Huskers Travel to Texas for Two Matches

Lincoln --

The Husker soccer team returns to the road for the first time in three weeks to take on Baylor Friday night and Texas Tech Sunday afternoon in the second week of Big 12 Conference action.

 

Nebraska will try to extend its five-game winning streak against the Bears and the Red Raiders.  NU is 7-2-1 on the season and opened conference play last weekend with solid wins over Iowa State and Missouri.

 

Freshman Ashley Carter, who was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday, leads the Huskers with 10 points on four goals and two assists this season.

 

Up first for NU will be Baylor, which is 5-5-0 on the season and 0-2-0 in the Big 12.  The Huskers will face the Bears at 7 p.m. Friday at Betty Lou Mays Field in Waco. Nebraska travels to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas Tech Sunday afternoon at R.P. Fuller Stadium. The Red Raiders are 2-5-1 overall, including a stunning 3-2 win over Kansas last weekend. Texas Tech is 1-1-0 in conference play. The Huskers are 10-1-0 all-time against Baylor, with their only loss coming in Waco in 1998. Nebraska is undefeated against Texas Tech, with a 9-0-0 all-time record.

 

Nebraska significantly picked up its offense in the last two games, scoring eight goals, which was one more than the seven goals NU totaled in its previous six games. Six of NU's weekend goals came from three players, as Carter, Vern Fitzgerald and Nikki Baker each netted two goals. Sophomore Kari Hogan also had an outstanding weekend, contributing five assists, including four against Iowa State.

 

Where to Find the Game

Nebraska's game against Baylor can be followed by live statistics. The game can be found at http://baylorbears.ocsn.com/livestats/w-soccer/.

 

The Huskers' home games will be carried for the second year on KRNU 90.3 and can be found at Huskers.com.  All games will be live on Huskers.com, while a few will also be carried on 90.3 FM, the campus student station. A student team of Chris Liberto, Dave Hunt and Tony Gorman will call the action throughout the season.

 

The Last Time We Met

The Huskers defeated Baylor and Texas Tech on the road in 2002 by a combined score of 8-0.

 

Nebraska defeated Texas Tech 4-0 on Oct. 18, on goals by Christine Latham, Brooke Bredenberg, Kari Hogan and Iman Haynes. The Huskers outshot the Red Raiders 23-5 and posted two goals per half. The win marked NU's eighth shutout of the season. The Huskers went from Lubbock to Waco in 2002 and crushed the Bears, 4-0. Nikki Baker notched the game-winning goal just 37 seconds into the contest on an assist from Jenna Cooper. Bredenberg posted her second goal of the weekend and her second collegiate goal. Senior Kori Saunders was on fire in the second half, putting in goals number three and four for the Huskers. Nebraska outshot Baylor 20-13 and NU goalkeeper Erin Miller posted 11 saves on the day.

 

Scouting Baylor

The Baylor Bears are 5-5-0 on the season and opened Big 12 play last weekend with two losses to Kansas (0-1) and Oklahoma State (0-3). The Bears began the season with three wins over Eastern Washington, North Texas and Houston, before taking their first losses to Utah and SMU. Baylor is coached by George Van Linder and finished the 2002 season with an 8-9-2 overall record. BU finished 10th in the conference with a 2-6-2 Big 12 record.

 

Junior Ginny Rosario-Tull leads the Bears with 18 points on eight goals and two assists on the season. Freshman Missy McConnell ranks second in scoring for BU with six points on three goals. Baylor goalkeeper Monica Housden has played all 10 games and has allowed 14 goals on the season for a 1.35 goals-against average. She has posted three shutouts.

 

Scouting Texas Tech

Texas Tech comes into the weekend with a 2-5-1 season record and a 1-1-0 record in Big 12 play. Tech picked up its first win since Sept.1, 2002, two weeks ago with a 3-1 win over Texas State. The Red Raiders picked up their second W of the season and their first conference win in almost three years when they defeated Kansas 3-2 Sunday afternoon. In the win over the Jayhawks, Texas Tech got goals from Catie Arsenault, Jordan Wicker and Kim Warren.

 

Arsenault and Warren lead the team in scoring with five points each on two goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Megan Knauss has allowed 17 goals in eight game and has posted 46 saves with a 2.04 goals-against average.

 

The Red Raiders were 2-17-0 in 2002 and did not win a conference game under head coach Felix Oskam. TTU only returned six starters from last season and lost nine letterwinners from a year ago.

 

The Last Time Out

Nebraska had its best weekend of the season last week with wins over conference foes Iowa State and Missouri. The Huskers put eight goals on the scoreboard over two games, one more goal than the previous six games combined.

 

NU defeated Iowa State, 5-1, Friday night with two goals each by Ashley Carter and Vern Fitzgerald. Lindsey Ingram also notched her first goal of the season in Friday's win. Sophomore Kari Hogan was outstanding, dishing out four assists Friday and adding one more assist Sunday against Missouri.

 

On Sunday, sophomore Nikki Baker notched two outstanding goals against the Tigers, giving NU its second win of the weekend.  Iman Haynes got her second goal of the season with the Huskers' third and final goal of the game when she got a great pass from Ingram. Haynes shot the ball, which ricocheted off a Missouri defender and went into the net. Nebraska outshot Iowa State, 23-12, and posted a 25-14 shot advantage against Missouri.

 

Up Next

Nebraska returns home after the coming weekend to wrap up the home season Oct. 10 and Oct. 17-19. The Huskers play host to Oklahoma on Oct. 10 at the Abbott Sports Complex and has a bye Sunday, Oct. 12. The following weekend Nebraska will host Oklahoma State and Kansas on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Nebraska will honor its lone senior Christy Harms before the Kansas game on Oct. 19.

 

Oklahoma is 6-3-1 on the season and is 1-1-0 in conference play. The Sooners dropped a 4-1 loss to Texas A&M last weekend, but defeated Texas 2-1 at home. OU has wins over Arkansas, New Mexico, SMU, Oral Roberts and Tulsa. The Sooners travel to Iowa State and Missouri before making the trip to Lincoln to face the Huskers.

 

Carter on Fire

Ashley Carter has started the last three games and has earned her playing time, notching four goals in the last five contests.

 

The Omaha Marian graduate lit up the scoreboard on Friday night against Iowa State with two goals and one that was called back, due to a foul that was called before the shot. Carter leads the Huskers in scoring with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Her goals against Wisconsin and Mississippi State in back-to-back contests, were both game-winners for NU. The 5-7 freshman forward has also contributed assists against Iowa and Iowa State. She has seen 555 minutes of action in all 10 games and has averaged 2.20 shots and one point per game. Against Missouri, Carter took nine shots, including three on goal.

 

Hogan Assists in NU Wins

Kari Hogan tied the Nebraska record for assists in a game against Iowa State Friday night, when she provided the pass for four scores on the night. Hogan would have made it five, if an Ashley Carter goal had not been called back. Her four assists against Iowa State is the top individual performance among Big 12 players this season..

 

The Lakewood, Colo., native has been extremely active in the opponents backfield, blazing by defenders and setting her teammates up for easy goals.

 

Against the Cyclones, Hogan set up the first goal of the game by Fitzgerald just 4:24 into the contest with a short cross on the right side. Hogan was there again for the second goal, feeding the ball to Carter this time. The 5-6 sophomore forward also notched assists on Fitzgerald and Carter's second goals of the game to finish off the Cyclones.

 

Hogan came back against Missouri and provided the game-winning assist on a pass to Nikki Baker, who was able to get the ball when the MU goalkeeper misplayed it and nailed the game-winning goal.

 

Lincoln East Grad Shows Scoring Flare

Sophomore Vern Fitzgerald has made a tremendous impact in her second year in a Husker uniform. The Lincoln native has started all 10 games this season and has seen 862 minutes of action.

 

She has been outstanding in the midfield all season, opening the season with the game-winning assist against DePaul. Fitzgerald scored her first goal of the season in the 1-1 tie with Michigan in the third week of action.

 

She unloaded though in the Iowa State game, scoring two goals and posting one assist for five points. Fitzgerald notched the first goal of the game just 4:24 into the match, and posted the Huskers' fourth goal with less than 15 minutes remaining on the clock. She has taken 17 shots on the season, six of which have been on goal, and is averaging 0.80 points per game.

 

Balanced Attack

The Nebraska offense has definitely proven it is multi-dimensional in 2003. Nine different Huskers have provided goals in 10 games. Ashley Carter leads the way with four goals, followed by Vern Fitzgerald (3) and Jessie Bruch (3). Better yet, five different Huskers have provided the game-winning goal in NU's seven wins on the season. Carter leads the way with three game winners.

 

Showing an unselfish side, nine Huskers have contributed at least one assist on the season. Jenna Cooper and Kari Hogan lead the way with six assists each. Carter, Fitzgerald and Lindsey Ingram each have two assists.

 

Defense Looks Strong

Nebraska has a strong heritage of solid defense, but with the new season brought new questions. The answer: the defense is more than capable of holding its part of the deal. The Huskers have only given up 13 goals this season, and six of those 13 came against North Carolina. 

 

With an injury to Christy Harms against Mississippi State, the Huskers did some shuffling, moving Lindsey Ingram to the back with Aly Scace, Jenna Cooper and Katie Bunkers. Bunkers was limited early in the season due to injury, but appears to be back and ready to go after three full weekends of action. Cooper was one of the staples in the 2002 defense and has continued to look strong in the early part of 2003. Scace moved from midfield to defender in the spring with the loss of all-conference defender Breanna Boyd. Scace has taken to the new role well. In the games against Mississippi State and Murray State, the defenders didn't see much action in the backfield, but played a vital role distributing the ball to the players in front of them.

 

In the Net

Goalkeepers Brooke Bredenberg and Katie Wright have combined for four shutouts on the season.

 

Bredenberg has seen a majority of the minutes in the Husker goal, and has only allowed seven goals for a .94 goals-against average, which ranks fifth in the Big 12. Bredenberg has faced 89 shots and made 35 saves. She has accumulated a 6-1-1 overall record.

 

Wright has played in five games, starting in two. All six goals Wright has allowed came in her start against North Carolina. The Visalia, Calif., native has posted 19 saves and a 2.17 goals-against average. She is 1-1-0 on the season and has faced 44 shots.

 

The Numbers

Nebraska is one of only four teams (and the only Big 12 team) to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past seven seasons. Since the Big 12 was formed in 1996, the Huskers have claimed five of the seven conference tournament championships, winning in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002.  Nebraska also won regular-season titles in 1996, 1999 and 2000. In eight seasons of Big 12 action, the Huskers have produced an overall conference record of 61-8-2, for a league-best winning percentage of .873.

 

Through the past six seasons, the Huskers have a combined record of 27-4-3 against the ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences.  Nebraska is 4-2-2 vs. the ACC, 9-0-1 vs. the Big Ten, 8-1 vs. the SEC, and 6-1 against the Pac-10.

 

The Polls

The Huskers were rewarded for a weekend of stellar play, reentering the NSCAA Top 25 at No. 14. Nebraska had dropped out of the polls for the past three weeks. NU was ranked 14th the week of Sept. 1, before dropping games to Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels remained No. 1 with a perfect 11-0-0 record and Notre Dame held on to the No. 2 ranking.

 

Oklahoma entered the rankings for the first time this season at No. 24 and Colorado improved from No. 17 to No. 15. Texas dropped out of the poll, but is still receiving votes after losing to Oklahoma last weekend. NU has finished in the final NSCAA Top 15 for the last seven seasons.

 

Home Sweet Home

Nebraska has played well at the Abbott Sports Complex this season, extending its home-winning streak to eight games, dating back to Oct. 27, 2002, when the Huskers defeated Oklahoma, 1-0.

 

NU opened the 2003 schedule with home wins over DePaul and Iowa and extended the streak against Mississippi State and Murray State. The Huskers improved the streak last weekend with wins over Iowa State and Missouri.

 

The last time the Huskers were undefeated at home was the 2001 season when they collected a 12-0-0 record. NU has also put up perfect home seasons in 1996 (13-0-0) and 1997 (12-0-0). The Huskers will try and add 2003 to that list. Nebraska plays host to three more home games this season, including games against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas.

 

Huskers in World Cup Action

Canada's Women's World Cup team has advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over Argentina and Japan, and will face China on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9:30 p.m. in Portland, Ore.

 

Six current or former Huskers are currently playing for Canada. The list includes Isabelle Morneau, Sharolta Nonen, Karina LeBlanc, Christine Latham, Brittany Timko and Tanya Dennis. Former Husker Christine Latham has scored three goals in Canada's last two games, putting her third in goals among all players.

 

Husker fans can get their first glimpse of freshmen Dennis and Timko as well as the former Huskers standouts by tuning in for Canada's quarterfinal match on ESPN2 Thursday night.

 

Husker fans can also follow the Women's World Cup through the eyes of former Nebraska defender Jenny Benson.  The former Philadelphia Charge defender is covering the WWC for ESPN Soccernet.com.

 

Head Coach John Walker

In his 10th season at the helm of the Nebraska program, John Walker has accumulated staggering numbers, including a 165-37-8 record and an .805 winning percentage that ranks second among all Division I active coaches.

 

Walker led the Huskers to the NCAA postseason in 1996 and has finished in the top 15 nationally for the last seven seasons.

 

He has taken NU to the NCAA Sweet 16 in each of the last seven seasons, including two trips to the Elite Eight.

 

The Kingston, Ontario, native posted his best season in scarlet and cream in 1999, when the Huskers finished with a 22-1-2 final record. Under Walker, NU has won three Big 12 regular-season titles and five of the seven Big 12 Tournament championships.

 

Around the Big 12 Conference

Oklahoma State continues to impress, with a 10-0-0 record and a 2-0-0 Big 12 record for a 1.000 winning percentage. The Cowgirls defeated Texas Tech and Baylor last weekend to lead the conference. OSU will play host to Texas A&M and Texas for the coming weekend. Texas A&M remained No. 3 in the NSCAA poll this week with wins over Oklahoma and Washington State. The Aggies are 8-1-0 overall and go to Oklahoma State and Kansas this week. Texas dropped to 5-5-0 on the season and lost its first conference game of the season to Oklahoma, 2-1. The Longhorns play at KU and OSU this weekend.

 

Colorado took down Missouri and Iowa State this past weekend and will play Baylor and Texas Tech with Nebraska this weekend. Texas Tech won its first conference game in nearly three years, defeating Kansas, 3-2, in Lubbock, on Sunday. Iowa State dropped games last weekend to Nebraska and Colorado. Missouri faces California and Oklahoma this weekend.