Huskers Hunt for Big 12 Title

The Nebraska soccer team (11-5-1 overall, 5-2-1 Big 12) looks to earn at least a share of the Big 12 Conference regular-season title this weekend when it hosts Iowa State at 4 p.m. on Friday and travels to Lubbock, Texas, on Sunday for a makeup game with Texas Tech at Noon.

If the Huskers can post victories over the Cyclones and Lady Raiders, they will finish with 22 points in the league standings, leaving Texas A&M as the lone team capable of matching NU's point total. A&M hosts Baylor on Friday in its final regular-season contest.

History will be on Nebraska's side this weekend as the Huskers are a perfect 21-0-0 all-time against Iowa State and Texas Tech. Despite the perfect mark, earning a pair of victories this weekend will not be easy.

Iowa State has been the surprise of the league this season, improving upon last year's 4-6-0 mark in the Big 12 in 2004 to post a 5-3-1 league record this season. The Cyclones are in a four-way tie for third in the conference with 16 points and enter Friday's match on a two-game winning streak. The Cyclones faced Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last weekend, just as Nebraska did. ISU outscored the teams 7-1, while NU outscored the same teams 5-3.

The match with Texas Tech provides several challenges for NU. First, the Huskers must travel on Saturday and play the only league game of the day with the Big 12 Tournament looming just three days away. NU will also be facing Texas Tech on the Lady Raiders' senior night and final game of the 2005 season.

Nebraska is in position to earn a Big 12 championship this weekend after winning a pair of hard-fought decisions last weekend. Junior Brittany Timko, the 2004 Big 12 Player of the Year and third-team All-American, had a hand in all five of the Huskers' goals, rewriting the record books in the process.

Timko scored two goals and added three assists on the weekend. Her third assist of the weekend was her 17th of the season, which tied Jenny Benson's school record, set in 1999. With 17 assists in 17 games, Timko boasts an assists-per-game average of 1.00 to rank third in the nation.

Timko's third assist also proved to be the game-winning assist in the Huskers' 3-2 win over Oklahoma State. The assist increased Timko's game-winning assist total to seven on the season, eclipsing her own school record set last season. It also increased her career total to 13, tying Meghan Anderson for first place on the NU career chart.

Sophomore Jessie Bruch, freshman Selenia Iacchelli and senior Sasha Andrews were the benefactors of Timko's distributing efforts in the win over the Cowgirls, as each tallied a goal. Iacchelli's and Andrews' goals each came off corner kicks. Andrews' goal proved to be her team-best fourth game-winning goal of the season.

In Friday's 2-1 win over Oklahoma, Timko produced her first multi-goal game of the season, scoring both goals to lift the Huskers.

Scouting Iowa State (10-5-3 Overall, 5-3-1 Big 12)
Iowa State has already scored the most goals and notched the most points in Big 12 Conference play in school history. The Cyclones have also tied the school record for most league victories with five and have won 10 games for just the third time in school history.

ISU is led offensively by Amy Flores, who leads the team with eight goals and 17 points. Renee de St. Aubin leads the team with three game-winning goals and ranks second with 10 points. Kristina Baumann boasts a team-best four assists.

In net, Joanna Haig ranks as one of the top goalkeepers in the Big 12. She has started every game for ISU and has recorded six shutouts, 91 saves and a 1.02 goals-against average.

Last Time We Met
Brittany Timko scored a first-half hat trick in a 2:18 span and the Huskers withstood two Iowa State second-half goals and a missed penalty kick in the final minutes to earn a 3-2 victory over the Cyclones in Ames last season.

Timko's flurry was highlighted by a 16-second span between her first and second goal, the shortest span between goals in school history. Vern Fitzgerald and Sari Raber added assists in the game, as both teams recorded 13 shots and ISU placed eight shots on goal to NU's six.

Nebraska is a perfect 10-0-0 all-time against Iowa State, including a 5-0-0 mark in Lincoln. The Huskers' 3-2 win last season marked the first time NU had not defeated ISU by more than one goal, as Nebraska has outscored Iowa State by a combined 44-5 margin.

Iowa State is coached by former Husker goalkeeper Rebecca Hornbacher, who boasts the third-lowest career goals-against average in Nebraska history.

Scouting Texas Tech (1-16-0 Overall, 0-8-0 Big 12)
Texas Tech is 1-16-0 this season, with its lone victory coming in overtime against Sam Houston State (3-2). The Lady Raiders did not win a game in the Big 12 Conference last season, and are in danger of finishing winless in league play for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

TTU has been outscored 63-12 in 17 games. Tech is led offensively by Kimmie Davis who leads the team with six goals, three assists and 15 points despite only starting 10 games.

In net, Beth Lippert and Megan Knauss have split time. Knauss has logged the most time and has a 3.57 goals-against average. Lippert carries a 3.87 GAA, but has posted the Lady Raiders' only win of the season.

Last Time We Met
Behind goals from current Huskers Sasha Andrews, Nikki Baker and Abby Penas, NU blanked Texas Tech 3-0 on Oct. 15, 2004 in Lincoln. Nebraska outshot the Lady Raiders, 24-8, and won seven corner kicks to Tech’s zero. Brittany Timko also added an assist in the game, while Katie Wright recorded three saves in posting a shutout.

The Huskers are a perfect 11-0-0 all-time against Texas Tech, including a 5-0-0 mark in Lubbock. NU has outscored the Lady Raiders by an overwhelming 50-4 margin all-time.

Record-Setting Day
Junior Brittany Timko capped an excellent weekend with three assists in the Huskers' 3-2 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday. Timko's three-assist performance not only tied her career high, but also broke one school record and tied two others.

Timko's third assist proved to be the game-winning assist, as well as her 17th assist of the season. The 17 assists ties Jenny Benson's single-season school record, established in 1999. The game-winning assist was also her seventh of the season, bettering her school record of six, set last season.

In addition to breaking the single-season school record, Timko's game-winning assist improved her career total to 13, which is tied with Meghan Anderson for the most in school history.

Timko's Tear
Junior Brittany Timko, the 2004 Big 12 Player of the Year and third-team All-American, may not be producing points at the level she did last season, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been oustanding this season.

In fact, NU Head Coach John Walker says Timko's increased assist total and added leadership have made her even better in 2005. But for good measure, Timko is in the midst of one of her patented scoring tears.

Over her last four games, Timko has scored three goals and notched six assists for a total of 12 points.

Timko now leads the team with 29 points and is just one point shy of becoming the first Husker to record back-to-back seasons of 30 or more points since Christine Latham strung together three consecutive 30-point seasons from 2000 to 2002.

Wright Out For Season
Junior goalkeeper Katie Wright, who is 3-1-0 in goal this season and boasts a 1.50 goals-against average, is out for the season with a knee injury. The injury has bothered Wright for most of the season before she learned last week that she would miss the remainder of the season.

Wright ranks third in school history in saves and fourth in wins, minutes, games started and games played.

Seniors Say Goodbye
Nebraska's five-player 2005 senior class consisting of Sasha Andrews, Nikki Baker, Katie Bunkers, Vern Fitzgerald, injured starter Aly Scace will take part in its final regular-season home game of the season on Friday against Iowa State.

The members of the class, along with undergraduate assistant coach Kari Hogan who moved into a coaching role in her final season of eligibility, will be honored in an on-field ceremony.

The class has posted an impressive 54-28-5 (.649 winning percentage) record to date. The group also posted a win in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and advanced to a pair of Sweet 16 appearances.

In the Big 12 Conference, the class captured the 2002 Big 12 Tournament title and has posted an overall league record of 23-13-2 (.632) to date, including winning at least six conference games each season (not counting this year).

At home, the group has posted a 30-11-3 (.716) record to date, posting at least seven home victories each season. The group has started a combined 291 career games and has produced 47 goals, 22 assists and 116 points.

Timko Plays the Numbers Game
Junior Brittany Timko has reached several numerical milestones this season. With a three-assist performance against Oklahoma State on Sunday, Timko notched the 30th assist and 80th point of her career.

Timko is one of just six Huskers to tally at least 30 assists in a career in the 12-year history of Nebraska soccer. With 81 points, she ranks eighth on the NU career chart.

A native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Timko also joined the 25-goal/25-assist club with a pair of goals against Oklahoma on Friday. She is only the fifth player in school history to join the club and is just five goals shy of joining Meghan Anderson as the only Huskers in the 30-goal/30-assist club.

30 Points Times Two
Junior Brittany Timko notched seven points over the weekend to push her season total to a team-best 29 points. With her next point, Timko will record her second consecutive season with at least 30 points.

If she can reach the mark, Timko will become the first Husker to post back-to-back seasons of at least 30 points since Christine Latham strung together three consecutive 30-point seasons from 2000 to 2002.

Game-Winning Assists Record
One year after she established a school single-season record for game-winning assists, junior Brittany Timko is at it again. By assisting on the Huskers' final goal as part of a three-assist effort in a 3-2 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, Timko posted her seventh game-winning assist of the year, breaking her school record set last season.

That game-winning assist was also the 13th of her career, tying the school record. Her next game-winning assist would give her 14 for her career and would break Meghan Anderson's school record.

Timko Ranks High in Assists
Junior Brittany Timko has recorded 17 assists in 17 games this season. When the NCAA statistical rankings were released on Tuesday, Timko ranked third in the nation with an assists-per-game average of 1.00 and was tied for second with 17 assists.

Nearing 200
Head Coach John Walker, the only coach in the history of the Nebraska soccer program, needs just three 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 197-57-9 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. Walker would become just the 22nd coach in the history of women's Division I soccer to post 200 career victories.

Posting 10 Victories
With 11 wins this season, the Huskers have continued the program's winning tradition. Nebraska has won at least 10 games in each of the 12 seasons in program history, including seven seasons with at least 15 wins and three seasons of 20 or more victories.

Scoring Explosion
Nebraska exploded for six goals in a 6-0 victory at Oral Roberts on Oct. 14. The six goals were a season high, topping the team's previous best total of four against UAB on Aug. 28. The six goals were also the most road goals for NU since the Huskers scored 10 goals at Oklahoma State on Oct. 24, 1999.

There's No Place Like Home
After its 3-2 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, the Huskers are 8-1-1 this season (and all-time) at the Nebraska Soccer Field. In contrast, the Huskers are 3-4 away from Lincoln.

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

When Leading at the Half...
When Nebraska overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit at Colorado on Sept. 23 to post a 2-1 victory, it marked the first time this season the Huskers have won when trailing at the half. NU is 1-3 this season when trailing at the half and is 7-27-0 all-time when trailing at the half.

In contrast, the Huskers are 8-0 this season and a remarkable 155-2-2 all-time when leading at the half.

Coming Back
The Huskers have proven they have the ability to come back this season. In four of their 11 victories, the Huskers were 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 goals with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Nebraska again fell behind 1-0 to Rice on Sept. 11, but rallied for three unanswered goals to cruise to a 3-1 victory.

On Sept. 18 against UC Irvine, the Anteaters jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but a pair of goals lifted the Huskers to victory.

At Colorado on Sept. 23, 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.

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 a league-best 113 corner kicks, while limiting its opponents to just 56. Even more impressive is the second-half breakdown of corner kicks. In the final 45 minutes, the Huskers have won 54 corner kicks, while limiting their opponents to just 20 through 17 games.

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 11th 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.

Immediate Impact
Even with an experienced team returning nine starters from last year's squad and the return of sophomore Jessie Bruch, the Huskers have received plenty of support from their talented freshman class.

In three of Nebraska's first seven wins, the game-winning goal came off the foot of a freshman. 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 15 contests this season. In addition to logging minutes, the freshmen have combined to contribute 11 goals and eight assists.

To date, six freshmen have earned a start.

Extra Credit
Senior Sasha Andrews and junior Brittany Timko took advantage of the only open Sunday date 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.

Huskers on TV
Friday's match with Oklahoma was carried live in Nebraska on NET2/NET-HD and also carried nationally by CSTV, marking the second Husker game on national television this season.

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

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.

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 field offers one of the most convenient settings in the nation. Nestled between the home of Husker football and volleyball, it is also near the two full-size indoor practice facilities NU enjoys.

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.

The first tie in field history came on Friday as the Huskers' battled Kansas to a 0-0 tie after two overtime periods.

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.

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