The 2011 Oklahoma Soccer season can be summed up in one word: incomplete.

After beginning the season with a combined eight goals scored in exhibition and the season opener, the OU offense sputtered during the second half of the season, producing just six goals during the last 10 games for a 2-8 record.

What was supposed to be a maintenance term for a program that saw tremendous success in the Big 12 conference last year turned into a sub-par performance from a Sooner team that returned eight starters from 2010’s record-setting season.

OU was supposed to avenge a Big 12 championship trophy that was stripped away last season in penalty kicks. The Sooners also were looking to stay near the top of the loaded conference for consecutive seasons after claiming the program’s highest Big 12 ranking (third) last season.

But for the 2011 Sooners, neither happened as the team fell hard in the latter half of the season to post a 2-6 Big 12 record.

There were three main factors that contributed to the Sooners’ late-season meltdown:

Replacing Palmer

The void left by graduated all-time program scoring leader Whitney Palmer proved too large to fill immediately.

OU initially looked to junior forwards Caitlin Mooney and Dria Hampton to pick up the slack due to their past performances and seniority on a team mainly consisting of underclassmen.

Both veterans scored in the season opener and performed well during the season, posting a combined 10 goals and 11 assists.

Mooney’s six goals and Hampton’s six assists both led the Sooners in their respective categories this season.

However, the duo didn’t have much success scoring game-winning goals.

Not having that go-to scorer with the game on the line hurt the Sooners. OU never rallied to win after falling behind this season, and the Sooners dropped five games this season by one goal.

Inconsistent defense

In postseason interviews, the players said coming from behind to win is harder than holding off an opponent.

Against then-No. 20 BYU, the Sooners owned the entire game from box to box on the defensive side. Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Devonshire didn’t give up a goal and did not have to the make a save during her 90 minutes in goal.

OU won, 2-0, by attacking the net early and often. Both of the Sooners’ goals came in the first half at the 17th- and 21st-minute marks, and the defense didn’t let up, giving up just four shots to the Cougars in the second half.

This stat is significant when taking into account that the Sooners let 24 of their opponents’ 36 total goals come after halftime.

While the BYU game highlighted the Sooners’ defensive potential, it was one of the few instances OU played a complete game this season.

Following the BYU win, OU dropped five straight games by a combined goal total of 11-2. In the three final games of that stint, the Sooners failed to score a goal while the opponents scored two or more goals each game.

As the last line of defense for OU, Devonshire only had three shutouts this year.

She allowed 33 goals in 19 games this season after allowing just 30 goals in 23 games last season.

Tough conference

OU struggled to finds wins in the unyielding and talented Big 12, besting only Iowa State and Kansas during the regular season.

And it didn’t play to the Sooners’ favor that the Big 12 had the nation’s top scoring offense (Texas A&M, 3.17 goals per game) and top defense (Oklahoma State, .337 goals allowed per game).

The Big 12 sent five teams to the NCAA championship tournament, with OSU making it to the quarterfinals before losing to top-ranked Stanford.

OU was the only team in the Big 12 to finish below .500 this season, but the team was able to top Iowa State in the standings due to a head-to-head tiebreaker.

OU’s season ended in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament, when OSU snatched a win away from the Sooners in the last two minutes of the contest.

The team’s woes also continued into the offseason when coach Nicole Nelson tendered her resignation to OU’s athletic department just nine days after the season-ending loss to the Cowgirls.

Now, with an incomplete coaching staff and a team that is still struggling to put the pieces together, OU soccer will need to make the most of the offseason in order to come back next year with a solid team.

The Sooners plan to return 10 starters next season from this year’s roster, including Mooney, Hampton and Devonshire, who will take their final tour in crimson and cream in 2012.

Combine those three with several experienced underclassmen and OU could be ready to make another run at the Big 12 championship.

Although 2011 left many unanswered questions, the upcoming 2012 season has the potential to put the program back on track.

BY THE NUMBERS: Sooner soccer

29 Goals scored by the Sooners in 20 games this season

12 Academic All-Big 12 members on the OU soccer squad

2 Televised games at John Crain Field, the first and second ever in program history

1 Road wins by the Sooners this season

Source: OU athletic department

AT A GLANCE: Nelson leaves program

Former head coach Nicole Nelson just finished her fourth year at the helm of the Sooners, compiling a 29-46-6 record at OU.

After coaching the Sooners to a 3-14-1 record during her first season, Nelson compiled a 26-31-6 in the last three season, including the 12-8-3 winning record in 2010.

The Yukon native directed the program to its first ever Big 12 championship game appearance where OU remained tied with OSU through regulation before relinquishing the trophy during penalty kicks. She earned co-Big 12 Coach of the Year honors due to the Sooners’ 2010 success.

What looked like a perfect marriage between an Oklahoma native and a program needing a strong leader dissipated when Nelson decided to leave the program after the 2011 season with no pertinent reason other than the fact that she thought “it would be in the university’s best interest to look for new leadership.”

Tobi Neidy, Sports Reporter