#25 Huskers Look to Purdue, Illinois

With a four-match winning streak and tie for second in the conference standings, the No. 25 Nebraska soccer team (11-2-3, 5-1-2 Big Ten) aims to continue its momentum as the Huskers wrap up regular season play at home against Purdue and on the road at Illinois. 

The Huskers host the Boilermakers (3-11-2, 0-6-2 Big Ten) on Thursday starting at 7:05 p.m. (CT) and battle the Fighting Illini (6-6-3, 2-4-2 Big Ten) on Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT) at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill. 

Both matches will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus (subscription required to watch).

Last Time Out
The Huskers scored a finish in each half while keeping the Gophers scoreless, as the Nebraska soccer team defeated Minnesota on the road 2-0 Sunday afternoon. 

Next Up
After this week's conference matches, Nebraska ­will await the announcement of its seed for the 2023 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament starting on Sunday, Oct. 29.

Quick Notes
The Huskers are currently ranked 21st in this week’s RPI. Penn State (first) is the only team in the Big Ten who is ranked higher, and NU is joined by Wisconsin (26th) and Michigan State (28th) in the top 30. 

Dale earned her fourth Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor last week as she currently leads the country and conference in total goals (21) and game-winning goals (6), while also leading the conference in shots (93), shots on goal (44) and points (46). Additionally, she has tallied nine total braces on the season and is currently tied for fourth all-time in the Husker records in goals scored. Nationally, Dale leads in goals per game (1.31), second in shots on goal per game (2.75) and also second in points (46). 

Dale’s total goals and points are the most in the Big Ten since 2013 when Illinois’ Jannelle Flaws had 23 goals and 48 points.

Junior forward Weber has continued her strong offensive attack as she is second in the conference standings in shots (69), third in shots on goal (30), fourth in points (24) and fifth in goals (9).

Junior midfielder Florence Belzile, a two-time member of the Top Drawer Soccer weekly team, recorded two assists in Thursday’s game against Maryland and now has a team-high 11 on the season, good for second in the conference and fourth nationally. She also is 10th in the conference standings with 17 points. 

As a team, the Huskers are fifth in the nation in assists per game (3.12) and total goals (45), sixth in shots on goal per game (9.38) and seventh in points per game (8.75) and shots per game (19.69).

In the goal, senior Sami Hauk has recorded 61 saves on the year and is currently fourth in saves per game (3.81).

NU enters the week tied for second in the conference standings with 17 points (three points for a win, one point for a tie).

Four of NU’s six freshmen have seen the pitch so far this year, led by Reese Borer who has played 214 minutes

The Huskers’ six goals against Eastern Washington marked the most finishes the Huskers have tallied in a regular season match since the 2011 victory against Northern Arizona (8-1) and the most goals on the road since the win in 2009 at Kansas (7-4). Additionally, that was the first time since NU’s victory over Missouri in 2021 that the Big Red has netted four or more goals in the second half

This season’s win over Eastern Washington also marked the 350th win in program history. Head Coach John Walker achieved the same milestone, having been at the helm of the program since its inception in 1994.

Head Coach John Walker is in his 30th season, alongside assistant coaches Savanah Anderson-Baer (first season), Ian Bridge (eighth season) and Marty Everding (26th season).     

Scouting the Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue is 3-11-2 overall with a 0-6-2 record in Big Ten Play. The Boilermakers are coming off a recent 0-0 tie against No. 4 Penn State and a 2-1 loss at Illinois.

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 8-5-1, dating back to the first meeting between the schools in 2001. Most recently, the teams tied 1-1 in 2022 in Indiana. 

Head Coach Drew Roff is in his ninth season at Purdue. He is assisted by Jim Schneiderhahn and Kelsey Brouwer. 

Players to Watch:

• #24 Kayla Budish: Team-high eight points (three goals and two assists)
• #10 Emily Mathews: Team-high five assists
• #1 Charlotte Cyr: Has recorded 62 saves and one shutout on the year 

Scouting the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois is 6-6-3 this season with a 2-4-2 record in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini face Michigan State on Thursday night before their matchup against Nebraska on Sunday.

The Fighting Illini leads the all-time series between the two teams, 5-8-0, dating back to 2004. The Huskers are on a two-match winning streak against the Fighting Illini as NU won 3-1 in both 2021 and 2022.

Head Coach Janet Rayfield is 226-173-43 in her 22nd season at Illinois. Rayfield is assisted by Jeff Freeman and Sammy Jo Prudhomme. 

Players to Watch:

• #22 Lia Howard: Team-high 12 points (four goals and four assists)
• #28 Sydney Stephens: Tied for the team-high with goals, while adding one assist
• #1 Julia Cili: Has recorded 75 saves and two shutouts this season