Huskers Face Kansas on 2010 Senior Day

Game 18: Kansas (5-11-0, 1-7-0) at Nebraska (11-5-1, 4-3-1)
Date: Oct. 22, 2010
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Nebraska Soccer Field; Lincoln, Neb.
Capacity: 3,500
Series History: NU leads, 14-3-2
Live Audio: krnu.unl.edu
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Sitting in a third-place tie in the Big 12 standings with two matches remaining, Nebraska (11-5-1, 4-2-1) wraps up the home portion of its 2010 schedule this Friday when the Huskers host Kansas (5-11-0, 1-7-0) on Senior Day. Kickoff from the Nebraska Soccer Field is set for 3:30 p.m., with Senior Day ceremonies taking place immediately following the game. The match will be broadcast by 90.3 KRNU (krnu.unl.edu) and live stats will be available on Huskers.com.

The Huskers currently share the third spot in the conference race with Oklahoma, who NU tied last week in Norman. Although Nebraska is vying for a top-three finish, five teams behind the Huskers and Sooners are within six points of third place, as the league schedule heads into the final two weeks of the season. Nebraska is ranked sixth in the NSCAA Central Regional rankings and holds a No. 36 RPI in this week's rankings. The Huskers' 11-win total marks the 16th time in 17 years that head coach John Walker has led the Big Red to a double-digit win season.

Walker and the NU soccer program will bid farewell to a successful senior class prior to the start of Friday's game against the Jayhawks. This year's class includes Alexa Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.), Colleen Goetzmann (Omaha, Neb.), Katie Goetzmann (Omaha, Neb.), Brittany Goosen (Olathe, Kan.), Tara Macdonald (Austin, Texas), Anna White (Warrensburg, Mo.) and Jaclyn White (Long Beach, Calif.). Six members of this group made an immediate impact to see early playing time in their careers, while Macdonald joined the Huskers in 2008 after transferring from Oklahoma. The class has won 37 career games and holds a 25-3-3 record at the Nebraska Soccer Field over the last three years.

Kansas comes to Lincoln with a 5-11-0 overall record and a 1-7-0 mark in Big 12 play, tied for 10th with Iowa State. The Jayhawks' lone Big 12 win came over Texas on Oct. 3, just two days after they nearly upset No. 10 Texas A&M in a 1-0 setback.

Nebraska's Morgan Marlborough, who ranks second in the NCAA in scoring, leads the Big 12 Conference in points (41), goals (16) and assists (9) as she bids for her second straight league player of the year award. Sophomore teammate Jordan Jackson is also making a run for All-Big 12 honors, ranking second in points (26), third in assists (8) and fourth in goals (9).

Following this week's home finale, the Huskers travel to Colorado for the last game of the regular season on Friday, Oct. 29. The matchup against the Buffs will be televised by Fox Sports Rocky Mountain at 4 p.m. CST.

Huskers Send Off Talented Senior Class
Nebraska will be graduating a senior class that has started a combined 259 matches since 2007. With the group, the Huskers are 32-19-6 over the past three years, including an impressive 25-3-3 record at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Academically, the class has earned 31 spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and seven Academic All-Big 12 awards. All seven will earn degrees from the University of Nebraska.

Alexa Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.) has battled injuries throughout her career but maintained composure to make significant on-the-field impact for the Huskers. Appearing in 46 career matches, Cardona had seven points as a freshman on two goals and three assists. Although she missed all of 2008 and parts of 2009 due to injury, she returned to earn a starting stop four times this year. Against Missouri on Oct. 10, Cardona scored her first goal since her impressive freshman season. A two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection, Cardona has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll six semesters. She is set to graduate next December with a business administration degree.

Colleen Goetzmann (Omaha, Neb.) worked her way into a starting role as a freshman and has been in the lineup for 54-of-66 career matches. Despite suffering a season-ending injury last fall, Goetzmann made a strong return for the Huskers in 2010 and currently ranks fourth on the team with seven points. The senior scored the tying goal in Nebraska's 4-2 come-from-behind win over Missouri two weeks ago and has 18 career points on eight goals and two assists. In the classroom, Goetzmann was a 2008 first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll all six semesters. She is on track to graduate with a business administration degree in December 2011.

Katie Goetzmann (Omaha, Neb.) has started 37 consecutive games for the Huskers. After sitting out her 2007 freshman season with an injury, Goetzmann scored her first career goal on Oct. 19, 2008 against Texas Tech and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. Despite playing on the backline, Goetzmann has been one of Nebraska's assist leaders with 11 in her career, including six this season. Two weeks ago, she had a three-assist weekend in wins over Iowa State and Missouri. A business administration major, Goetzmann is a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and six-time Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll member. She is set to graduate next December.

Brittany Goosen (Olathe, Kan.) has been one of the most consistent players in school history by starting all 74 career matches to rank 11th on the all-time chart. A talented defender, Goosen scored her first career goal as a freshman against Georgia. She also has two career assists, one each as a sophomore and junior, but has made her biggest impact by leading the Husker defense to an impressive 17 shutouts during her career. During that time, Goosen and the Huskers have held opponents to just 1.5 goals per game. A Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection, Goosen is a pre-speech language pathology major at Nebraska. She will graduate in May 2012.

Tara Macdonald (Austin, Texas) was a fine addition to the Huskers after she transferred to NU from Oklahoma in 2008. The goalkeeper immediately challenged for the starting spot and earned that role 11 times in 2009. Although Macdonald has battled injuries throughout her career, she ranks sixth on the all-time saves chart with 101 saves and seventh in all-time wins with a 12-5-4 record. Last Thursday at Oklahoma, Macdonald broke the single-game school record with 13 saves while turning in her fourth career shutout. A Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection, Macdonald graduated with a sociology degree last May but has played this season as a graduate student.

Anna White (Warrensburg, Mo.) has started every game the past two years while earning a spot in the lineup in 61-of-73 career matches. On Oct. 3, 2008, White scored the first goal in Nebraska's 2-1 upset of No. 8 Texas, while also adding an assist later in the season against Iowa State. White is recognized as one of the toughest players on the field and impacted the team in several ways, including strong defense and offensive assistance from her midfield position. She is a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll every semester. A child, youth and family studies major, White will graduate this coming May.

Jaclyn White (Long Beach, Calif.) has produced her best season this year by scoring six points on two goals and two assists. White has played a variety of positions during her career and appeared in 54 career matches. Earning a more definitive role as a forward, White has been in the starting lineup three times this season and scored goals against Arizona and Oklahoma State. She tallied her first career goal as a freshman on Oct. 12, 2007 against Lamar. In the classroom, White was a 2009 first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll all six semesters. She will graduate with a business administration degree in May 2012.

Scouting Kansas
Kansas (5-11-0, 1-7-0) is currently tied for 10th in the Big 12 standings after a narrow 1-0 double-overtime loss to Baylor on Sunday. The Jayhawks' picked up their only league win against Texas on Oct. 3 after they challenged No. 10 Texas A&M in a 1-0 defeat. Kansas began the season with a 4-4-0 record in non-league play.

Junior Emily Cressy is KU's leading scorer for the second straight year, as she has six points this season on three goals, including the game-winner in the 65th minute against the Longhorns. Four teammates have five points each in junior Kortney Clifton, senior Caitlin Noble, freshman Caroline Kastor and sophomore Whitney Berry.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kat Liebetrau has started 15-of-16 matches. She has 97 saves with a .795 save percentage, while giving up 1.53 goals per game. Liebetrau has four shutouts this year.

Kansas returned eight of 11 starters from its 2009 team that went 12-8-2 (4-6-0) and finished seventh in the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks upset No. 20 Missouri in the regular season finale behind a pair of Cressy goals.

Head coach Mark Francis is in his 12th season at Kansas. He has a 129-86-17 record in Lawrence after spending three years at South Alabama.

Husker History Against the Jayhawks
Nebraska leads the all-time series against Kansas, 14-3-2. The Huskers won last year's contest in Lawrence, 7-4, behind Anna Caniglia's hat trick, the 27th in school history.

The Huskers are 5-2-0 all-time against Kansas in Lincoln, including a 1-1-1 record at the Nebraska Soccer Field. One of the most memorable games in school history occurred in the Nebraska-Kansas series, as the Huskers defeated the No. 8 national-seed Jayhawks in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet 16.

The last time the two teams met in Lincoln, Molly Thomas led Nebraska to another upset over Kansas, as the Huskers downed the 25th-ranked Jayhawks, 2-1, in double-overtime. Thomas found the back of the net in the 106th minute after she chased down a long ball and sent a low shot into the far right corner of the net for the game-winning goal.

Nebraska-Colorado Match to be Televised by Fox Sports Rocky Mountain
Nebraska's regular season finale at Colorado on Friday, Oct. 29 will be nationally televised by Fox Sports Rocky Mountain. The Huskers and Buffaloes will kick off from Boulder's Prentup Field at 4 p.m. CST in a critical conference match that will help determine seeding for the following week's Big 12 Championship.

Based in Denver, Fox Sports Rocky Mountain is available regionally in the surrounding states and nationally on DirecTV (683) Dish Network (414).

Nebraska (11-5-1, 4-3-1) is currently tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference with Oklahoma, while Colorado (6-9-1, 1-1-4) is ninth. The Buffaloes, however, are only six points behind the Huskers and well within striking distance to make a move up the conference ladder.

Huskers Rank No. 36 in Latest RPI
Nebraska is No. 36 in this week's RPI. Seven of the Huskers' opponents rank in the top 50 (No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Arizona State, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 19 New Mexico, No. 30 Texas Tech, No. 31 Texas and No. 42 Baylor).The Rating Percentage Index measures strength of schedule and how a team fares against that schedule. It is heavily considered when the NCAA selects its field for the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, Nebraska finished with an RPI of 72.

Marlborough Breaks School Record, Continues Climb Up Charts
In only 36 collegiate games, sophomore Morgan Marlborough has already risen to No. 7 on the school's top 10 list with 37 career goals. Earlier this season, Marlborough had at least one goal in eight straight matches to break Christine Latham's 11-year school record. While doing so, she was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 12, marking the fifth time she has earned a weekly conference award during her career. Her two goals in Nebraska's 2-1 victory over Texas on Sept. 24 helped the forward earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the fourth time in her career. This season, Marlborough has passed former Huskers Nikki Baker (2002-04), Kelly Rheem (1998-2001), Kori Saunders (1999-2002) and Jenny Benson (1996-2000) on the all-time goal chart. Christine Latham (1999-2002) is the school record keeper with 69 career goals. Marlborough ranks second in the NCAA with 41 points and is the Big 12 leader in points and goals (16) and is tied for second in assists (9).

Although the all-time goal list is one of the most prominent charts, Marlborough holds her highest top-10 ranking with 10 multiple-goal games, tied for the fourth-most in school history with Kari Uppinghouse and Lindsay Eddleman. She is also ninth in game-winning goals (7) and points (87).

Last season, Marlborough's 49 points (21 goals, 7 assists) led a Husker scoring attack that ranked third in the NCAA with 3.10 goals per game, the highest scoring average by a Nebraska team since 2000 (4.0). Marlborough was named a freshman All-American and earned Big 12 Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year awards.

The fifth-highest scorer in the NCAA last fall, Marlborough broke the freshman school record for single-season goals just 14 games into the season. She is just one of seven players in school history to produce multiple hat tricks in a career after she tied the single-game school record with four goals against Akron and then had three vs. Oklahoma.

Prior to the start of this season, Marlborough was named to the watch list for the 2010 Hermann Trophy, given annually to the nation's best women's collegiate soccer player, while she also claimed a spot on the 2010 Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

Jackson Among Top Offensive Players in the NCAA
Sophomore Jordan Jackson ranks third in the Big 12 and 20th nationally with eight assists, while she is 23rd with 26 points. On Oct. 10, Jackson had the game-winning goal in Nebraska's 4-2 come-from-behind win over Missouri, marking her seventh multiple-point game of the season. Jackson had two goals in Nebraska's 3-1 win over Iowa on Sept. 19, following a two-assist performance in the 3-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 17 to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors. The sophomore scored her first two goals in the Sept. 6 win against IUPUI and has since been one of the biggest offensive threats in conference.

Jackson worked her way into the lineup to start 14 of 20 games as a freshman, including the last 11. The forward scored five goals on the season, tied for the third-most on the team. Jackson added three assists, including one in Nebraska's upset of No. 14 Texas A&M. She accounted for 13 points on the year.

Thomas Works Toward Another All-Big 12 Season
Two-time All-Big 12 selection Molly Thomas is third on the team in goals behind Marlborough and Jackson with four. The Omaha native also has two assists to total 10 points on the year as she aims for All-Big 12 honors for the third straight season. Thomas scored at least one point in four straight matches from Aug. 27-Sept. 6, including both goals in Nebraska's 2-0 win over Loyola Chicago. Her offensive aggressiveness and speed has been the lead force in helping Nebraska currently rank first in the Big 12 with 98 corner kicks.

Thomas has started 52-of-54 career games with the Huskers. She had 23 points on eight goals and seven assists in 2009 after an 11-point freshman season.

Stevens Compiles 3-0 Big 12 Record
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emma Stevens has produced a 3-0 record in Big 12 play with wins over Texas, Iowa State and Missouri. Stevens had a career-high seven saves against the Cyclones and allowed only one goal against the Longhorns with five saves. That victory came on the heels of back-to-back wins over Cal State Fullerton and Iowa the previous week. The Corona, Calif., native is 5-1-0 overall with a 1.58 goals-against average and .684 save percentage.

Stevens redshirted the 2009 campaign, but was impressive in the spring season that included a shutout over BYU. At Santiago High School, Stevens accumulated over 6,000 minutes in net and notched 383 saves. As a senior, she posted 121 saves while leading the Sharks to a 19-4-2 record. Stevens earned two shutouts in the state tournament, before Santiago was eliminated in the quarterfinals. She claimed 11 shutouts during the season.

Macdonald Moves Up All-Time Charts
Senior Tara Macdonald broke Karina LeBlanc's single-game save record with 13 saves in the 0-0 double-overtime tie at Oklahoma last Thursday. Following the weekend, Macdonald has 101 career saves to rank sixth in school history. On Aug. 31, she was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week following her strong performances in wins over Loyola Chicago and Loyola Maryland. Macdonald's player of the week award was the first of her career and the ninth for a Husker goalie in school history.

A native of Austin, Texas, Macdonald turned in two shutouts in her first action of the 2010 season, as Nebraska downed the Ramblers (2-0) and the Greyhounds (2-0) three weeks ago. Macdonald totaled seven saves in the victories, including a four-save, complete-game shutout against Loyola Maryland. She has a 1.54 goals-against average and 0.800 save percentage.

Macdonald transferred from the University of Oklahoma in 2008. Despite battling injuries in just over one season at Nebraska, she has reached eighth on the school's all-time top 10 lists for career saves with 70. She is also tied for seventh on the all-time win list with an 11-3-3 record as a Husker.

Last season, Macdonald ranked fourth in the Big 12 Conference with 3.75 saves per game and totaled 45 on the year with a .763 save percentage.

Romero Scores First-Career Goal, Named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Freshman Ari Romero saved her first career goal for an opportune time as her rebound header in the 92nd minute gave Nebraska a 5-4 overtime victory at Texas Tech on Oct. 3 and earned her Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. After a Texas Tech foul less than two minutes into overtime, sophomore Morgan Marlborough took a 40-yard free kick from the right side of the field that hit the left post. Romero was positioned inside the six-yard box for the rebound attempt and headed in the game-winning goal past Texas Tech goalkeeper Colleen Pitts. It marked the first-career goal for Romero, a freshman from Surprise, Ariz., who has started all 15 matches for the Huskers this season. She was an offensive contributor in last Friday's 4-1 win over Iowa State by assisting Morgan Marlborough on the first goal of the match in the 28th minute.

Freshmen Playing Big Roles in 2010
Four Husker freshmen have earned time in the starting lineup this season, led by forward Ari Romero and defender Maritza Hayes who have each started all 17 matches. Hayes, along with senior Brittany Goosen and junior Katie Goetzmann, have helped lead the Huskers to five shutouts. Goalkeeper Emma Stevens has earned a starting role in eight matches, while Bartels has worked her way into the lineup for six games and scored three goals.

Nearly the entire true freshmen class has seen playing time this fall, including midfielder Ashley Hick, forward Maddie Hanssler, midfielder Kylie Kusleika and forward Megan Merrill. Goalkeepers Mallorie Monhollon and Amy Swearer have not yet appeared in a game, as they have both battled injuries while serving as back-ups to redshirt freshman Emma Stevens and senior Tara Macdonald.

Cardona, White Return to Starting Lineup
Forward Alexa Cardona has earned four starts this season, marking a return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 2, 2007 when she scored a goal and had an assist in a 2-2- tie against Iowa State. Since then, the Lincoln, Neb., native was forced to sit out the 2008 season due to a foot injury and then missed the last six games of 2009 with a dislocated knee cap. Before her injury-shortened junior season, Cardona tallied two assists in 11 games. This year, she has one goal from the Oct. 10 win over Missouri as she scored in the 48th minute to spark the comeback in the 4-2 victory. With action in 47 career matches, she is one of the more experienced players on the NU roster.

Another veteran Husker who saw a recent return to the starting lineup is utility player Jaclyn White. The senior from Long Beach, Calif., has started three matches, her first starts since 2007. White has made the most of her opportunity as she scored her fourth career goal against No. 5 Oklahoma State last Saturday. Her role was taken to a further extent against No. 6 Texas A&M when she served as the NU goalkeeper for the final 49 minutes of the match. Despite having no previous goalkeeping experience, White gave up only one goal and tallied three saves against the Aggies in the 2-1 loss.

Huskers Hold One of Nation's Biggest Home Field Advantages
Nebraska has shown the Big Red has one of the best home field advantages in the country by losing only one home match in its past 21. The lone loss came against No. 6 Texas A&M on Sept. 26, breaking a streak of 18-straight unbeaten home games that was the fifth-longest in the NCAA. During that span, NU compiled a 9-0-2 record in 2009 that was the best home record since the 2001 Huskers went 12-0-0 at the Abbott Sports Complex. Since moving on campus in 2005, Nebraska has won 75 percent (46-12-10) of its home matches. Last season's home success included a 2-1 upset of No. 14 Texas A&M, while the Huskers scored at least two goals in 9-of-11 home matches and a combined 29 goals in the first four games. Nebraska is 8-1 at home this season.

Review: Huskers Fall Late at No. 5 Oklahoma State
Nebraska answered the first two goals from No. 5 Oklahoma State and had the game tied 2-2 with 25 minutes remaining before the Cowgirls scored twice to spoil the Huskers' upset bid in a 4-2 match in Stillwater, Okla. The Huskers slipped to 11-5-1 (4-3-1 Big 12) overall, while Oklahoma State improved to 14-1-1 (7-0-0 Big 12) and remained undefeated in conference play.

Sophomore Morgan Marlborough and senior Jaclyn White scored the NU goals in the 15th and 63rd minutes. Marlborough has a Big 12-leading 16 goals and finished with three points as she assisted on White's goal to tie the game in the second half.

Nebraska fell behind early when Whitney Wernimont gave OSU a 1-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game (6:41). Marlborough responded at 14:55 on a cross from senior Colleen Goetzmann from seven yards out. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native made the most of few offensive opportunities as she was held to three shots by a tough Cowgirl defense that had given up only nine goals all season. Nebraska became only the third team this year to score two goals against Oklahoma State.

Following Marlborough's goal, OSU's Katie Richardson picked up a rebound on a Krista Lopez shot in the box and scored from five yards away to give the Cowgirls a 2-1 halftime lead.

In the 63rd minute, Nebraska put the pressure on the nation's fifth-ranked team with White's goal from six yards away, her second of the season. With under 25 minutes remaining, Oklahoma State produced back-to-back goals from Taylor Mathews and Megan Marchesano in a 13-minute span (66:20, 78:36) to hold off the Huskers.

Oklahoma State outshot the Huskers 22-12, including a 10-5 shots on goal advantage. Senior Tara Macdonald suffered her third loss of the season (6-3-1) but came away with six stops to surpass the 100-save mark. The Austin, Texas native ranks sixth in school history with 101 career saves.