Nebraska Hosts Big 12 Foes this Weekend

The Nebraska soccer team (6-3-0, 1-0-0 Big 12) will be well-rested when it hosts Kansas and Missouri for a pair of Big 12 Conference home games on Friday and Sunday at the Nebraska Soccer Field. Kickoff against the Jayhawks is set for 4 p.m., while the Missouri game will start at 1 p.m. and will be televised live locally by NET2 and nationally by CSTV.

The Huskers will be tested this weekend against the Tigers and Jayhawks, which own a combined 11-7-2 record in 2005. Both teams also gave NU tough matches last season, although Nebraska was able to win all three of the meetings, including two in overtime.

NU will enter Friday's match with KU having played only one game in 11 days. The Huskers used two second-half goals off set plays to win at Colorado last Friday in the Big 12 opener for both teams. The victory marked Nebraska's 11th win in 11 tries in league-opening matches. The win was also the first against Colorado since 2002 and the first in Boulder since 1999.

Against the Buffaloes, NU trailed 1-0 at intermission after a Fran Munnelly goal in the 36th minute. The Huskers, who were 0-2 in 2005 when trailing at the half prior to the game, tied the game 4:29 into the second period when sophomore Jessie Bruch headed in a corner kick from junior Brittany Timko.

Bruch and Timko combined for another goal at 81:50 to give the Huskers their first road win of the season. Nebraska won a foul and Timko's free kick again found Bruch, who headed the ball into the back of the net for the first multi-goal game of her career.

Bruch's four points were also a career high, while her first score marked her first goal and points of the season. The St. Louis, Mo., native led the Huskers with nine goals and 19 points as a freshman in 2003, before missing all of last year while recovering from off-season surgery.

Timko's two assists increased her team-best total to 10. Her 1.11 assists-per-game average ranks second in the nation.

After the hard-fought win, the Huskers were scheduled to travel to Lubbock, Texas, for a Sunday match with the Texas Tech Lady Raiders. That game was postponed, however, after Nebraska's scheduled flight was cancelled due to Hurricane Rita. The match will be made up on the final Sunday (Oct. 30) of the regular season at a time to be determined.

Scouting Kansas (5-4-1, 1-1-0 Big 12)
Kansas is 5-4-1 on the season after splitting a pair of home games to open the Big 12 season last weekend. The Jayhawks blanked Baylor, 1-0, on Friday on the strength of a lone goal from freshman Jessica Bush. KU then fell to 14th-ranked Texas A&M, 3-2, on Sunday as Michelle Rasmussen and Caroline Smith each tallied goals for the Jayhawks, before an Aggie goal with just 2:22 remaining gave A&M the victory.

KU, which is 1-1 on the road, has outscored its opponents 17-3 this season. The Jayhawks have attempted 190 shots, while limiting their opponents to just 117. Kansas has been out-cornered 60-51 on the season, however.

Offensively, Smith leads the team with five goals, three assists and 13 points, while Bush has totaled four goals, two assists and 10 points. Eight Jayhawks have scored a goal this season, including four who boast two or more goals.

Kansas is also strong in net. Colleen Quinn ranks among the league leaders in every goalkeeping category. She has started eight games, allowing nine goals for a goals-against average of 1.11. Quinn has also recorded four shutouts in her eight starts. Julie Hanley logged KU's other two starts, posting a goals-against average of 1.17 while recording one shutout.

Last Time We Met
Kansas and Nebraska met twice in Lawrence last season, with the Huskers earning two victories, including a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In the postseason matchup, the Huskers put together a superb effort with limited substitutions and withstood 27 Jayhawk shots to earn the victory. Brooke Bredenberg put NU up 1-0 in the 28th minute and the game remained tied until Caroline Smith scored off a Rachel Gilfillan pass at 67:52.

Nebraska was able to withstand several late flurries from KU to force overtime, where Nikki Baker sent the Huskers to the Sweet 16 with a highlight-reel goal 4:19 into the extra period. After Kansas controlled the ball on the Huskers' side of the field, NU's Abby Penas controlled the ball and sent a long pass into Jayhawk territory. Baker was able to win the race to the ball and sent a rocket shot from 30 yards out that just grazed the crossbar before sailing into the back of the net.

In goal, Katie Wright was superb, facing 10 shots on goal and stopping nine of them.

The first match of the year was also a one-goal game. Brittany Timko scored on a perfectly-placed shot just 57 seconds into the game and the Huskers were able to keep the Jayhawks from finding the equalizer in a 1-0 win in the Big 12 opener for both teams. KU outshot NU, 16-7, but Wright made six saves in net to pick up her fourth shutout of the season.

Nebraska leads the all-time series 11-1-1, but lost the last meeting in Lincoln, 2-1, in 2003.

Scouting Missouri (6-3-1, 1-1-0 Big 12)
Missouri is 6-3-1 this season after losing to Texas A&M and defeating Baylor in the opening weekend of Big 12 play. The Tigers nearly pulled the upset of the 14th-ranked Aggies, but A&M erased a 2-1 deficit and scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute to earn the victory.

The Tigers rebounded with a 2-1 victory over Baylor as second-half goals from Jennifer Nobis and Amber Swinehart just 3:05 apart helped MU erase a 1-0 deficit.

On the season, Missouri has outscored its opponents by an overwhelming margin of 21-8. The Tigers have also outshot their opponents, 197-128, including a 82-60 advantage in shots on goal.

MU boasts three players with double-digit point totals, led by Jennifer Nobis. Nobis has 15 points (four goals, seven assists) in nine games, while Amber Swinehart leads the team with six goals, four of which are game winners, and ranks second with 12 points. Aria Hudetz has added 11 points (four goals, three assists).

In net, Laura Buehrig has started all 10 games, logging more than 865 minutes. Her goals-against average of 0.83 ranks fifth in the Big 12, and she has recorded 46 saves while recording three shutouts.

Last Time We Met
Behind two goals from Nikki Baker, Nebraska earned a dramatic 2-1 double-overtime victory at Missouri last season. The Huskers took an early 1-0 lead in the 14th minute on Baker's first goal of the game. It looked as though NU would hang on for a 1-0 victory until Melissa Peabody tied the game in the 79th minute. The teams played through a scoreless first overtime period, but 3:26 into the second period, Brittany Timko sent a corner kick to Sasha Andrews, who played the ball to Baker for the game-winning goal. The victory improved Nebraska's winning streak to six games and upped the Huskers league record to 3-0. In net, Katie Wright recorded seven saves for NU.

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 12-1-0, with the lone loss coming at the 2003 Big 12 Tournament.

Stat of the Week
When Nebraska overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit at Colorado on Friday to post a 2-1 victory, it marked the first time this season the Huskers have won when trailing at the half. NU is 1-2 this season when trailing at the half and is 7-26-0 all-time when trailing at the half.

In contrast, the Huskers are 5-0 this season and a remarkable 152-2-2 all-time when leading at the half.

There's No Place Like Home
After its victory over UC Irvine on Sept. 18, the Huskers improved to 5-1-0 this season (and all-time) at the Nebraska Soccer Field. In contrast, the Huskers are 1-2 away from Lincoln, losing a pair of tough one-goal decisions at Big Ten schools Illinois and Purdue before winning at Colorado last Friday for their first road win of the season.

Last season, Nebraska was 5-2-0 away from Lincoln and just 7-6 at home.

Another Injury
Freshman Lindsay Poehling suffered an injury in the win over Colorado on Friday and may be out for the season. Freshman Ali Lokanc, sophomore Sari Raber and senior Aly Scace are also out for the season with injuries.

Can't Tie Me Down
The Nebraska soccer team is one of just three Big 12 schools this season without a tie. Furthermore, the Huskers did not have a tie the entire 2004 season. NU's last tie came 49 games ago on Sept. 12, 2003 vs. Michigan. The Huskers' tieless streak is the longest in the league.

Bruch Breaks Through
Sophomore Jessie Bruch enjoyed a career day at Colorado last Friday and the Huskers used her superb effort to earn a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Buffaloes.

After playing the first eight games without recording a point, Bruch scored a pair of goals off set plays against CU. In addition to recording her first goal, her performance marked the first multi-goal game of her career.

Although it took Bruch nine games to record a point, it was only a matter of time until she found the back of the net. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Bruch was a 2003 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team selection after leading the Huskers with nine goals and 19 points as a freshman.

Bruch missed the entire 2004 season while recovering from offseason surgery.

No Assistance Needed
Junior Brittany Timko recorded a school-record six game-winning assists last season and she has picked up right where she left off. Timko has produced the game-winning assist in five of the Huskers' six victories this season, including Nebraska's 2-1 win at Colorado last Friday. Her career total now stands at 11 and ranks second on the NU career chart, just two shy of Meghan Anderson's school record.

In the only Husker victory that she did not record a game-winning assist, Timko provided the game-winning goal in Nebraska's 2-1 come-from-behind victory over UC Irvine on Sept. 18.

Streak Buster
Nebraska's 2-1 win over Colorado last Friday not only marked the Huskers' sixth win of the season and first in Big 12 Conference play, but also marked the end of four streaks and the beginning of another.

The victory ended NU's two-game losing streak to Colorado and also marked the first Nebraska win in Boulder since 1999.

In addition, the victory was the first road win of the season for NU, which had been 0-2-0 on the road prior to the trip. The win was also the first victory of the season when the Huskers trailed at halftime.

While those streaks ended, another one began. The win was the Huskers' second in a row, marking the first time Nebraska has posted back-to-back victories since NU won its opening two games.

Last season, the opening of the Big 12 season was the beginning of a great stretch for NU, as the Huskers began league play 4-0 in the midst of a season-long seven-game winning streak.

Coming Back
The Huskers have proven they have the ability to come back and should never be counted out of a match. In each of its last four victories, NU was down by a goal at some point in the game.

In the San Diego State game on Sept. 6, Nebraska responded after the Aztecs erased a 1-0 halftime deficit and took a 2-1 lead by scoring a pair of goal with less than 10 minutes remaining to earn a regulation victory. The Huskers applied relentless pressure before junior Brittany Timko scored the equalizer at 82:57 and senior Sasha Andrews added the game winner at 84:53.

Nebraska again fell behind 1-0 to Rice on Sept. 11, but rallied for three unanswered goals to cruise to a 3-1 victory. After an Owl goal in the 23rd minute, it took just over 20 minutes for the Huskers to take the lead after a pair of goals from Andrews. Freshman Selenia Iacchelli added the first goal of her career to cap the comeback.

On Sept. 18 against UC Irvine, the Anteaters jumped out to a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the game, but goals from Iacchelli and Timko lifted the Huskers to victory.

Last Friday at Colorado, NU trailed 1-0 at halftime before rallying behind two goals from sophomore Jessie Bruch to post a 2-1 victory. Although the Huskers have shown the ability to come back, the win over CU marked Nebraska's first victory when trailing at the half.

Andrews' Career Week
Senior defender Sasha Andrews enjoyed a career week during the Huskers' three-game schedule Sept. 6-11. In addition to being an anchor on the NU backline that saw two freshmen start due to injuries, Andrews got involved in the offense by scoring three goals. Andrews provided the game-winning goal in the 85th minute against San Diego State when she headed in a goal off a corner kick from junior Brittany Timko and a pass from fellow senior Nikki Baker.

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Andrews followed that performance with the first multi-goal game of her career against Rice on Sept. 11. She found the back of the net twice off Timko free kicks to finish the week with three goals. Her three goals were not only the first of the season for Andrews, but also matched her entire 2004 total. Both of her goals were also game-winning goals.

For her efforts, Andrews was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the first such honor of her career on Sept. 13.

Texas Tech Game Rescheduled
Nebraska's game at Texas Tech, which was originally scheduled to be played last Sunday, has been rescheduled for Sunday, Oct. 30 in Lubbock.

The game was postponed after NU's travel plans were altered because of Hurricane Rita's affect on the Gulf Coast.

A kickoff time has not yet been determined.

On the Defensive
Senior Nikki Baker, who is one of the top goal scorers in school history, has been moved back to defense to fill in on the backline that has seen three starters lost for the season due to injury.

NU's Sept. 18 game with UC Irvine marked the first start at the defender position of Baker's career. Although she will play back more, Baker still figures to be a contributor to the Huskers' offensive attack.

Two is Better Than One
Through its first nine games of the season, Nebraska has enjoyed the benefits of a two-goalkeeper system. Along with pushing each player to be the best that she can be, junior Katie Wright and freshman Jamie Klages have each responded with outstanding performances.

Klages has earned five starts in net, while Wright has made four starts. Wright boasts a 3-1-0 record, while Klages is 3-2-0. Klages has recorded the only shutout of the season and her goals-against average of 0.80 is lower than Wright's 1.50 GAA.

While there is no set rotation as to who will start, both keepers have proven their ability and the Huskers plan to utilize both players to get the best results for the team. Their combined goals-against average of 1.11 is better than Wright's 1.25 average for the 2004 season.

Trio of Firsts
The freshman trio of Lauren Isenhower, Selenia Iacchelli and Aysha Jamani each recorded career firsts in the Huskers' 3-1 win over Rice on Sept. 11. Isenhower earned the first start of her career against the Owls, while Iacchelli and Jamani teamed up to produce NU's third and final goal. After a good run, Jamani sent a perfect cross into the box that found Iacchelli, who had a perfect finish to find the back of the net. That goal marked the first of Iacchelli's career and also marked the first assist of Jamani's career.

Double Spells Trouble
Statistically speaking, the Nebraska soccer team has been nearly twice as good as its opponents this season. The Huskers have more than doubled their opponent totals in corner kicks (65-to-32).

NU has also nearly doubled the opponent's number of shots (142-to-85), shots on goal (76-to-39) and goals scored (18-to-10)

In addition, the Huskers have also had to make only 29 saves, while opponent's have been forced to make 58 stops.

Corner Kickin'
Nebraska, which has historically enjoyed a tremendous advantage in corner kicks taken, is again out-cornering its opponents by a large margin.

NU has won 65 corner kicks, while limiting its opponents to 32. Even more impressive is the second-half breakdown of corner kicks. In the final 45 minutes, the Huskers have won 34 corner kicks, while limiting their opponents to just nine through nine games.

Timko Moving Up Charts
In addition to her ascent on the NU game-winning assist chart, junior Brittany Timko is moving up several other school record charts.

With two assists against Colorado last Friday, Timko now has 24 for her career. One of only 11 players in school history to record 20 career assists, Timko is in eighth place on the NU career chart.

Her two-assist game against CU was also the fifth multi-assist game of her career, moving her up to fifth in school history.

Timko, whose assault on the record books can be tracked on page 10 of this release, currently ranks in the career top 10 in six categories.

Timko is also nearing two career milestones. She needs just two points to reach 70 career points. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native also needs just one assist and three goals to become only the fifth player in school history to record both 25 goals and assists in a career.

Nearing 70
Senior Nikki Baker has seven points this season and now has 68 points in her career.

With two more points, Baker will become only the 10th player in school history to record 70 or more points in a career.

A native of Bixby, Okla., Baker ranks 10th in school history with 68 career points.

Junior teammate Brittany Timko also has 68 points and is nearing 70 for her career.

Wright Reaches Milestone
Junior goalkeeper Katie Wright, who finished the 2004 season with 108 saves - the third-highest total in school history - recorded two saves against Rice on Sept. 11 to give her 151 saves in her career.

She ranks third in school history in career saves and is 55 saves away from moving up to second place.

While the Mission Viejo, Calif., native reached one milestone, she is approaching another. Wright has earned 19 victories in her career. With her next win, Wright would become only the fourth goalkeeper in Nebraska history to win 20 games in a career.

Freshman Contributions
Even with an experienced team returning nine starters from last year's Sweet 16 squad and the return of sophomore Jessie Bruch, the 2005 Huskers have received plenty of support from their talented 11-player freshman class.

In two of Nebraska's four wins, the game-winning goal came off the foot of a freshman scoring her first collegiate goal. Against Minnesota in the season opener, Lauren Isenhower notched her first career goal off an assist from junior Brittany Timko and against UAB two days later, Aysha Jamani's first of two goals proved to be the game winner in the Huskers' 4-0 win.

Ten freshmen made their collegiate debuts in the Huskers' opening weekend wins, including Selenia Iacchelli who has started all three contests this season. In addition to logging minutes, the freshmen have combined to contribute four goals and four assists.

To date, five freshmen have earned a start, including Ali Lokanc who started five games before suffering a season-ending injury at Purdue last Friday.

In net, Jamie Klages opened her career with a shutout against UAB and stretched her scoreless minutes streak to 150:37 before surrendering her first goal in the Huskers' 1-0 loss at Illinois on Sept. 2.

When Leading at the Half...
Nebraska is 5-0 this season when leading at intermission and is now a remarkable 152-2-2 all-time when leading at the half after holding the lead on Sept. 11 against Rice.

The Huskers did have a scare against San Diego State on Sept. 6. The Aztecs erased a 1-0 halftime deficit to take a 2-1 lead before two late goals in the final 10 minutes lifted NU to the victory.

Prior to the 2004 season, the Huskers had never lost a game when leading at the half, but a pair of one-goal losses to Texas A&M and Baylor put an end to that streak. Each of those losses was the second game of the weekend, where a lack of depth and a roster of only 17 active players caught up with the Big Red.

Assistance Needed
Senior Nikki Baker notched her second and third assists of the season the weekend of Sept. 9. With three assists just six games into the season, Baker established a new single-season career high, eclipsing her previous best of two, set in her freshman season of 2002 and matched last year.

Extra Credit
Senior Sasha Andrews and junior Brittany Timko took advantage of one of only two open Sunday dates for the Huskers this season by joining the Canadian World Cup team in a friendly match with Germany in Edmonton, Alberta on Sept. 4.

Against the 2003 World Cup Champion Germans, both players contributed in a hard-fought 4-3 loss. The Canadians scored their third goal of the game off a Timko corner kick in the 86th minute.

Scoreless Debut
Freshman Jamie Klages made a sparkling collegiate debut in net, recording two saves en route to posting a shutout against UAB on Aug. 28. Klages became only the fourth goalkeeper in school history - and the first since Brooke Bredenberg in 2003 - to record a shutout in her debut.

Klages followed that performance by recording three saves and allowing only one goal against Illinois on Sept. 2. Klages did not allow a goal in her first three halves and had a scoreless minute streak to open her career of 150:37.

Huskers on TV
The University of Nebraska, in association with NET Sports and CSTV, announced that the Nebraska soccer team’s home contests with Missouri this Sunday and with Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 21 will be carried live in Nebraska on NET2/NET-HD and will also be carried nationally by CSTV.

The televised games mark the only two regular-season games that CSTV will televise live on a national basis.

Huskers Lose Trio of Starters
The Nebraska soccer team is bolstered this season by increased depth and a roster consisting of 24 players. That depth will be challenged as NU lost returning starter Sari Raber for the season during the exhibition season and lost another returning starter for the season when Aly Scace suffered an injury at practice following the Huskers' opening weekend. Ali Lokanc, who had started in place of Scace, also suffered a season-ending injury Sept. 16 at Purdue.

Freshman Lauren Isenhower, who has also started at defender, suffered an injury against Colorado on Sept. 23, but the injury is not season-ending.

Nearing 200
Head Coach John Walker, the only coach in the history of the Nebraska Soccer program, needs just eight victories to reach 200 career wins and 200 victories at Nebraska. Walker, who ranks 22nd among active coaches in career victories, has a career record of 192-55-8 in 12 years at the helm of the Huskers. Walker has averaged nearly 17 wins a season at NU and at that pace would reach the 200-win plateau this season.

New Faces on the Sideline
The new on-campus home of the Huskers is not the only dramatic change from the 2004 season. For the first time in 10 years, a new face will be seen alongside NU coaches John Walker and Marty Everding, each of whom has been a part of the program since its inception in 1994. Ann Cook joins the staff for her first season in 2005, replacing Megan Skinner. Cook's addition to the staff represents the first change to the staff in 10 years.

Another new face to the sideline this season is still a familiar face to Husker fans. Kari Hogan, a senior this season, has decided to serve as the undergraduate assistant coach instead of playing her final season. Rounding out the coaching staff is former Husker, Christine Latham, who is in her second year as a volunteer assistant coach. She served the same role last season while continuing her undergraduate studies and returns this season after earning her degree in May of 2005.

The Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers have a chance to make school history on the field in 2005, but their field itself has already made program history. For the first time in the 12-year history of Nebraska soccer, the Huskers are playing their home games on campus.

The Nebraska Soccer Field provides one of the most unique settings in the nation. Nestled between the home of fellow fall sports Husker football and volleyball, the location is also near the two full-size indoor practice facilities NU enjoys, including the new Championship Indoor Center.

The Championship Indoor Center not only includes a second year-round practice facility, but is also home to new soccer offices, including Coach Walker's office, which has a balcony overlooking the field.

As part of the Championship Drive project, scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2006, the soccer team will also enjoy a large, modern locker room, in addition to new strength and conditioning and athletic medicine facilities.

The Huskers hope to be as successful on campus as they were off. Nebraska owned a career home record of 107-17-4 (.852) in its two previous off-campus homes, including a 101-16-4 (.835) mark at the Abbott Sports Complex. The Huskers are 5-1 at their new home after suffering their only loss Sept. 9 against Colorado College.

Nebraska Soccer Field Firsts
In the first regular-season home game on campus in program history, senior Nikki Baker scored the first goal in the history of the Nebraska Soccer Field. Juniors Abby Penas and Tanya Dennis added the first assists, while freshman Aysha Jamani notched the first multi-goal game at the Nebraska Soccer Field. Fellow freshman Jamie Klages also recorded the first shutout at the new home in the second game of the season against UAB.

Timko on Watch List
Junior Brittany Timko, the 2004 Big 12 Soccer Player of the Year and a third-team NSCAA All-American, was one of 25 players named to the Hermann Award preseason watch list announced.

The Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy honors the top male and female Division I college soccer players in the United States.

Timko enjoyed a stellar sophomore season in which she was named the Big 12 Conference and National Player of the Week three times. In 19 games, the Coquitlam, British Columbia native scored 15 goals and added 13 assists to total 43 points. Timko also recorded six game-winning assists to break the school record.

A list of 15 semifinalists for the award will be announced in early November, with the three finalists announced in December. The trio will be invited to St. Louis for a news conference and dinner held at the Missouri Athletic Club on Jan. 6, 2006, where the winner of the award will be revealed.

Timko was a semifinalist for the award in 2004.