Huskers Host Pair of Big Ten Newcomers

Game 10
No. 25 Rutgers vs. Nebraska
Thursday, Sept. 25 l Lincoln, Neb. l 4:30 p.m.
Stadium: Nebraska Soccer Field
Capacity: 3,500
Series History: First meeting
Video: BTN Plus
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Game 11
Maryland vs. Nebraska
Sunday, Sept. 28 l Lincoln, Neb. l 2 p.m.
Stadium: Nebraska Soccer Field
Capacity: 3,500
Series History: First meeting
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Special Events: $1 admission, pregame tailgate with free hot dogs, popcorn and Pepsi products for the first 200 fans

The Nebraska soccer team (4-4-1) returns home this week to host Big Ten newcomers No. 25 Rutgers and Maryland at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

The Huskers face the Scarlet Knights on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., in a match that will be streamed on BTN Plus. NU’s game against Maryland on Sunday will be televised on the Big Ten Network starting at 2 p.m.

Nebraska enters the week seeking its first Big Ten win of the season after an 0-2-1 start in conference play. Each game will mark the Huskers’ first meeting in series history against the opponent.

Last Time Out: Huskers Fall to No. 13 Wisconsin, 3-0
Nebraska outshot Wisconsin 10-7 at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis., but fell by a 3-0 margin on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Badgers scored goals in the first, 20th and 86th minutes.

Jaycie Johnson (three shots on goal), Caroline Gray (two shots on goal), Mayme Conroy (one shot on goal) and Caroline Flynn (one shot on goal) led Nebraska’s offense.

Scouting the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
No. 25 Rutgers is 6-1-0 on the season and holds a 2-1-0 record in Big Ten play during its first year as a member of the conference. The Scarlet Knights opened their season with consecutive wins over Stony Brook, Vanderbilt, Seton Hall and Prin before suffering their only loss of the season to Maryland, 2-0, on Sept. 12. Rutgers responded last weekend with victories over Michigan State and Michigan at home.

Eight different players have scored for the Scarlet Knights, with Amy Pietrangelo and Stefanie Scholz leading the team with three goals each. Goalkeeper Casey Murphy has earned four shutouts in seven starts this season, while allowing three goals over 628 minutes. She has 18 saves.

Scouting the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland is 3-3-2 this season and holds a 1-1-1 mark in the Big Ten. After suffering back-to-back losses to start the season, including a 3-0 setback to No. 1 UCLA on Aug. 22, the Terrapins reeled off wins against William & Mary and NC State before tying Navy. Maryland defeated Rutgers 2-0 on Sept. 12 before falling to Michigan and tied Michigan State on Sept. 21.

Eight different players have scored for the Terrapins, including Alex Doody, who leads the team with two goals. Goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands has played all 760 minutes of the season in net and compiled 28 saves. She has given up seven goals and pitched three shutouts.

Huskers Showing Ability to Score Late
Nebraska has scored in the 75th minute or later in six of its nine games this season. Jaycie Johnson has scored twice in the 75th minute or later, while Courtney Claassen, Caroline Flynn, Katie Kraeutner and Sydney Miramontez have each added one during that time stretch.

The Huskers failed to score down the stretch against Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, but made late goals in each of their first four games of the season. Overall, NU is 4-1-1 when scoring in the last 15 minutes. The Huskers are 0-3-0 when they don’t.

Schatz Filling Goalkeeper Role
Sophomore Kelly Schatz has started all nine games at goalkeeper for the Huskers this season, playing more than 804 minutes. Schatz has 23 saves and has earned two complete game shutouts. She also contributed to a third NU shutout as she played the first 48 minutes against North Dakota. Schatz has given up 13 goals on the season and holds a .639 save percentage.

Johnson Continues to Produce on Offense
Nebraska’s leading goal scorer from 2013, Jaycie Johnson, started 2014 where she left off from last season and has six goals through nine games.

Johnson scored two goals in each of the first three weekends, managing a pair of scores in both the Marquette and North Dakota matches. She scored once against SMU and once while facing DePaul.

A Lake Winnebago, Mo. native, Johnson has taken 38 shots this season, 27 of which have been on goal.

NU Ties Big Ten Opener, Falls to Illinois
Nebraska opened its Big Ten season with a pair of home matches on Thursday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 14. The Huskers tied Northwestern in the first game, 1-1, before dropping a 3-0 decision to Illinois.

Against the Wildcats, Northwestern’s Sami Schrakamp struck first in the 12th minute to put the Wildcats up 1-0. With time winding down in the game, Katie Kraeutner scored off an assist from Jaycie Johnson in the 88th minute to tie the game. Neither team scored in the extra time.

Against the Fighting Illini, the Huskers took six shots but failed to score in a 3-0 setback. Illinois’ Allison Stucky scored in the 40th minute, while Jannelle Flaws added two goals, scoring in the 71st and 80th minute.

NU Responds to 2OT Loss with 4-0 Win
Nebraska went 1-1 at home in its third weekend of play, falling to No. 20 Oklahoma in double overtime on Friday, Sept. 5, before dominating North Dakota by a 4-0 margin on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Against the Sooners, Katie Kraeutner scored in the sixth minute to put NU up early, but Oklahoma tied the score 1-1 in the 71st minute with Ayana O’Neal’s goal. Despite Nebraska controlling on offense to start the second overtime, Oklahoma’s defense managed to withstand the pressure and scored in the 107th minute for the win.

On Sunday, the Huskers outshot North Dakota 32-2, as Jaycie Johnson scored twice, and Mayme Conroy and Courtney Claassen each added one goal in the 4-0 win.

Both of Johnson’s goals came in the first three minutes of the second half. Conroy scored NU’s first goal of the game in the ninth minute. Claassen scored off a rebound in the 76th minute for her first career goal. Caroline Flynn recorded two assists.

Huskers Sweep Butler, Marquette
Nebraska took down Butler, 1-0, on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Nebraska Soccer Field before defeating Marquette, 3-2, on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Valley Fields in Milwaukee, Wis.

The Huskers outshot the Bulldogs 17-2, but it wasn’t until Caroline Flynn’s goal in the 83rd minute that NU got on the scoreboard. Flynn scored from 30 yards out to the top left corner of the net from the right side of the field. Goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned two saves during the shutout.

Against the Golden Eagles, Nebraska trailed 2-0 before scoring three goals in the final 26 minutes en route to a 3-2 triumph. Jaycie Johnson scored twice, making her first goal in the 65th minute before adding the game winner off an assist from Caroline Gray in the 83rd minute. Mayme Conroy added a goal for the Huskers in the 69th minute.

Huskers Split Opening Weekend Games
Nebraska opened the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22 with a 4-0 victory over SMU before falling to DePaul, 2-1, on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Against the Mustangs, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned a shutout in her first career start at the position. She compiled five saves, four of which came in the second half. Caroline Gray, Caroline Flynn, Jaycie Johnson and Sydney Miramontez each scored for the Huskers in the home opener.

Against the Blue Demons, Johnson scored the lone goal for the Huskers in the 89th minute off an assist from Flynn, but DePaul had already built a 2-0 lead. Elise Wyatt scored for the Blue Demons in the 16th minute before Abby Reed added a goal in the 85th minute.

Final Season at Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers are in their 10th and final season at the Nebraska Soccer Field before moving into the Nebraska Soccer and Tennis Complex next season. Since moving to campus in 2005, NU has compiled a 66-27-13 record and has five home games remaining in 2014.

2014 Season Outlook
Nebraska’s 2014 team includes five seniors in Head Coach John Walker’s 21st season at the helm of the school’s soccer program. The Huskers also welcomed back All-Big Ten second-team member Jaycie Johnson, who is a sophomore in 2014 after leading the team with 17 goals last season. The Huskers added 12 newcomers in the offseason in addition to their 12 returning letterwinners from 2013.

Huskers to Make Three BTN Appearances
Nebraska appeared on the Big Ten Network on Thursday, Sept. 11 and will make two more showings this season. The Huskers host Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m., on BTN. The game was originally set for 1 p.m., but was changed for TV scheduling. NU’s final regular season appearance on the network comes at Michigan on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m.