Latham Scores Twice as Huskers Knock Out Kansas, 4-0

San Antonio, Texas - With four second-half goals, including two by Big 12 Conference Player of the Year Christine Latham, the third-ranked Nebraska soccer team knocked off Kansas, 4-0, in the first-round of the Big 12 Tournament at Blossom Soccer Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The top-seeded Huskers (19-1-0) advanced to play a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday against the winner of the Missouri-Baylor contest.

Latham put Nebraska on the board at 53:59 on a ball sent by junior midfielder Meghan Anderson. The pass sailed over Latham's head into a diving Kansas goalkeeper Sarah Gonzalez. Latham won the ball from Gonzalez and fired a shot from the top of the box into an empty net.

"That kind of got the energy going," Latham said of her first goal. "We started doing the things we knew we could do. We seemed tired in the first half. We weren't playing with the usual intensity. We're lucky then didn't counter-attack and score on us."

The Huskers outshot the Jayhawks, 22-8, but only owned a 7-4 shot advantage at halftime. NU outcornered Kansas, 14-3.

Latham, who has scored a conference-high 51 points this season, notched her sixth multiple-goal game. The sophomore also leads the league with 22 goals. Her second goal came at 65:27 on a flick near the end line over Gonzalez' head, which put NU up 2-0.

"I kind of thought the ball was going out, but I chased it anyway," Latham said. "The goalkeeper came out to grab it, and kind of flicked it. It wasn't meant to be a pass, but it kind of hit the ground and just spun in. I turned my head to the right and saw it barely go in."

Nebraska senior goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, a second-team All-Big 12 selection, helped the Huskers to their 14th shutout of the season, tying the school record set in 1997. LeBlanc, who has now posted 265:44 scoreless minutes, recorded four saves in the effort.

Also scoring for Nebraska were freshmen Lindsey Greenwood (76:43) and Christy Harms (78:20).

Greenwood, a forward, has now scored all five of her season goals in the Huskers' last six games. After assisting Harms' goal, Greenwood now ranks sixth on the team with 15 points - just behind Harms' 16 points.

"Lindsay is phenomenal," Latham said. "She brings high-energy to the front line."

Senior defender Jenny Benson, a first-team All-Big 12 selection, recorded her fifth and sixth assists of the season, upping her school record to 43 assists.

The championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.