Rheem Scores Twice as NU Tops Baylor in Big 12 Tourney

San Antonio, Texas – Senior forward Kelly Rheem scored two goals as the 11th-ranked Nebraska soccer team defeated Baylor, 5-1, Wednesday in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. The second-seeded Huskers improved to 15-3-1, while the seventh-seeded Bears fell to 8-10-0.

"It wasn't easy," Nebraska Head Coach John Walker said. "They fought incredibly hard. We played better in the second half, but it wasn't our best performance."

With the win, Nebraska advanced to face third-seeded Texas A&M in a 5 p.m. contest on Friday. The eighth-ranked Aggies defeated Oklahoma, 1-0, in overtime on Thursday. The Huskers, who defeated Texas A&M, 4-2, earlier this season, have won each of the past three conference tournament titles.

NU senior midfielder Meghan Anderson put the Huskers of the board first with a goal at 14:47, following a quick pass from sophomore forward Christy Harms in the penalty area. The scoring shot, amid traffic, came after a couple near misses in the box. Anderson has scored 30 points on 10 goals and 10 assists this season, while Harms has posted 17 points on seven goals and three assists.

Baylor struck back at 30:54 when freshman forward April Robertson rolled a quick pass from just outside the right post to freshman forward Ginny Rosario-Tull, who put the ball into the left corner of the net from less than 10 yards out.

Nebraska regained the lead at 37:18 when Rheem headed a ball across the plane from the goal line near the left post. Junior forward Christine Latham shot a pass to senior defender Becky Preston, who worked her way to the right goal line and booted a cross to Rheem. Latham and Preston earned assists on the play.

Rheem, who fired a total of three shots, launched a shot off the crossbar on Nebraska's next possession.

Leading, 2-1, the Huskers scored first in the second half when sophomore forward Paige Phillips kicked a cross to senior midfielder Shannon Tanaka, who put the ball off the right post and into the net at 48:38. The goal was Tanaka's second of the season.

Rheem scored again at 61:25 when she put a ball over the head of the Baylor goalkeeper Stephanie Dempsey on a pass from sophomore forward Kelly Haxton, following a corner kick. Rheem upped her season total to 14 points on five goals and four assists.

Haxton scored the final goal of the game minutes later at 64:59 when she beat a Baylor defender and launched a shot through Dempsey's hands - directly over the keeper's head. The goal was Haxton's third of the season.

Nebraska outshot Baylor, 31-8, and outcornered the Bears, 6-1.