Huskers Open 2015 Season Against No. 23 Kansas

Game #1: Nebraska vs. No. 23 Kansas
Location: Hibner Stadium
Date: Friday, Aug. 21
Time: 7:05 p.m. CT
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Stream: Huskers.com

 

The Nebraska soccer team kicks off the 2015 season with a home opener against No. 23 Kansas at Hibner Stadium beginning at 7:05 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 21.

The Huskers and the Jayhawks are familiar opponents, meeting for the 21st time in Nebraska program history. NU holds a 15-3-2 series record over Kansas, with the two teams’ last meeting occurring in 2010.

Friday’s match also serves as the first official game at Hibner Stadium, the new home of the Nebraska soccer team. The first 1,000 fans will receive a commemorative scarf in honor of former assistant coach Peter Underwood. Fans will also be able to enjoy a fireworks display for every Husker goal scored and at the conclusion of the game.

Live steaming and stats for the match will be available on Huskers.com.

Last Time Out: Flynn, Johnson Lead NU to 6-2 Win Over Coyotes
The Nebraska soccer team’s Caroline Flynn and Jaycie Johnson notched a pair of goals apiece to help the Huskers overtake South Dakota 6-2 in their second exhibition on Friday night.

NU came out firing in the first half, outshooting the Coyotes 8-2. Junior Jaycie Johnson put Nebraska on the board in the 25th minute after sweeping past a pair of defenders to lob the ball inside the bottom corner. Johnson also added an assist in the 28th minute, as classmate Caroline Flynn found the top left corner of the net to bring the Huskers to a 2-0 lead.

Redshirt freshman Lia Baldo kept things rolling with three minutes left in the half, beating two defenders to earn a clear shot for the third goal of the game. The Huskers led the Coyotes 3-0 at the half.

NU came out of the gate just as strong to begin the second half, as sophomore Haley Hanson launched a ball from 40 yards out to bring the score to 4-0 in the 49th minute. Johnson scored her second goal of the game shortly afterward off of an assist from Flynn to extend the Husker lead 5-0.

South Dakota responded in the 59th minute, as junior Corey Strang found an opportunity inside the box with help from Taylor Nivala’s assist to bring the score to 5-1.

Flynn shot right back to earn her second goal of the game, heading in the ball after a rebound off of the crossbar in the 68th minute.

The Coyotes closed the gap with only 40 seconds left from an unassisted midfield shot from sophomore Lara Boman, ending the game 6-2.

Sophomore Erika Johnson tallied her second career win at goalkeeper, seeing 65 minutes of playing time.

Hibner Stadium: the Inaugural Season
After 10 years at the Nebraska Soccer Field, the Huskers have a new home at Hibner Stadium and Field as part of the Nebraska Soccer and Tennis Complex. Named after former Nebraska senior women’s administrator Barbara Hibner, the soccer complex features an all-grass, regulation size field, stadium lights, quality seating for 2,500 fans and a support facility with direct access to fan amenities.

2015 Season Outlook
Head Coach John Walker enters his 22nd season at the helm of the Huskers squad. The 2015 team features seven returning starters from last year, including the lone senior duo Katie Kraeutner and Jaylyn Odermann, while welcoming seven newcomers to the mix. Walker has guided the Huskers to a 290-133-27 overall record since the program’s debut in 1996, placing him among the top-20 winningest active coaches in NCAA Division I by victories.

Huskers to Make Three BTN Appearances
Nebraska will be featured on the Big Ten Network twice this season, while also appearing on the Big Ten Digital Network six times over the course of the year.

The Huskers open BTN’s 2015 soccer coverage on Friday, Sept. 18 against Michigan at the U-M Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT.

Nebraska will also play at Illinois on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m., featured on BTN.

Huskers at No. 10 in Big Ten Preseason Poll
The Nebraska soccer team pulls down the No. 10 slot in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the conference released on Aug. 12.

Penn State tops the conference list after finishing the 2014 season with a 12-1-0 conference record (20-4-0 overall) and making its 20th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Nittany Lions have won 16 of the last 17 Big Ten women’s soccer titles and return eight starters to the 2015 squad.

Michigan checks in at No. 2 in the preseason poll, followed by Rutgers and Wisconsin at No. 3 and Illinois at No. 5.

The Huskers will also play six teams ranked in the NSCAA Division I preseason poll over the course of the season: No. 23 Kansas (Aug. 21), No. 19 BYU (Aug. 31), No. 21 DePaul (Sept. 6), No. 7 North Carolina (Sept. 11), No. 16 Penn State (Sept. 25) and No. 14 Wisconsin (Oct. 11).