Huskers Cage Jayhawks, 3-1

San Antonio, Texas - The <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska soccer team used a pair of first half goals to defeat Kansas, 3-1, in the first round of the Big 12 Soccer Tournament at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers, which finished the Big 12 regular season in a tie for second place, improved to 13-6-1 on the season with the win and advanced to face top-seeded Texas A&M at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The match with the Aggies will be carried live by Fox Sports Net.

 

Kansas fell to 11-7-2 on the year with the loss and will await word on its NCAA Tournament fate on Monday.

 

Freshman Aysha Jamani scored the game’s first goal when she took a pass from junior Tanya Dennis at the top of the box. Jamani then beat two KU defenders and put a shot past KU goalkeeper Julie Hanley from eight yards out at 12:07 to give Nebraska an early 1-0 lead.

 

Jamani's goal came after the Huskers' had a good scoring chance in the third minute off a corner kick. Senior Vern Fitzgerald had a chance that was immediately blocked and the ball went back to  junior Brittany Timko, who crossed the ball into the middle where Hanley dove to intercept the pass before it could find a Husker.

 

Kansas nearly tied the game at 25:20 when Jessica Smith found herself one-on-one with NU goalkeeper Jamie Klages deep in the box, but Smith’s shot was immediately saved by Klages, who finished with five saves. In the 21st minute, Klages made a diving save to prevent a goal and Kansas fired a shot over the crossbar while Klages was still down.

 

Nebraska countered one minute later when Timko found freshman Jessie Goodell in the box, but Goodell’s shot was tipped just high. On Timko’s ensuing corner kick, sophomore Jessie Bruch’s header found the back of the net to put NU ahead, 2-0. Timko's assist proved to be the game-winning assist and gave her an NU record 14 career game-winning assists.

 

Fitzgerald had a chance in the 32nd minute to make it 3-0. Following a corner kick, the KU goalkeeper was out of position and Fitzgerald one-timed a shot over the crossbar.

 

Both teams had scoring opportunities in the opening minutes of the second half.

 

Kansas had the first chance of the second half when Nicole Braman’s shot from the near corner of the box hit off the crossbar.

 

In the 50th minute, Jamani sent a cross deep into the box that was punched clear of danger by Hanley just before Bruch could get a head on it. One minute latter, Michelle Rasmussen launched a shot from just inside the box that Klages tipped high. In the 55th minute, KU’s Caroline Smith sent a quick shot on goal that hit the crossbar.

 

Timko added her 10th goal of the season when Jamani found Goodell with a pass, who played the ball to Timko on the far side. Timko dribbled into the box before lofting a shot past Hanley and into the far corner of the net. Timko’s three-point effort gave her 90 points for her career, one of only eight players in school history to accomplish the feat.

 

Kansas got on the board at 85:52 when Smith controlled the ball deep in the box and spun to win space before unloading a shot over Klages' head and into the back of the net.

 

For the game, NU outshoot Kansas 18-16 and placed 10 shots on goal to the Jayhawk's seven. Nebraska also won six corner kicks, while limiting KU to just four.

 

In net, Klages made five saves, including several key stops for NU. Hanley recorded seven saves for Kansas.

 

Nebraska, which owns a league-best 17-4 all-time record at the Big 12 Tournament, will continue its quest for the program’s sixth tournament title on Friday at 4:30 p.m. against regular-season champion Texas A&M.

 

Game Notes:

• Junior Brittany Timko scored a goal and added an assist in the victory. The assist proved to be the game-winning assist and gave her 14 on her career. The 14 assists are a new school record, as Timko had been tied with Meghan Anderson with 13 career game-winning assists. It was also Timko’s eighth game-winning assist of the season, further extending her single-season NU record.
• Nebraska is now a league-best 16-4 at the Big 12 Tournament. The Huskers have won at least one game in the single-elimination tournament in nine of the 10 years the Big 12 Tournament has existed.

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  Aysha Jamani’s first goal gave her seven on the season and she is now second on the team in goals scored.
• NU improved its record against Kansas to 12-1-2 all-time and 3-0-0 at the Big 12 Tournament.
• The Huskers’ nationally televised game with Texas A&M on Friday will be NU’s third nationally televised contest this season.
• Head Coach John Walker, the only coach in Nebraska soccer history, picked up his 199th career victory over the Jayhawks. With his next victory, he will become only the 22nd coach in NCAA history to post 200 career victories.