GAME NOTES

Setting the Scene
Following the most successful season in program history, the SWOSU soccer team hits the road for a pair of games to open up the 2013 season. On Friday evening, the Lady Dawgs will face Missouri Southern before a Sunday afternoon meeting with NCAA Division I foe Oral Roberts.
 
The Coaches
Mark Persson enters his fifth season at SWOSU in 2013. He has orchestrated an amazing turnaround and he holds a 40-32-6 record leading the Lady Bulldogs, becoming the program's all-time winningest coach during the 2012 season. Persson has twice been recognized as a conference coach of the year, most recently claiming the GAC's honor in 2012.

Alese Woolard enters her fourth season at the helm of the MSSU women's soccer program in 2013 after serving four years as an assistant coach on former head coach Trevor Wachsman's staff from 2006-2009. She has a record of 19-28-9 as the Lions head coach.

Roger Bush is in his first season as the coach at Oral Roberts, following four seasons as an assistant coach at the school. Before coming to ORU as an assistant, Bush was a head coach for seven years at Charles Page High School.
 
First-Time Opponent
On Friday, SWOSU will face Missouri Southern, an opponent that the Lady Bulldogs have defeated three times in four previous meetings, including a 3-0 victory last season in Weatherford. Prior to that meeting, SWOSU and MSSU had not met in women's soccer since 2001.

Sunday's meeting with Oral Roberts will be a historic event for SWOSU soccer. The game will mark the first meeting between the two programs and the first regular season game between SWOSU and an NCAA Division I opponent. ORU enters the weekend with a record of 2-1 and they face the University of Tulsa on Friday night before hosting the Bulldogs.
 
Unanimous Choice to Repeat
Following a breakthrough season in 2012, the SWOSU women's soccer team has been chosen as the Great American Conference favorites for 2013 by the league's head coaches.

SWOSU received all five possible first-place votes, making the Bulldogs a unanimous choice to win the conference. The Bulldogs return nine starters and 19 letterwinners off of last year's 20-1-1 squad which won the GAC regular season title with a 9-0-1 record. SWOSU then won the GAC Tournament, defeating Ouachita Baptist 2-1 in the finals and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in program history.
 
Season Openers
SWOSU Soccer embarks on its 16th season as a program in 2013. In 15 previous season openers, the Bulldogs have a record of 4-9-2. Last season, SWOSU defeated Missouri Western 2-0 to open the year with a win for the first time since  2006. The win was also the first season-opening victory for Mark Persson as the Bulldogs' head coach, improving him to 1-2-1 in such games.
 
All-Conference Returners
Six players who earned All-Great American Conference honors return to lead the SWOSU soccer team in 2013. Leading the way are two-time GAC Defensive Player of the Year Kira Bertrand and GAC Freshman of the Year Ashlee Beitinger. Others earning GAC honors were first team selections Jessica Carbonara, Samantha Nunez and Kelsey Visor and second teamer Cori Kelly.

Four other players with extensive starting experience, including Randa Castleberry, Natalie Crosslin, Paige Doherty and Charlotte Eastman, are also back for the 2013 season. That experienced core is joined by 10 new freshmen hoping to make an impact for the Lady Bulldogs this fall.
 
Record Breakers
SWOSU's 2012 season ended with a 20-1-1 record, the 20 wins just one of several records the squad set. Almost every single-season team record in SWOSU history was broken last season, including goals (60), assists (46), shots attempted (363), shots on goal (212) and goals against average (0.59).
 
Looking Ahead
SWOSU will travel to West Texas A&M on September 12 before returning to Weatherford for a three-game homestand, beginning on Sunday, September 15 against Nebraska-Kearney.