Husker Soccer Drops First-Ever Loss to Oklahoma State, 2-1

Lincoln, Neb. - The 25th-ranked Nebraska soccer team saw chances fade Friday night as they dropped their first-ever loss to Oklahoma State, 2-1, Friday night at the Abbott Sports Complex in front of 313 fans.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers came out slow in the first half, giving up an OSU goal just 4:28 into the contest when OSU?s Jere Boykin caught NU goalkeeper Erin Miller out of the goal and took a shot from 35 yards that went straight into the center of the net.

 

Miller was making a play on the ball and slightly miskicked it when she was caught out of position for the first Cowgirl goal.

 

"The game was very disappointing," Coach John Walker said.  "It was not a good enough start to the game and all of a sudden you are behind a goal.  Then you have to fight and exert a lot of energy to get back in it, and they believe they have a chance."

 

Nebraska tied the game at 32:10 when senior defender Breanna Boyd took a pass from Miller at midfield and headed the ball past OSU goalkeeper Kat Doud. 

 

The Huskers had a chance to go on top after senior Christine Latham was pushed to the ground by an OSU defender and awarded a penalty kick.  Latham missed the penalty kick, knocking it just left of the net.

 

Despite the missed kick, the two teams went to halftime locked at one and with momentum on the Huskers side.

 

Just a minute and a half into the second half, Latham was awarded a second penalty kick that she again uncharacteristically missed, kicking it directly into the hands of Doud, which left the two teams tied at 1-1.  The Huskers saw several chances come and go as NU got off five shots on goal in the second half, but couldn?t convert on any of them.

 

In a frustrating effort, Kori Saunders sent in a solid shot in the second half that deflected off of Doud?s hands to hit the crossbar and back directly into the hands of the goalkeeper.

 

"I thought in the second half for the first 30 minutes we had a lot of chances, and you just can't miss on that many chances, that is all there is to it because you are always just one mistake away from losing the game."

 

Oklahoma State again capitalized on a Nebraska defensive mistake as Cassie Lewis caught the defense unprepared and snuck a shot into the back of the goal for the game-winning score at 85:19.

 

The Huskers led the Cowgirls in every category but goals, out shooting them, 19-17, and taking 10 shot on goal to OSU's seven.

 

Doud grabbed nine saves in the win to Miller?s four saves on the evening.  The Huskers also outcornered OSU, 4-2, for the contest.

 

Latham led the Huskers with seven shots and three shots on goal.

 

Nebraska (9-5-3; 4-3-1) returns to the field Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to face Oklahoma at the Abbott Sports Complex.