Nebraska Nabs 2-1 Win Over Anteaters

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln ? The Nebraska soccer team erased an early 1-0 deficit to post its third come-from-behind victory of the season in a 2-1 win over UC Irvine Sunday in front of 359 fans at the Nebraska Soccer Field.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

With the win, the Huskers improved to 5-1 at their new home and 5-3-0 overall. The victory, which came two days after a hard-fought loss at Purdue was encouraging to Head Coach John Walker.

 

“Friday was disappointing because I felt there were so many chances, we could have scored five goals,” Walker said. “For them to bounce back today and get a win was big.”

 

UC Irvine took an early 1-0 lead just 2:05 into the game after a defensive miscue by NU. Senior Katie Bunkers played the ball back to freshman goalkeeper Jamie Klages, but Klages was beaten to the ball by UCI’s Megan Ortiz who danced around a diving Klages and put the ball into the back of the net from inside the box.

 

After failing to score the game’s first goal for only the third time this season, the Huskers bounced back aided by a pair of great plays from junior Brittany Timko. In the eighth minute Timko beat a defender to the end line and dribbled deep into the box before finding freshman Selenia Iacchelli for a point-blank goal.

 

At 11:16, Timko controlled a through-ball and found herself on a breakaway, where she beat Anteaters’ goalkeeper Rosie Aguilera low from 15 yards out to give the Huskers’ their first lead at 2-1. The goal was Timko’s third of the season.

 

The game remained 2-1 the rest of the way, but NU had several more excellent scoring chances in the first period. Just seven minutes into the game, Timko found junior Tanya Dennis, who sent a ball to freshman Aysha Jamani near the top of the box. With her back to the goal, Jamani flipped the ball backwards, where an Anteater defender deflected it off the post.

 

In the 36th minute, sophomore Jessie Bruch ripped a shot from 20 yards out that appeared to have Aguilera beat, but sailed just inches over the crossbar. Bruch’s chance came just three minutes after Timko had a great opportunity for her second goal of the game, but her shot from inside the box was snared by Aguilera.

 

With the Huskers clearly the aggressor in the game, UC Irvine still nearly found the equalizer in the 30th minute. A cross was sent into the box where Makenzie Beahm controlled it and sent a ball on goal that bounced off the post to preserve Nebraska’s one-goal lead.

 

For the game, NU outshot UCI, 21-4, and placed 10 shots on goal to only three from the Anteaters. The Huskers also won eight corner kicks, while limiting Irvine to just one.

 

In net, Klages improved to 2-2-0 on the year, recording two saves while allowing just one goal. Aguilera was busy in net for UCI, recording eight saves.

 

The Husker defense included some new faces. After a third season-ending injury to an NU defender on Friday, Nikki Baker and Dennis each played in the backrow.

 

With a goal and an assist in the game, Timko increased her point total to a team-best 14. She also recorded her first game-winning goal of the season after recording game-winning assists in the Huskers’ four previous victories. She also notched her 22nd career assist in the contest, moving her into a tie for eighth place on the Nebraska career record book.

 

Nebraska opens Big 12 play next weekend with trips to Colorado on Friday and Texas Tech on Sunday. Those two matches mark the beginning of a difficult stretch where NU will play six of its first eight conference games away from Lincoln.