Huskers Meet Louisville in Season-Opening Exhibition

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska eagerly returns to the pitch this Saturday, Aug. 19 at 3 p.m. for the third annual Jenna Cooper Memorial Exhibition Match against the Louisville Cardinals.  The game, which serves as a memorial to former Husker Jenna Cooper, opens Nebraska's 13th season under head coach John Walker, who broke the 200-win mark last season.  <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

With the return of two-time Big 12 Player of the Year Brittany Timko, 2004 first-team All-Big 12 selection Tanya Dennis and 2005 second-team All-Big 12 pick Aysha Jamani, Nebraska is on pace to continue its winning ways in 2006.

 

Leading the charge will be the Husker offensive unit, which returns 80 percent of its goal scoring (36 of 45 goals) and assist totals (37 of 46 assists). Timko will once again pilot Nebraska’s offensive efforts after a stellar 2005 season when she amassed 43 points on 11 goals and a Big-12 record 21 assists.  Joining Timko up front is Jamani, whose seven goals and four assists in her freshman campaign quickly gained conference attention last season. 

 

Both an offensive and defensive weapon, Dennis gained league accolades for her work as a defender in 2004, but was also exceptional in the midfield for the Huskers in 2005.  This season, the Brampton, Ontario, native could be used in a variety of roles.

 

Adding support to Nebraska’s striking corps is a bevy of experienced, aggressive attacking midfielders including junior Jessie Bruch and sophomore Selenia Iacchelli.  Bruch ranked second on the team in goals scored (eight) in 2005, while Iacchelli logged extensive game time with starts in all 23 of NU’s contests.  Together, this talented duo is capable of controlling the neutral portion of the field as well as pushing into scoring position to create offensive opportunities.

 

Perhaps the biggest boost to the Nebraska roster this season will be the return of Sari Raber and Ali Lokanc, who both fell to injury early in 2005.  Raber started 19 games at defender for the Huskers in 2004 and has added extensive experience as a member of the Canadian National Team.  Like Dennis, Raber is a powerful influence at a number of positions and could see playing time all over the pitch.

 

Lokanc could contribute in the midfield this season, after she started five games as a defender before her injury in 2005. 

 

With the mass of returning talent gracing the 2006 NU roster, it is hard to see where the Huskers could fit new blood, but they have.  Offensively, Nebraska welcomes the scoring abilities of Texans Brittney Lanier and Shay Powell, along with Lincoln native Carly Peetz. The Huskers will also enjoy added size from 5-8 midfielder Anna Caniglia, 5-10 midfielder Julie Berkshire and 5-11 defender Shannon Dickerson. 

 

Nebraska begins regular season play with the first of eight consecutive home contests on Aug. 25 as it hosts WrightState for a 5 p.m. kickoff at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

 

Nebraska Welcomes Returning Experience in Goal

Sophomore Jamie Klages will assume a familiar place in the net for the Huskers this season. After starting 19 games and posting six shutouts in her freshman campaign, the Coronado, Calif., native has already experienced substantial success in goal for the Huskers.  She logged nearly 1,734 minutes last season and recorded a goals-against average of 1.19 to rank eighth on Nebraska’s single-season chart.

 

Klages’ size and athleticism add substance to her already stellar technical knowledge of the game, making her a lethal force in the net.  At 5-11 with agility and speed, Klages can blanket the goal and frustrate opposing attackers.

 

With just one season behind her, Klages is poised to quickly move up the Husker record books.  She ranks fifth on the NU career chart in saves (88) and in games started (19), sixth in minutes played (1,734), wins (10) and games played (19) and eighth in goals-against average (1.19). 

 

Joining Klages at goalkeeper is redshirt freshman Brittany Pfeil.  Although Pfeil has yet to see game action, she continues to train with goalkeeping coach Marty Everding and has seen steady improvement during the offseason.

 

Husker Defense Aims to Rebuild

The defense has some holes to fill following the loss of anchors Katie Bunkers, Aly Scace and All-Big 12 selection Sasha Andrews to graduation.  But with the return of junior Sari Raber to the defensive strategy, coupled with 2004 All-Big 12 member Tanya Dennis and a host of young talent, the defense could be a strength in 2006.

 

Raber rejoins the Husker lineup in 2006 after missing the 2005 season with an injury.  After signing with Nebraska as a forward in 2004, Raber spent the majority of that season as a defender, starting 19 games and amassing 1,490 minutes.  The Richmond, British Columbia native’s return brings with it the game experience that Nebraska may have otherwise been lacking with the loss of its defensive veterans.

 

Like Raber, Dennis moved into the defense from a more offensive role in 2004 and was rewarded with an All-Big 12 honor.  Last season, Dennis continued that role often as an outside defender with the ability to push up into a position to create scoring opportunities, a strategy that utilized Dennis’ speed and awareness of the pitch.  In 2006, the Brampton, Ontario, native could provide a similar function as a rover between the defense and midfield.

 

Senior Abby Penas started in nine games as an outside defender last season and has played in over 40 games at defender in her collegiate career.  This season, Penas will assure more experience and depth in that position, while helping to assimilate some of Nebraska’s younger players.

 

While Dennis and Penas provide a wealth of experience to the Nebraska defense, there is the potential that both could also be utilized in the offensive attack.  Their absence will bring in some less experienced, yet immensely talented young players.  One such example is sophomore Kellie Jensen, who earned three starts at defender in 2005, while seeing action in 21 games. 

 

Other players vying for time in the NU defense include sophomore McKensie Kirchner, redshirt freshman Shannon Dickerson and true freshmen Jacy Wicker, Anna Caniglia and Carly Peetz.  Kirchner played in eight games at defender in 2005 and saw more time in the position this past spring.

 

Dickerson joins the Huskers as a transfer from USC and at 5-11, has the potential to fill the physical void left by the loss of Andrews. 

 

A four-time first-team all-district honoree from Dallas, Texas, Wicker brings speed to the defensive position, an element that complements the size and physicality of the majority of Nebraska’s 2006 defense.

 

Although both Caniglia and Peetz played a more offensive role as midfielders and forwards in their high school careers, each will be tried as defenders at Nebraska.

 

NU Midfield Adds Offensive, Defensive Threats

Anchored by junior Jessie Bruch and sophomore Selenia Iacchelli, the Husker midfield is a solid organization of offensive- and defensive-minded players.

 

After suffering a knee injury in 2004, Bruch returned to her post as a central midfielder in 2005 and quickly took control of the field.  A potent offensive threat, Bruch scored eight goals in 21 starts for the Huskers last season.  A factor in the air, Bruch is a vital component in Nebraska’s set plays and with her aggressiveness and physicality, she could be a major force in creating scoring opportunities for Nebraska this season.

 

Although only in her sophomore season, Iacchelli is already a veteran in the midfield.  She started all 23 games in 2005, scoring four goals and adding an assist.  An attacking midfielder, Iacchelli utilizes her skill and control to score goals.

 

Sophomore Ali Lokanc also returns to the Nebraska midfield this season after an injury shortened her freshman campaign.  Lokanc started in five of seven games at defender in 2005 following the loss of defender Aly Scace before suffering an injury herself that kept Lokanc out for the remainder of the season.  Now healthy, she will move back to the midfield where the Huskers can best utilize her passing and shooting skills.

 

Sophomore Lindsay Poehling played in five games at forward for Nebraska in 2005 before suffering a season-ending injury. Now healthy, Poehling will be tried in the Husker midfield and could also see time as a defender in 2006.

 

While Nebraska returns a bounty of midfielders, it also brings in a wealth of young talent including in-state freshmen Julie Berkshire of Omaha and Savannah Allen of Grand Island, as well as Becca Krynski of Rapid City, S.D.

 

Timko Leads Talented Striking Corps

The depth and caliber of Nebraska’s offensive unit is among the best in collegiate women’s soccer. Led by two-time All-American Brittany Timko, the Husker forwards are a talented group of attackers with the potential to produce high-scoring contests.

 

After becoming just the second player in league history to repeat as Big 12 Player of the Year, Timko is poised for a strong season in 2006. With outstanding ball-handling skills and a creative ability to serve up goal-scoring opportunities, Timko draws the focus of opposing defenders.  She led the Huskers with 11 goals, 21 assists and 43 points in 2005.

 

Nebraska expects to have plenty of other offensive threats up front this season, including sophomores Aysha Jamani and Jessie Goodell. 

 

Jamani netted seven goals and added four assists en route to being named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2005.  The 5-3 forward started 20 of 23 games in 2005 and quickly gained the experience to be considered a veteran.   

 

Goodell played in 23 games and netted one goal and two assists in 2005 before logging extensive postseason action at the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.

 

In addition to their returning forwards, the Huskers have several freshman forwards who will contend for time, including Brittney Lanier, Carly Peetz, Shay Powell and Jackie Walsh. 

 

Lanier is a fast, fluid forward who has spent time with the Olympic Development team, which should help the transition to collegiate soccer. A standout at Pius X in Lincoln, Peetz scored five goals and added a team-high 11 assists in leading the Thunderbolts to a Class B state title in 2005. Powell captained the Lutheran boy’s team in Dallas, Texas and was one of the top three scorers on the team three consecutive years. Walsh, a native of Omaha, has been ranked among the state of Nebraska’s top five scorers in each of the last two seasons, including ranking second with 20 goals and 10 assists last year. 

 

Scouting Louisville (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big East)

The Louisville Cardinals step up to Nebraska for the start of the 2006 season after finishing their 2005 campaign with an 11-8-0 overall record and a third-place Division B finish in the Big East.  With a 30-player roster and depth at every position, the Cardinals are poised to emerge as a contender in 2006.

 

Sixth-year head coach Karen Ferguson welcomes the return of nine starters and 13 letterwinners from last season's roster including senior forward Jamie Craft who led the team with 25 points on 11 goals and three assists in 2005.  Craft earned first-team All-Big East and All-Region honors in 2005 and was recently selected to the Big East Preseason All-Conference team as well.

 

Also returning for the Cardinals in 2006 is junior midfielder Monique Gjini and senior defender Amy Send.  Gjini only slightly trailed Craft with 19 points on seven goals and five assists last season, while Seng started all 19 games in defense for Louisville. 

 

Sophomore Deanna Waintraub is back in the net for the Cardinals this season after earning a GAA of 1.23 with 75 saves in 1,542 minutes in her debut year.

 

With 10 freshmen gracing its roster in 2006, Louisville has plenty of new talent to work with as well.  One of the best new faces to watch will be hometown forward Lindsay Boling, who joins the Cardinals after being named the NSCAA Player of the Year in Kentucky and earning All-America honors as a three-time state champion for Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, the same high school as Jenna Cooper. 

    

Series History: Nebraska vs. Louisville           

Although the two programs have never met in regular-season competition, Louisville and Nebraska have built a history based on tradition over the last three seasons.  The pair has met in exhibition play at the beginning of each season since 2004 in a contest honoring former Husker and Louisville native, Jenna Cooper.

 

Cooper was killed in 2004 and the Jenna Cooper Memorial Match was designed to both honor her memory and raise funds for the Jenna Cooper Memorial Scholarship.

 

In the inaugural contest in 2004, the Huskers came out with a 3-0 win.  Nebraska repeated last season with an identical 3-0 score behind two goals in the first five minutes of play.  Nikki Baker netted the first two goals of the afternoon for the Huskers with assists from Jessie Bruch and Brittany Timko.  Defender Katie Bunkers then added a goal off of a corner kick to end the first half.