Huskers Wrap Up Homestand

The Nebraska soccer team looks to rebound from a disappointing weekend when it plays host to Northern Colorado (1-5-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Montana (3-2-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Abbott Sports Complex.

The games against the Bears and Grizzlies mark the end of a season-opening eight-game homestand for the Huskers. NU heads to Creighton for its first road game Sept. 21.

Nebraska’s offense, which managed only one goal last weekend, looks to increase its production against a pair of unfamiliar foes. The Huskers have never played Northern Colorado and have only seen Montana once, with the Huskers’ winning a double-overtime decision in 1994, the first year of the Husker soccer program.

The Huskers’ defense, which is allowing only one goal per game, seeks continued improvement after allowing three goals last weekend when Nebraska droped a pair of one-goal decisions to Pacific and Stanford. A loss for the Huskers on Friday night would mark the first three-game losing streak in school history.

NU outshot both of its opponents last weekend and put more shots on goal, but was only able to record one goal. This weekend’s games will serve as a final tune up for the Big 12 Conference portion of the Huskers’ schedule.

Nebraska opens Big 12 play at Kansas on Sept. 24.

Scouting the Bears
Northern Colorado (1-5-0) went 0-2 at last weekend’s Loyola Marymount/Holiday Inn/LAX tournament. The Bears dropped a 4-1 decision to Loyola Marymount before playing Washington State tough in a 3-2 loss.

The Bears’ lone win came in a 2-1 victory over Delaware. Since that game, UNC has lost two straight.

Northern Colorado is averaging only one goal per contest this season, and has been outscored 13-6. Chelsey Ekenberg leads the team with three points and is tied for the team lead with one goal and one assist.

In goal, Chrissy Marvin has posted a 2.17 goals-against average. She has played every minute in goal for the Bears and has recorded 31 saves. Nebraska and Northern Colorado have never met on the soccer field.

Scouting Montana
Montana (3-2-1) split two games at the Soccer Etc. Nike Classic in Boise, Idaho, last weekend. The Grizzlies opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Minnesota, but then lost a 2-1 decision to host Boise State.

Montana is led offensively by Laura Nogueira, who leads the team with two goals scored and five points. Nikki Bolstad leads the team with two assists.

In goal, Molly Gilbert started the Grizzlies’ first four games, recording 18 saves and posting a 1.5 goals-against average. Jamie Rizzuto has started Montana’s last two games and has also posted a 1.5 goals-against average.

Last Time We Met
Nebraska and Montana hve met only once on the soccer field. The Huskers defeated the Grizzlies 2-1 in double overtime in 1994, the inaugural season for soccer at Nebraska. It was just the third game in program history and the win improved Nebraska’s record to 2-1 and the Huskers have never dropped to .500 or below since.

West Coast Blues
Nebraska went 0-2 against a pair of West Coast teams at the Abbott Sports Complex last weekend. Pacific stunned the Huskers with a 2-1 victory before Stanford nipped NU, 1-0.

Pacific’s Regina McGee used her speed to beat the Nebraska defense and NU sophomore goalkeeper Katie Wright twice, including scoring on an empty net in the Tigers’ upset win.

McGee’s goal ended Wright’s 295-minute scoreless streak and was the first goal scored on Nebraska in more than six halves.

Sophomore Brittany Timko scored what turned out to be the Huskers’ lone goal of the weekend against Pacific. Timko was able to find the back of the net when Pacific’s goalkeeper was out of position following an attempted breakup of a crossing pass.

Trailing 2-1, Nebraska had numerous chances to tie the game, but was unable to do so. Timko attempted the Huskers’ first penalty kick of the year with less than 14 minutes remaining, but her shot was saved by the Pacific goalkeeper.
Nebraska gave a much better effort against Stanford, according to NU Head Coach John Walker.

The Huskers outshot the Cardinal, but Stanford was able to find the back of the net. Nebraska came close on several occassions, but was unable to score.

The back-to-back home losses were the first for Nebraska since losing to two top-10 teams in consecutive games at the Abbott Sports Complex in 2002.

Timko, Wright Honored
Sophomores Brittany Timko and Katie Wright were selected as the Big 12 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for the week of Sept. 7.

Nebraska posted a 2-0 record that week, recording a 4-0 win over Eastern Illinois and a 3-0 win over Purdue.
Timko totaled seven points in the two wins. She scored two goals against Purdue and tallied three assists against Eastern Illinois, just one shy of the school record. For her efforts, Timko was also named to Soccer America’s National Team of the Week.
Wright was honored for posting back-to-back shutouts over Purdue and EIU, which each advanced to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

Big Numbers
Sophomore midfielder Brittany TImko has put up big numbers through six games this season. She leads the team with four assists and 10 points and is tied for the team lead with three goals.

In 2003, Jessie Bruch led Nebraska with 19 points in 22 games. Timko is already more than halfway toward matching Bruch’s team-leading totals from a year ago.

At her current pace, Timko would finish with 10 goals, 13 assists and 33 points. With those numbers, the Coquitlam, B.C., native would be the first Husker to finish with double-figures in goals and assists since Christine Latham and Meghan Anderson each accomplished the feat in 2001.

Thirteen assists would also tie Timko for seventh place on NU’s single-season chart.

In the Polls
The Huskers are not ranked but are receiving votes in the first regular season NSCAA/adidas top 25 poll, released Sept. 7.
Nebraska has been ranked in the final NSCAA/adidas poll for each of the last eight seasons.

Up Next
Nebraska will leave the friendly confines of the Abbott Sports Complex for the first time this season next week.
The Huskers head to Creighton on Sept. 21 for their first road game of the year. NU then travels to Kansas for a Sept. 24 match with the Jayhawks before heading to Iowa State on Sept. 26.

On the Air
All of Nebraska’s home games, including Friday’s 7 p.m. game with Northern Colorado and Sunday’s 1 p.m. contest with Montana, will be carried by KRNU and will be available on Huskers.com.

Home Sweet Home
Nebraska, which is set to play a school-record 13 home games this season, is nearing the end of a season-opening eight-game homestand.

The Huskers play at the Abbott Sports Complex until Sept. 21, when they head to Creighton for their first road game of the season. In the regular season, NU has only six road games scheduled.

Head Coach John Walker
Nebraska Head Coach John Walker is in his 11th year as coach of the Huskers. Since starting the program in 1994, Walker has posted an impressive 175-46-8 record, recording his 175th career victory in a 3-0 win over purdue on Sept. 5.

His .782 winning percentage is third among all Division I active coaches and his 175 victories rank 26th among active coaches.
Walker’s teams have won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament for eight consecutive seasons and have finished the season in the NSCAA/adidas top 25 poll in each of the last eight seasons.

Under Walker, the Huskers have become a perennial power. He has led the team to three Big 12 regular-season titles and five Big 12 Tournament titles since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996, including a sweep of both titles in 1999 and 2000.

Take Five
Treat yourself and up to four other Husker fans to a great ticket offer during the 2004 Nebraska soccer season with Nebraska’s new "Take Five" ticket package.

For any single regular-season Husker soccer game, fans can purchase one ticket good for five general admissions at a cost of just $10. Fans can purchase the "Nebraska Take Five" ticket package by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8BIGRED or at the Abbott Sports Complex on the day of the game.

The Streak
The 2004 Nebraska soccer team is looking to continue an impressive streak that began in 1996.

In every season since 1996 - a streak totaling eight seasons - the Huskers have not only made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but have won at least one game to advance to the second round. The 2004 Huskers are looking to make it nine straight this season.