University of Central Oklahoma

UCO READY TO OPEN:  No. 10-ranked Central Oklahoma gets the 2008 season off to a fast start this week with two games in three days and the Bronchos will be looking to set an NCAA Division II single-game attendance record in Thursday’s home opener.

UCO will host near-by Oklahoma Christian at 7 p.m. Thursday, with that game to be held at Wantland Stadium in an attempt to surpass the Division II record of 2,071 fans set by Washburn last year. There is no admission charge and the first 400 fans receive a free T-shirt.

Click here for the complete release.

The Bronchos follow Thursday’s game with a Saturday trip to Dallas, taking on Dallas Baptist at 7 p.m.

UCO has seven players back from last year’s 19-5-1 team that won a fourth straight regular-season Lone Star Conference title and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Division II national tournament.

ABOUT OC, DBU:  The NAIA-member Eagles are coming off a 7-10-1 season. The Bronchos own a 4-0 lead in the series and this is the first meeting between the two since a 2-0 UCO win in 2005.

The Division II-member Patriots finished 8-14-1 in 2007. UCO has a 7-0 series advantage, including a 7-3 win in last year’s home opener.

LAST YEAR:  UCO captured its fourth consecutive regular-season LSC title -- and sixth in eight years -- last season.
The Bronchos lost in the finals of the LSC Tournament they hosted, but rebounded to win 1-0 and 2-1 decisions in the first two rounds of the national tournament to make it to the Midwest Regional finals before falling to Incarnate Word 1-0.

UCO AT HOME:  The Bronchos have enjoyed great success at home with an 86-18-3 record, including a 3-0 mark at Wantland Stadium.

UCO is 83-17-3 at Tom Thompson Field and 0-1 at the Edmond Soccer Club Field.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS:  UCO returned just three starters from last year’s 19-5-1 team and has 16 freshmen on its 26-player roster, but the Bronchos were still the overwhelming preseason pick to win the LSC title and earned a No. 10 ranking in the first national poll.

Leading the way are senior Jenny Racicot, junior Alli Miller and sophomore Ashton Morris.

Racicot is the most experienced player on the team, having appeared in 57 games with 44 starts in her career. Miller is a two-time first-team All-LSC performer and UCO’s defensive ringleader, while Morris had 11 goals and nine assists last year as the team’s scoring-leading scorer.

Juniors Vallan Burk, Tiffanie Meek and Meghan Saliba and sophomore Morgan Boling are returning letterwinners, with sophomore Whitney Craft a part-time starter in 2006 who missed last year to injury.

ABOUT THE COACH:  Mike Cook has been with the Bronchos since the program started in 1998 and enters his 11th season with a 161-48-9 (.759) record. He’s 249-70-10 (.772) in 15 years as a women’s coach, ranking third in Division II in career wins and fourth in career winning percentage.

Cook has led UCO to six regular-season LSC titles, four LSC Tournament crowns and six national playoff appearances, having earned LSC Coach of the Year honors six times.