Huskers To Honor Six Seniors Friday vs. Iowa State

Game 19: Iowa State (7-8-4, 2-7-0) vs. Nebraska (10-4-4, 4-3-2)
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Date: Friday, Oct. 30
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Location: Nebraska Soccer Field; Lincoln, Neb.
Promotions: 2009 Senior Day (3:20 p.m.); Halloween Costume Contest

After reaching the 10-win mark for the 15th time in program history and climbing as high as fourth in the Big 12 Conference standings, the Husker soccer team conludes its regular season by honoring the 2009 senior class this Friday against the Iowa State Cyclones. Kickoff from the Nebraska Soccer Field is set for 3:30 p.m., with Senior Day ceremonies beginning at 3:20 p.m.

Nebraska is currently sixth in the Big 12 standings, but has an opportunity to improve its final place in the league with a victory over the Cyclones. The Huskers have secured themselves a spot in next week's Big 12 Championship, which invites the conference's top eight teams to San Antonio for the postseason tournament.

Nebraska's six-member senior class would like to prolong the 2009 season, as the Huskers aim for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2005.

As a group, the seniors have helped lead Nebraska to three 10-win seasons since 2006, including a 16-2-3 record at home the past two years. This season, the class is responsbible for 16 goals and 53 points. Anna Caniglia, Carly Peetz and Shay Powell have been regular starters for the Big Red, while Julie Berkshire and Lauren Isenhower have been valuable reseves and contributed a combined 11 points. Brittney Lanier has made a determined comeback from a senior knee injury to see action in two games this year. She started 16 games in her first three seasons.

"Each has had unique challenges, whether it be injuries, position changes, or fighting for playing time, but they have always trained hard and put their teammates ahead of themselves," head coach John Walker said. "They have been instrumental in reviving the program over the past couple of seasons and setting the competitive standards for the young players to follow."

Caniglia led Nebraska to its most recent victory, a 7-4 triumph at Kansas last Friday. The Omaha, Neb., native turned in a hat trick that was highlighted by a bicycle kick goal in the 59th minute. She also contributed an assist on Peetz' goal off a free kick in the 75th minute. Both Caniglia and Peetz enter their final home game having started all 77 contests of their career, ninth on the Nebraska all-time career start list.

The Nebraska Athletic Marketing staff will be having a Halloween costume contest at this Friday's game. The marketing staff will pick the five best costumes, which will all receive a Nebraska Soccer scarf. The fans will then vote on the grand prize winner at halftime by applause, with the winner receiving a $25 gift card to Planet Sub.

Husker Soccer Program Sends Off Sensational Senior Class
Nebraska will be graduating a senior class that has a combined 224 starts since 2006, scored nearly 60 goals and includes four team captains. Head coach John Walker described the group as "hard-working, good character, talented, great students who have represented the program, athletic department and university in the right ways."

The class has earned 31 spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and nine Academic All-Big 12 awards. Lauren Isenhower is currently in graduate school at the University of Nebraska, while the other five are all on track to earn their undergraduate degrees.

Julie Berkshire (Omaha, Neb.) has enjoyed a breakout senior season. Appearing in 17 games, Berkshire had the game-winning assist in Nebraska's upset over Texas A&M on Oct. 18, just two days after she notched a goal against Texas. In her sophomore season, Berkshire scored twice in a 5-1 victory over St. Louis, with her first-career goal and assist coming as a freshman against Drake. A three-time member to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll, Berkshire has spent time working in the Nebraska Athletic Development Office while studying toward a degree in business administration. She plans to graduate this May.

Anna Caniglia (Omaha, Neb.) has started all 77 games of her career, the ninth-most on the Nebraska all-time charts. However, none were more memorable than last Friday at Kansas, when she turned in the 26th hat trick in school history and added an assist for a career-best seven-point game. A traditional defender, Caniglia has transitioned to midfield this season and leads the Huskers with eights assists to go along with five goals. Academically, she has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll all six semesters and is a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection. She will earn her undergraduate degree in marketing this December.

Lauren Isenhower (Lenexa, Kan.) has returned to top form and played in all 18 games despite a knee injury sustained in 2006. This year, Isenhower scored two goals in the home opener against Lamar, before back-to-back two-assist games versus Akron and South Dakota. As a freshman, Isenhower was one of the top newcomers on the team, starting 18 games and contributing two goals and three assists. A five-time Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll member and 2008 second-team academic All-Big 12 selection, Isenhower earned a bacholer's degree in international business last May, but has played her senior season while attending graduate school at Nebraska.

Brittney Lanier (Carrollton, Texas) has started 16 during her career and made a remarkable comeback from a torn PCL injury to see playing time in her senior season. As a freshman in 2006, she scored two game-winning goals, while she has also posted one assist in Big 12 matches each of the past two years. Lanier has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll five times and is a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection. She is a religious studies and pre-nursing major and is on track to graduate next December.

Carly Peetz (Lincoln, Neb.) has started 77 consecutive games for the Huskers, the ninth-most in school history. A 2008 All-Big 12 selection, Peetz is one of the most successful and talented defenders in school history. She has career-high totals in 2009 with four goals and three assists, including scoring in games against Oklahoma State, Texas and Kansas. Peetz was vital in Nebraska's upset over Missouri last year with three points on a goal and an assist. She is a six-time Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll member and two-time academic All-Big 12 selection. In April 2009, she was a recipient of Nebraska's Hero Award. Peetz plans to graduate next December with a degree in advertising.

Shay Powell (Dallas, Texas) led Nebraska in scoring as a sophomore and junior and has been one the Huskers' biggest offensive threats with 45 career points. She has started 51 games and been very strong in Big 12 action this season with three goals and one assist. Last year, Powell had three points in upsets over Kansas and Missouri, while also posting back-to-back two-goal games against UAB and Oakland. Powell has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll all six semesters and is a two-time academic All-Big 12 selection. She is a pre-law psychology major and will graduate next May.

Husker History vs. Iowa State
Nebraska leads the all-time series against Iowa State, 11-2-1. The Huskers won the first 10 meetings against the Cyclones from 1995 to 2004, before dropping back-to-back matches in 2005 and 2006. The squads tied in 2007, while Nebraska downed Iowa State last season in Ames, 3-1.

Each of the Husker goals in the 2008 victory over the Cyclones came from current NU players in Colleen Goetzmann, Michaella Fulmer and Shay Powell. Katie Goetzmann, Brittney Lanier, Anna White and Powell all registered assists to help the Huskers overcome an early 1-0 deficit.

Scouting the Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State (7-8-4, 2-7-0) began the season 4-0-3, but has struggled to find the win category as of late, including four one-goal losses in Big 12 play.

The Cyclones' conference victories have come over Oklahoma State (2-1, Oct. 2) and Texas (1-0, Oct. 16), while ISU nearly matched No. 14 Texas A&M, but fell to the Aggies, 1-0, on a penalty kick in the 55th minute. Iowa State's most notable non-conference victory was against then-No. 20 DePaul (3-0) in Ames on Sept. 4.

Amanda Woelfel leads the Cyclones with four goals and two assists, while Casey Bothwell and Mary Kate McLaughlin each have three goals.

Iowa State has its highest statistical ranking in goals allowed, as the Cyclones are third with 20 (1.05 goals allowed per game). Goalkeeper Ann Gleason has 80 saves, the second-most in the Big 12 Conference.

Caniglia Named to TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week
Senior Anna Caniglia has been named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's Team of the Week following her hat trick in Nebraska's 7-4 win at Kansas last Friday. The Omaha, Neb., native was one of 11 players honored nationally by the website for her outstanding performance.

Caniglia scored three times on four shots and added an assist against the Jayhawks, while delivering one of the top highlights of the 2009 season on a bicycle kick in the box to put the Huskers ahead 4-2 in the 59th minute.

Starting her 76th consecutive game, Caniglia gave Nebraska a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute on a tough-angle shot near the sideline, before contributing her final goal with 11 minutes remaining on a low shot that beat KU goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau to the far post. The senior finished the day with seven points, as she also assisted on Carly Peetz's score with 15 minutes remaining. She now ranks third in the Big 12 with eight assists this season.

Caniglia is the ninth non-forward to register a hat trick in school history and just the 15th Husker player to do so overall.

Marlborough Wraps Up Spectular Freshman Season
Morgan Marlborough is wrapping up arguably the best freshman campaign in school history and one of the best seasons overall by a Husker player in the 16-year tenure of the program.

Marlborough registered two assists in Nebraska's 7-4 win at Kansas last Friday to move into a tie for fifth place on the NU single-season point chart with 48. She already ranks in a tie for fourth in single-season goals with 21, trailing only Kim Essenger (27, 1998; 26, 1997) and Christine Latham (23, 2000), She has led the NCAA since the first rankings were released on Sept. 14.

Marlborough has garned national recognition through her spectacular season, as she was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and one of College Soccer 360's 'Primetime Performers of the Week' following her clutch play in Nebraska's 2-1 upset over No. 14 Texas A&M on Oct. 18.

Marlborough increased her nation-leading goal total to 21 in the victory, as she scored both Husker goals, including the game-winner in the 82nd minute.

The Big 12 award was the third of the season for Marlborough, as she was also won offensive and newcomer honors on Sept. 15. Marlborough is just the third freshman in Big 12 history to win three awards in a season, joining Texas A&M's Ashlee Pistorius (three in 2004) and Colorado's Nikki Marshall (four in 2006). Her three awards in 2009 lead the conference.

College Soccer 360's 'Primetime Performers of the Week' are based on criteria that includes playing against top-25 teams or top-level opponents and players who are involved in clutch performances such as game-winning goals or late scores. Marlborough is the second Husker to be named one of College Soccer 360's 'Primetime Performers of the Week' this season after senior defender Carly Peetz earned the honor on Oct. 6.

Following a hat trick in Nebraska's 5-2 victory over Oklahoma on Oct. 11, Marlborough set the Nebraska freshman single-season goal record, previously held by both Lindsay Eddleman and Isabelle Morneau in 1996 with 17 goals each.

Marlborough's hat trick versus the Sooners was her second of the year, as the Lee's Summit, Mo., native tied the single-game school record with four goals against Akron on Sept. 18. Only 14 games into her freshman season, Marlborough became one of seven Huskers ever to produce multiple hat tricks in a career.

Aside from being tied for the national lead in goals (also Danielle Foxhaven, Portland), Marlborough is No. 2 in goals per game (1.167) and points (48), while ranking third in points per game (2.67).

Marlborough was voted Big 12 Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 15 after she turned in six goals and two assists in wins over North Dakota (Sept. 11) and Akron (Sept. 13). It marked just the third time in Big 12 history that a player has earned two awards in the same week.

Aside from holding four nation-best marks, Marlborough's four-goal performance against Akron is tied for the best single-game performance in the Big 12 Conference this season. Colorado's Nikki Marshall matched Marlborough's four-goal game in the Buffs' 5-1 win over Oklahoma on Oct. 2.

Marlborough has scored a point in 12 of 18 games and has seven multiple-goal games, the seventh-most by a Nebraska player in program history. Her six assists are tied for second on the team and sixth in the Big 12 Conference.

Huskers Rank Second Nationally in Scoring
Nebraska has scored the second-most goals of any women's college soccer team in the NCAA this season, as it has 60 goals through 18 games to lead the Big 12 Conference. The Huskers trail only Portland (69).

Nebraska is averaging 3.33 goals per game (3rd NCAA) and has already scored the most goals by an NU team since 2001. The Huskers have scored 43 times at home, shattering the previous Nebraska Soccer Field season record of 26, which was set in both 2005 and 2006.

Nebraska's seven goals at Kansas last Friday were the most in a Big 12 game since an 8-1 win over Texas Tech on Oct. 28, 2001.

Nebraska's nine goals in a 9-0 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 18 are the most by a Big 12 team this season.

Powell Coming on Strong in Conference Play
Nebraska's leading goal scorer the past two seasons looks to have found her offensive rhythm again, as senior Shay Powell has scored three goals and added an assist in the Huskers' first nine Big 12 games.

Powell produced just one goal in Nebraska's first nine contests, but has increased her offensive production to reach the double-digit point plateau on four goals and five assists (13 points). She had one of the biggest goals of the season on Oct. 4 against Oklahoma State, as she knocked in the game-winner in the 10th minute. On Oct. 8, Powell's goal in the 46th minute forced a 1-1 tie versus Baylor, while she added an assist against the Sooners.

Thomas Continues to Lead Offensively, Pressure Defenses
Sophomore Molly Thomas continues to emerge as one of Nebraska's best offensive players in recent history. The Omaha, Neb., native has seven goals and six assists (20 points) this season, including a solid two-game stretch Oct. 9-11 when she contributed an assist in each of Nebraska's contests against Baylor and Oklahoma.

Thomas' offensive prowess is evident even when it does not show up in the statistics. Following Nebraska's 2-1 victory over Texas A&M, Morgan Marlborough credited Thomas' aggressiveness and speed for putting the Huskers in position to score. Against Kansas last Friday, Thomas contributed one goal and one assist.

A member of the 2008 Big 12 All-Newcomer team, Thomas turned in a career-best two-goal, two-assist game in Nebraska's 9-0 win against South Dakota on Sept.18.

Peetz, Caniglia Reach All-Time Top 10 for Career Starts
Senior defenders Carly Peetz and Anna Caniglia have reached the Nebraska top-10 list for career starts, as each has started 77 games in their Husker careers. More impressive, however, is that Peetz and Caniglia have done so in a consecutive streak from 2006 to 2009.

The seniors are two of the most consistent and important players the NU soccer program has ever seen. On the field, the duo has helped the Huskers hold opponents to 1.61 goals per game this year.

Perhaps even more impressive has been the offensive production. Peetz has a career-high 11 points this season, including one of the biggest goals of her career against Oklahoma State on Oct. 4, as Peetz headed in a free kick from Caniglia to wrap up Nebraska's 2-0 victory. Caniglia is third in the Big 12 with eight assists, including possibly her biggest of the season in Nebraska's win over Texas A&M when her free kick led to the Huskers' first goal. Caniglia also has a career-high five goals this season, matching her previous three-year total combined.

Freshmen See Playing Time in First Year with Huskers
Freshman Jordan Jackson has played in all 18 games this season, starting 12 contests and scoring four goals on 34 shots, while also tallying three assists. Freshman Bri Exstrom saw her first game action of the 2009 season against South Dakota on Sept. 18 and made the most of her opportunity by notching a goal in the 82nd minute. The freshman class was responsible for four of Nebraska's five goals in the win over Oklahoma on Oct. 11 and has 27 on the season (Marlborough-21, Jackson-5, Exstrom-1).

Nebraska has high hopes for its freshman class, which includes goalkeeper Emma Stevens, forward/ midfielder Stacy Bartels, defender/midfielder Taylor Houck and defender Bri Badje.

Review: Caniglia's Hat Trick Leads Huskers Over Kansas; NU Falls at No. 23 Missouri
Nebraska split a pair of Big 12 Conference road matches last week, claiming a 7-4 win at Kansas before dropping a 5-0 decision at No. 23 Missouri.

Senior Anna Caniglia turned in one of the best single-game performances in recent Husker history, as she scored three goals and added as assist to lead NU over the Jayhawks.

In Nebraska's highest-scoring Big 12 game since 1999, Caniglia began the Husker scoring barrage in the opening minutes, earning her first goal of the game in the 10th minute on an impressive 35-yard shot near the corner flag that drifted into the far corner of the net for a 1-0 Nebraska lead.

The Huskers did not waste any time striking again, as NU increased its lead to 3-0 on goals by sophomore Molly Thomas (24th minute) and freshman Jordan Jackson (33rd minute), before Kansas' Monica Dolinsky scored on a free kick with 3 minutes remaining in the first half.

Nebraska was in danger of losing its early advantage when KU's Caitlin Noble scored in the 51st minute to cut the Husker lead to 3-2. Caniglia answered with the most spectacular goal of the season, as she scored on a bicycle kick in the goalie box in the 59th minute to shift the momentum Nebraska's way.

Caniglia's impressive play was the first of four second-half Husker goals, as junior Michaella Fulmer and senior Carly Peetz each scored before Caniglia completed the hat trick in the 80th minute.

Caniglia had two goals this season before her three-goal explosion against the Jayhawks to mark the 26th hat trick in school history. She finished the day with seven points as she also assisted on Peetz' goal.

Nebraska ran into a tough challenge in Columbia, as No. 23 Missouri defeated the Huskers and claimed the Big 12 regular season championship with a 5-0 win.

Nebraska was on par with a talented Tiger squad in nearly every statistical category, but could not slow down a Missouri squad aiming for its first-ever regular-season conference title. The Huskers took 16 shots to Missouri's 18, and were edged in corner kicks, 5-4.

Nebraska led Missouri in the first half in shots (8-7) and corner kicks (3-2).