Huskers Battle Buffaloes at Big 12 Championship

Game 20: Nebraska (10-8-1) 
vs #15 Colorado (13-3-3)
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 5
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Blossom Soccer Stadium,
San Antonio, Texas
Free Live Stats: Big12sports.com
Free Live Video/Audio: Big12sports.com

Lincoln-The Nebraska women’s soccer team returns to post season play for the first time since 2006, when the fifth-seeded Huskers battle fourth-seeded Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Championship. The first of four games on Wednesday, kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.

Nebraska will be looking to avenge a 2-1 home loss to the Buffaloes on Oct. 17, in which the Huskers took the lead early, but surrendered two second-half goals. NU enters the tournament winners in three of its last four contests, including posting three goals against Texas Tech and Iowa State. The Husker offense will be tested by a CU defense that has earned shutouts in five of its last seven contests.

Live stats, video and audio for the Big 12 Championship will be available through Big12sports.com. The championship game will be aired live on FSN, and Fox Soccer Channel will have tape-delay airing on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.

Scouting Colorado (13-3-3 , 6-2-2)
With an eight-game winning streak early in the season, Colorado has racked up a 13-3-3 record and carried that momentum into the Big 12 with a 6-2-2 mark in the conference. The Buffs have climbed to No. 15 in the rankings, but ended the regular season with a 2-1 loss to No. 14 Texas A&M on Oct. 26. Colorado will have not played for 10 days when it faces NU on Wednesday.

The Colorado offense is once again potent, ranking at the top of the Big 12 in nearly every category. The Buffs are fourth in goals (41) and points (111) and fifth in assists (29), while trailing only Oklahoma State with 408 shots. All-Big 12 selections last season, junior forward Nikki Marshall and Nikki Keller have led the Buffs’ charge. Marshall, a first-team honoree, has 20 points this season on eight goals and four assists and has notched four game-winning goals. She is first in the conference in shots per game, cranking out nearly five per game. Keller, a second-team honoree, is second on the team with 15 points on six goals and three assists. Senior forward Gianna DeSaverio also finished the regular season with 20 points. She is fourth in the conference with nine goals, and has also earned two assists.

The CU defense is stout also. Michelle Wenino, a senior defender, was named to the All-Big 12 second team last season and has one goal this year. Senior goalkeeper Kirstin Radlinski has logged over 1,400 minutes in net for the Buffs this season. She has made 45 saves and collected five shutouts to earn a 0.55 goals-against average, which ranks second in the conference. The CU defense has allowed 14 goals in 19 regular season games and has posted shutouts in five of its last seven contests.

Bill Hempen is the head coach of the Buffs, in his ninth season. He coached CU to a 5-5 record in the Big 12 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships. Colorado returned nine starters from last year’s squad.

Husker History versus Colorado
Nebraska has historically been on the winning side of this matchup as the Huskers lead the series 7-4-2 all-time, including NU victories in the first five meetings. However the Buffs have posed more of a threat in the last five years. CU won in 2003 and 2004, before hanging a 4-0 loss on NU last season in Boulder and winning a 2-1 decision on Oct. 17 in Lincoln. This is the first meeting between the two teams in the Big 12 tournament.

This season’s matchup saw Nebraska score first, but Colorado claim the win, 2-1. Senior midfielder Sari Raber put the Huskers up early with a goal in the 23rd minute, but No. 15 Colorado scored two second-half goals. NU came out with early offensive pressure, outshooting CU 7-3 in the first half and notching a goal midway through the period. Senior defender Lindsay Poehling sent a high cross from the deep right corner that junior forward Shay Powell knocked out of midair. The ball caromed off the post and across the mouth of the goal and Raber punched it in for her second goal of the season.

Colorado held possession for most of the second half, tallying 19 total shots in the game to Nebraska’s 10. The Buffs’ Nikki Marshall poked a ball past NU goalkeeper Brittany Pfeil in the 54th minute off a low cross from Gianna DeSaverio and found the back of the net again in the 86th minute after beating a NU defender in a tussle inside the 18-yard box. Marshall had three of CU’s six shots on goal, while the Huskers managed two shots on goal.

Pfeil collected four saves on the day to pace the defense and freshman forward Molly Thomas notched three shots to lead the NU offense. Raber earned both of NU’s shots on goal, while Powell also took two shots.

Husker History at the Big 12 Championship
Nebraska has enjoyed great success at the Big 12 Championship, which dates back to 1996. In the 13-year history of the championship, NU has:

-Advanced to the semifinals nine times
-Advanced to the championship game six times
-Captured the title a league-leading five times
-Compiled a 17-6 all-time record
-Posted a league-best .739 winning percentage

A year-by-year look at the Huskers’ Big 12 Championship success is listed below:

Year    Record    Result            Last Game (Result)
1996    2-0           Champion     Texas A&M (W, 1-0 2OT)
1997    1-1           Runner-Up   Texas A&M (L, 1-3)
1998    2-0           Champion     Missouri (W, 4-0)
1999    3-0           Champion     Missouri (W, 2-1)
2000    3-0           Champion     Texas A&M (W, 4-1)
2001    1-1           Semifinals     Texas A&M (L, 2-3)
2002    3-0           Champion     Texas A&M (W, 1-0)
2003    1-1           Semifinals     Missouri (L, 2-3)
2004    0-1           First Round  Texas (L, 0-2)
2005    1-1           Semifinals    Texas A&M (L, 2-4)
2006    0-1           First Round  Texas (L, 0-1 OT)
2007    DNQ

Big 12 Championship Wins
The Nebraska soccer team boasts a 17-6 all-time record at the Big 12 Championship. The Huskers’ 17 wins ranks second in the league, while NU’s .739 winning percentage tops the conference. Below is a breakdown of the all-time Big 12 Championship records of each of the eight teams competing in San Antonio this week:

Team                   Record       Winning Percentage
Texas A&M      19-7-2         .714
Nebraska            17-6            .739
Texas                  11-10-2       .522
Missouri             9-10            .474
Colorado            6-8-1           .433
Oklahoma State 5-3-1           .611
Kansas               2-7-1           .250
Texas Tech        0-3              .000

NU vs Big 12 Field
Nebraska went 4-3 in 2008 against the other seven teams that qualified for the Big 12 Championship. NU owns an impressive 80-34-4 all-time record against the field, including a 13-6 mark at the Big 12 Championship. Below is a breakdown of how NU has fared against the championship field this season, all-time and all-time at the Big 12 Championship.

Opponent                   2008                 All-Time      All-Time Big 12 Championship
Colorado                    L, 1-2                7-4-2            0-0
Kansas                       W, 2-1 (2OT)   13-3-2          3-0
Missouri                    W, 3-2 (2OT)    15-2-0         3-1
at Oklahoma State     L, 1-2                 9-4-0           0-0
Texas                         W, 2-1                 9-9-0           1-2
at Texas A&M          L, 0-2                 13-11-0       5-3
Texas Tech               W, 3-0                14-1-0         1-0
Total                           4-3                      80-34-4       13-6

Last time out: Big Second Half Boosts Huskers Past Cyclones
Junior forward Shay Powell posted three points to lead Nebraska to a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Iowa State on Halloween night in Ames. Nebraska finished the regular season at 10-8-1 and 6-4 in the Big 12. With the victory, NU has won at least 10 games in 14 of the 15 years of the program.

Sophomore forward Michaella Fulmer notched the first game-winning goal of her career with a score in 71st minute on Oct. 31. The Huskers entered the second period down by one after an ISU goal in the 18th minute, but sophomore midfielder Colleen Goetzmann tied the game at one with her first career goal in the 56th minute. Fulmer gave the Huskers the lead after redshirt freshman Katie Goetzmann assisted on the goal. Powell then helped ice the game when she assisted on junior forward Shay Powell’s goal in the 88th minute. Powell leads Nebraska with 19 points on seven goals and five assists, while Fulmer is second with 11 points on four goals and three assists.

Nebraska held a 19-12 advantage in shots and posted 10 shots on goal to eight for the Cyclones. Senior goalkeeper Brittany Pfeil matched a career high with seven saves in the game, while ISU goalkeeper Ann Gleason matched Pfeil’s effort with seven of her own.

The victory is the seventh time Nebraska has posted three goals in a game this season, and second time NU has earned three scores in a half this season.

Three Huskers Receive All-Big 12 Honors
Nebraska midfielder Aysha Jamani, defender Carly Peetz and forward Molly Thomas were voted to the All-Big 12 soccer teams by the league’s head coaches, the Big 12 office announced Tuesday.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Jamani was named to the first team after starting in all 19 Husker contests. The senior is fifth on the squad with nine points on three assists and three goals. Her season has been highlighted by a two-goal performance, including the game-winner, in a 3-0 NU win over North Dakota State on Sept. 19. She also notched the game-winning score in Nebraska’s 2-1 upset of No. 8 Texas on Oct. 3. Jamani’s 48 shots and 21 shots on goal are second on the team. She was also a preseason All-Big 12 pick this season and has been named to the All-Big 12 second team twice before.

Peetz, a second-team selection, has been steadfast in the backline for Nebraska, as she also has every game this year. A native of Lincoln, Peetz has helped the Huskers post five shutouts on the season, while allowing three goals in the last four contests. She notched a career-high three points with the game-winning goal and an assist against Missouri on Sept. 28. The junior also led the Huskers to victory over the Sooners on Oct. 24 with her second game-winning goal of the season. She has six points on two goals and two assists. Peetz earned Big 12 all-newcomer team honors in 2006.

Thomas, the Huskers’ lone freshman this season, was named to the all-newcomer team. Thomas finished the regular season second on the team with 11 points on five goals and one assist. She notched a point in her first career game with an assist versus Northwestern and went on to make 17 starts during the season. She posted goals against Florida, UAB, Stephen F. Austin, Oklahoma State and earned the double-overtime game-winning score over No. 25 Kansas on Sept. 26. The score earned her Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Week honors on Sept. 30. She finished the regular season third on the team in shots (43) and second in shots on goal (21).

Tally 10
Nebraska’s 3-1 victory over Iowa State last Friday gave the Huskers a 10-8-1 overall record during 2008. NU has won at least 10 games in 14 of the 15 years of the program, while compiling an astounding 225-85-17 mark. All of the Huskers’ wins have come under Head Coach John Walker.

The Pfeil File
Goalkeeper Brittany Pfeil continued her stellar senior season by matching a career high with seven saves last Friday in a 3-1 NU win over Iowa State. Pfeil collected seven saves against No. 7 Texas A&M and also posted six saves in both of her first two career Big 12 starts. She has made 57 saves this season and allowed 15 goals in 17 games. Her 0.91 goals-against average ranks fifth in the Big 12.

Raber Earns Academic All-District Honors
Senior midfielder Sari Raber was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII first team last Thursday and will advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America national ballot.

Raber, a psychology major from Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, earned the prestigious accolade for the first time in her career, after earning multiple academic honors from the Big 12 Conference. She is a two-time first team academic All-Big 12 selection and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll eight times (every semester of her career).

A team captain the last two seasons, Raber has received the Highest Honors Medallion from Nebraska three times and is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), while also volunteering around the community. She was named an Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars Award recipient the last two seasons.

On the field, Raber has appeared in 75 games for the Huskers since 2004, making 55 starts. She has 24 career points on eight goals and eight assists, and has led Nebraska to a 52-42-8 record in her five seasons. She has spent time with the Canadian Under-19 and Under-20 national teams, while also making one cap for the Canadian senior national team.

Raber carries a 3.88 grade-point average and is scheduled to complete the requirements for her psychology degree in December. Historically, Nebraska has had two soccer players earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, as Meghan Anderson and Shannon Tanaka were named to the second team in 2001.

Meet Me at the Corner
Nebraska’s persistent offensive pressure has led to plenty of corner kicks for the Big Red this season. The Huskers have garnered 123 corner kicks, which is third in the Big 12. NU has taken 64 corners in its 10 conference games, averaging nearly seven per game. Nebraska’s 14 corners against Baylor on Oct. 5 were the most since the Huskers put up 16 against Central Michigan on Sept. 15, 2006.

Runing Into the Ranked
The Huskers’ 2-1 defeat of No. 8 Texas on Oct. 3 was a big win for NU. The victory marked Nebraska’s highest defeat of a ranked opponent since toppling No. 8 Kansas in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Championship. It was also Nebraska’s second defeat of a ranked opponent in two weekends, after the Huskers topped No. 25 Kansas, 2-1, in overtime on Sept. 26. NU is 2-4 against top-25 teams this season, with three of its losses coming at No. 22 Florida, at No. 7 Texas A&M and at No. 9 Oklahoma State. Nebraska also beat Missouri on Sept. 28, who is currently ranked No. 20.

Hooking Up the Husker Offense
Nebraska has statistically dominated its opponents this season, racking up more than 20 shots against half of its opponents. NU has also posted more than 10 shots on goal against eight foes this year. The Huskers took a season-high 31 shots and 12 shots on goal versus Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 21, and currently rank fifth in the Big 12 in shots with 351 on the year.

The NU offense has been led largely by junior forward Shay Powell, who ranks sixth in the conference in shots and seventh in shots per game. Powell has pounded out 58 shots, averaging four per game for the Huskers, and took a season-high 10 against Stephen F. Austin. Her 10 shots were just two short of the NU single-game record, which is held by Christine Latham. Powell has found the back of the net seven times this season.

NU Defense Getting Offensive
The Husker backline has been down right offensive this season, as three defenders have put up points to help Nebraska win.

Senior defender Lindsay Poehling scored her first point of the season with an assist against North Dakota State and added a game-winning assist against Kansas on Sept. 26. Junior defender Carly Peetz had an assist against Stephen F. Austin before adding another assist and her first goal of the season against Missouri on Sept. 28. Fellow junior defender Anna Caniglia notched her first career game-winning goal against Stephen F. Austin and also scored against the Tigers before adding two assists against No. 8 Texas on Oct. 3.

Powell at the Point
Shay Powell, Nebraska’s leading scorer last season, has already assumed the title again this year. Powell, a junior forward, scored two goals in two consecutive games to lead the Huskers to victories over UAB and Oakland. She also collected a goal in NU’s 2-1 double-overtime win over Kansas on Sept. 26. Powell led the Huskers in points last season with five goals and ranks first again this season with seven goals, including two game-winners. She has five assists on the year.

Hot At Home
The Huskers have been hot at home this season, racking up a 8-2-1 record in games at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Huskers lost at home 1-0 to UC Riverside on Aug. 29, but rebouned to real off a 7-0-1 record in the next eight games in Lincoln. NU wrapped up its home portion of the schedule with a loss to Colorado and a victory over Texas Tech on Oct. 19.

Goetzmann Named Newcomer of the Week
Nebraska’s Katie Goetzmann was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, the league office announced on Oct. 21.

Goetzmann, a redshirt freshman midfielder, notched three points to lead the Huskers to a 3-0 win over Texas Tech on Oct. 19 during Senior Day at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Omaha, Neb., native notched her first career goal in the 74th minute after connecting with junior forward Shay Powell. Freshman Molly Thomas crossed a ball from the left side that a TTU defender deflected. Powell pounced on the ball and nearly went over the end line, but managed to forward a pass into the middle of the six-yard box. Goetzmann then flicked the ball over TTU goalkeeper Tina Rincon to put the Huskers comfortably ahead at 2-0 with less than 20 minutes left.

Goetzmann followed her first career goal with her first career assist less than five minutes later. Nebraska was on the offensive when sophomore forward Michaella Fulmer dribbled deep into the left corner. She passed the ball back out to Goetzmann, who passed right back to her on a run into the middle. Fulmer dodged a Tech defender and unleashed a low shot from 20 yards out that beat Rincon to her right.

Goetzmann is the second Husker to earn the honor this season. Thomas was also named the newcomer of the week on Sept. 30, after scoring the game-winning goal in Nebraska’s 2-1 double overtime defeat of No. 25 Kansas.

Thomas and Powell Earn Weekly Honors
Two Nebraska women’s soccer players were honored for their performances in Husker wins over Kansas and Missouri. Molly Thomas was named the newcomer of the week by the Big 12 Conference, while Shay Powell earned a selection to the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week.

Thomas, a freshman forward, scored the first game-winning goal of her career in the 107th minute of Nebraska’s 2-1 double-overtime upset of No. 25 Kansas on Sept. 26. Senior defender Lindsay Poehling sent a high, long ball over the KU defense where Thomas beat a defender and ran down the ball. After a few dribbles, she sent a low shot to the far corner of the net that Jayhawk goalkeeper Julie Hanley just missed. Thomas, a native of Omaha, is second on the team with nine points on four goals and one assist. She also leads the team with 60 percent of her shots going on goal.

Powell, a junior forward, notched a goal against the Jayhawks and added a game-winning assist versus Missouri on Sept. 28. The Dallas, Texas, native tied NU’s game with KU at one in the 71st minute after collecting a blocked Michaella Fulmer shot. Powell notched seven shots in the game, including directing three on goal. Powell propelled the Huskers to a 3-2 double-overtime win over the Tigers with a spectacular play. Fulmer put a long pass through that MU goalkeeper Tasha Dittamore came out to collect, but Powell beat her and a Missouri defender to the ball. Powell then took one touch toward the backline to clear a diving Dittamore and centered the ball to a wide open Sari Raber, who one-touched the ball into the back of the net. Powell leads the Huskers with 14 points on six goals and two assists.

On the Overtime
Nebraska’s two consecutive double-overtime victories against Kansas and Missouri marked just the second time in Husker history the team has won consecutive multiple-overtime games. In 1996, Nebraska followed a double-overtime win against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship game with a quadruple-overtime win over Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA Championships.

Putting up the Points
Nebraska has racked up three goals in seven different games this season. NU’s three goals against UAB and Oakland were the first time NU has had at least three goals in back-to-back games since earning a 3-2 win over North Texas and a 4-1 victory over Drake in 2006. The Huskers have also earned three goals over North Dakota State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State this season.

The Huskers’ other three-goal campaign this season was against Northwestern on Aug. 22, and featured two scores by sophomore forward Michaella Fulmer. NU notched the scores in a span of 19 minutes to tally its most goals in a regular-season game since a 4-0 win over Lamar on Oct. 12, 2007. It was also NU’s highest point total in a season opener since 2005.

It was also the first time in Nebraska’s 15-year history the Huskers have erased a two-goal second-half deficit on the road, as they came back from down 3-1 to tie the game at 3-3 before falling 4-3.

Holy Molly!
Molly Thomas continued her impressive freshman campaign with her fifth goal of the season against No. 9 Oklahoma State on Oct. 26. Thomas got Nebraska on the board in the 70th minute, when she deflected an Aysha Jamani shot into the back of the net. Junior defender Anna Caniglia sent a long cross from the left side of the field that an OSU defender was able to get a head on, but not clear. Jamani ran the ball down on the right side and made it into the box before cranking out a shot toward the center of the net. Thomas deflected the ball past OSU goalkeeper Erin Stigler. Thomas is tied for second on the team with 11 points on five goals and one assist, after making 17 starts.

Jamani Named to Preseason All-Big 12 Squad
Senior Aysha Jamani was selected to the preseason All-Big 12 soccer team in a vote of the league’s coaches on Aug. 15. Jamani, who earns the honor for a second consecutive season, is a welcome returnee to the 2008 lineup after an injury cut short her 2007 season. The Alberta, Canada, native started Nebraska’s first 10 contests, but a ruptured Achilles tendon brought her season to an abrupt end. A former Big 12 All-Newcomer team member and two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection, Jamani owns 11 career goals and eight assists in 47 starts for the Huskers.

Working Wonders in the W-League
Several Huskers stayed sharp this past summer by playing in the United Soccer League’s W-League, including Shay Powell who was selected to the All-League Team. Powell was the Ottawa Fury’s leading scorer, notching 12 goals on the season, and helping the Fury to a 13-1 regular-season record. She notched two hat tricks during the season and was named the W-League’s Player of the Week on July 9 for her hat trick against the Laval Comets.

Powell was joined on the Fury’s roster by Husker teammates Sari Raber and Anna Caniglia. Carly Peetz played for the Fort Collins Force and Selenia Iacchelli spent time with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The USL W-League is an open league that gives college players the chance to play alongside professionals while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league has 41 teams spread among three conferences.