five. Cameron made three saves, while Stigler made one.

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