NU Continues Homestand This Weekend

The Nebraska soccer team (3-1-0) faces unfamiliar competition this weekend when it hosts Colorado College (4-0-0) at 5 p.m. on Friday and Rice (3-1-0) at Noon on Sunday at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

The Huskers have never faced Rice and have only squared off with Colorado College twice in program history, but have not faced the Tigers since 1996.

Although the two teams may not have name recognition in their favor, their play on the field this season speaks for itself. CC is undefeated through its first four games and has outscored its opponents, 10-1. Although the Tigers have only outshot their opponents 47-41, they have converted 10 of their 25 shots on goal, while opponents have scored only once on 19 shots on goal.

Rice, which is competing in its first season as a member of Conference USA, has been dominant offensively in building its 3-1-0 record. In its last two games, Rice outscored Texas Southern and Texas State by a combined score of 16-0. The Owls have taken a whopping 109 shots this season, averaging better than 27 shots per game, while limiting opponents to less than seven. Each of Rice's victories have come at home, however, and the Owls will be playing their first road game of the season against NU on Sunday.

Nebraska got an early start to the week with a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory over San Diego State on Tuesday. Freshman Aysha Jamani gave NU a 1-0 lead at halftime with her team-leading third goal of the season.

After outplaying SDSU for most of the first half, the Aztecs responded in the second half, scoring goals in the 63rd and 66th minutes to rally for a 2-1 lead. The game remained that way until junior Brittany Timko scored the equalizer at 82:57 off an assist from junior Nikki Baker.

Baker and Timko teamed up again to assist senior Sasha Andrews' first goal of the season that lifted the Huskers to the 3-2 victory. After a Timko corner kick, Baker deflected the ball toward Andrews, who beat the keeper and found the back of the net for the game winner.

The game against the Aztecs marked the Huskers' first come-from-behind victory of the season and also marked the first time in 2005 that NU allowed more than one goal.

Timko's game-winning assist was her third of the season and the ninth of her career. With the assist, she tied Christine Latham for third on the NU career chart and is just one game-winning assist shy of moving into a tie for second and four shy of tying Meghan Anderson's school record of 13.

Fans in attendance at Tuesday's match and fans attending all future games at the Nebraska Soccer Field can now sit closer to the action. Seating on the track near the sideline was added for Tuesday's game and ticketed fans are free to sit at field level for no additional charge, although seating is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those unable to make it out to the field this weekend can still catch all of action live on Huskers.com. Student station KRNU (90.3 FM) will carry the matches against Colorado College and Rice, with each game also being streamed live on Huskers.com, free of charge. Live stats will also be available on Huskers.com.

Scouting Colorado College (4-0-0)
Colorado College is undefeated this season, outscoring its four opponents by a combined score of 10-1. For such a wide scoring margin, the Tigers' edge in shots and shots on goal over their opponents is surprisingly slim. CC has attempted 47 shots, including 25 on goal, while opponents have taken 41 shots, with 19 fired on goal.

Amara Wilson leads the team with five goals and 11 points. Five other Tigers have scored a goal this season and Kate Chadwick leads the team with three assists.

In net, Geneva Sills has posted three shutouts and has recorded 18 saves. Sills has allowed only one goal in 360 minutes en route to posting a goals-against average of 0.25.

Nebraska leads the all-time series against Colorado College, 2-0-0, and won the last meeting on Sept. 20 in Lincoln, 5-2.

Scouting Rice (3-1-0)
Rice has posted an impressive 3-1-0 record this season, including a 2-1 season-opening victory over Auburn. The Owls' lone loss was a 3-1 setback to Saint Louis. Each of Rice's first five games, including Friday's game with Stephen F. Austin, have been played at the Rice Track/Soccer Stadium. The trip to Lincoln marks the first road contest of the 2005 campaign for the Owls.

Rice boasts a potent offense that features a lineup where 10 players have scored a goal and five players have more than one goal on the season. Rice has outshot its opponents by a staggering 109-27 margin and has placed nearly twice as many shots on goal (53) as the opponents total number of shots (27).

Caitlin Robbins leads the Owls offense with four goals and 11 points, while Anne Candee has a team-high five assists. In a balanced attack, 14 players have recorded at least one point only four games into the season.

In goal, Adriene Giese has started every game and has allowed four goals in 275 minutes for a 1.31 goals-against average. Amanda Garrison and Amy McClintock have also seen action, with neither allowing a goal or recording a save.

Sunday's contest is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Freshman Leader
Freshman Aysha Jamani scored her team-best third goal of the season in the Huskers' victory over San Diego State on Tuesday. In the first 11 years of Nebraska soccer, only three times has a freshman led the team in goals and only once has it happened since the 1995 season (Jessie Bruch, 2003).

Freshman Contributions
Even with an experienced team returning nine starters from last year's Sweet 16 squad and the return of sophomore Jessie Bruch, the 2005 Huskers have received plenty of support from their talented 11-player freshman class.

In two of Nebraska's three wins, the game-winning goal came off the foot of a freshman scoring their first collegiate goal. Against Minnesota in the season opener, Lauren Isenhower notched her first career goal off an assist from junior Brittany Timko and against UAB two days later, Aysha Jamani's first of two goals proved to be the game winner in the Huskers' 4-0 win.

Ten freshmen made their collegiate debuts in the Huskers' opening weekend wins, including Selenia Iacchelli who has started all three contests this season. In addition to logging minutes, the freshmen have combined to contribute four goals and four assists.

In net, Jamie Klages opened her career with a shutout against UAB and stretched her scoreless minutes streak to 150:37 before surrending her first goal in the Huskers' 1-0 loss at Illinois last Friday.

Against the Fighting Illini, freshman Ali Lokanc made the first start of her career, filling in at defender for senior Aly Scace, who is out for the season with an injury suffered after the Huskers' opening weekend.

Offensive Firepower
With two returning players who totaled 30 or more points last season and the influx of talented attacking players, expectations were high for the Nebraska offense this season and it did not disappoint in the opening weekend.

Nebraska dominated its two opponents, scoring seven goals and outshooting Minnesota and UAB by a combined margin of 41-13. The Huskers placed 27 of those shots on goal compared to only seven by their opponents.

The offensive attack was not only explosive, but well-balanced. Four different Huskers scored a goal and five added an assist. After the opening weekend, NU boasted five players with either four or five points.

The offense struggled last Friday against Illinois, being outshot, 18-8, and being shutout for the first time since last season's Big 12 Tournament opener against Texas. The Huskers, who had dominated play in their first two games, responded on Tuesday against San Diego State.

The Huskers produced three goals against the Aztecs and outshot SDSU, 17-8, and placed 12 shots on goal to only four from San Diego State. NU also regained its edge in corner kicks, earning eight kicks while limiting the Aztecs to just two.

Assistance Needed
Senior Nikki Baker notched her second assist of the season against San Diego State on Tuesday. With two assists just four games into the season, the Bixby, Okla., native has already matched her single-season career high set in her freshman season of 2002 and matched last year.

Extra Credit
Senior Sasha Andrews and junior Brittany Timko took advantage of one of only two open Sunday dates for the Huskers this season by joining the Canadian World Cup team in a friendly match with Germany in Edmonton, Alberta.

Against the 2003 World Cup Champion Germans, both players contributed in a hard-fought 4-3 loss. The Canadians scored their third goal of the game off a Timko corner kick in the 86th minute.

Starting Strong
At 3-1-0, the Nebraska soccer team has equaled last year's 3-1-0 start with a victory on Tuesday over San Diego State. A victory over Colorado College on Friday would put NU at 4-1-0 on the young season and would represent the best five-game record since the 2001 team started 5-0.

Scoreless Debut
Freshman Jamie Klages made a sparkling collegiate debut in net, recording two saves en route to posting a shutout against UAB on Aug. 28. Klages became only the fourth goalkeeper in school history - and the first since Brooke Bredenberg in 2003 - to record a shutout in her debut.

Klages followed that performance by recording three saves and allowing only one goal against Illinois on Friday. Klages did not allow a goal in her first three halves and had a scoreless minute streak of 150:37 to open her career.

Record Assistance
Junior Brittany Timko recorded a school-record six game-winning assists last season and she has picked up right where she left off. Timko has produced the game-winning assist in each of the Huskers' victories this season. Her career total now stands at nine, which ties Christine Latham for third on the NU career chart.

Baker Notches 30th Goal
Senior Nikki Baker's second goal of the season against UAB on Aug. 28 marked the 30th goal of her career. Baker, who scored a career-high 14 goals in 2004 after totaling 14 goals in her first two seasons combined, became just the sixth player in school history to score 30 goals in a career. The Bixby, Okla., native ranks sixth on the NU career goals-scored list and has been the most prolific goal scorer at Nebraska since Christine Latham, who totaled a school-record 69 goals from 1999 to 2002.

Huskers on TV
The University of Nebraska, in association with NET Sports and CSTV, announced that the Nebraska soccer team’s home contests with Missouri on Sunday, Oct. 2 and with Oklahoma on Friday, Oct. 21 will be carried live in Nebraska on NET2/NET-HD and will also be carried nationally by CSTV.

The televised games mark the only two regular-season games that CSTV will televise live on a national basis.

Huskers Lose Pair of Starters
The Nebraska soccer team is bolstered this season by increased depth and a roster consisting of 24 players. That depth will be challenged early, as NU lost returning starter Sari Raber for the season during the exhibition season and lost another returning starter for the season when Aly Scace suffered an injury at practice following the Huskers' opening weekend.

Lokanc Makes First Start
True freshman Ali Lokanc became the second freshman to start a game this season when she earned her first career start at Illinois on Friday. Lokanc, a native of San Diego, Calif., saw action in each of the Huskers' first two games and started on the backline in place of the injured Aly Scace against the Fighting Illini.

Corner Kickin'
After out-cornering San Diego State, 8-2, on Tuesday the Huskers still enjoy an overwhelming edge in corner kicks over their opponents. Nebraska enjoyed a decisive advantage in corner kicks in its opening weekend. In two games, NU out-cornered its opponents 21-5, and owns a 32-13 season advantage.

Nearing 200
Head Coach John Walker, the only coach in the history of the Nebraska Soccer program, needs just 11 victories to reach 200 career victories and 200 wins at Nebraska. Walker, who ranks 22nd among active coaches in career victories, has a career record of 187-52-8 in 11 years at the helm of the Huskers. Walker has averaged nearly 17 wins a season at NU and at that pace would reach the 200-win plateau this season.

When Leading at the Half...
Nebraska is 3-0 this season when leading at the half and is now a remarkable a 150-2-2 all-time when leading at the half after holding the lead on Tuesday against San Diego State. Tuesday's game was close, however, as the Aztecs erased a 1-0 halftime deficit to take a 2-1 lead before two late goals in the final 10 minutes lifted NU to the victory.

Prior to the 2004 season, the Huskers had never lost a game when leading at the half, but a pair of one-goal losses to Texas A&M and Baylor put an end to that streak. Each of those losses was the second game of the weekend, where a lack of depth and a roster of only 17 active players caught up with the Big Red.

New Faces on the Sideline
The new on-campus home of the Huskers is not the only dramatic change from the 2004 season. For the first time in 10 years, a new face will be seen alongside NU coaches John Walker and Marty Everding, each of whom has been a part of the program since its inception in 1994. Ann Cook joins the staff for her first season in 2005, replacing Megan Skinner. Cook's addition to the staff represents the first change to the staff in 10 years.

Another new face to the sideline this season is still a familiar face to Husker fans. Kari Hogan, a senior this season, has decided to serve as the undergraduate assistant coach instead of playing her final season. Rounding out the coaching staff is another former Husker, Christine Latham. Latham is in her second year as the volunteer assistant coach. She served the same role last season while continuing her undergraduate studies and returns this season after earning her degree in May of 2005.

The Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers have a chance to make school history on the field in 2005, but their field itself has already made program history. For the first time in the 12-year history of Nebraska soccer, the Huskers are playing their home games on campus.

The Nebraska Soccer Field, located immediately northeast of Memorial Stadium in the middle of the Ed Weir Track, provides one of the most unique settings in the nation. Nestled between the home of fellow fall sports Husker football and volleyball, the location is also near the two full-size indoor practice facilities NU enjoys, including the new Championship Indoor Center.

The Championship Indoor Center not only includes a second year-round practice facility, but is also home to brand new soccer offices, including Head Coach John Walker's office, which has a balcony overlooking the field.

As part of the Championship Drive project, scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2006, the soccer team will also enjoy a large, modern locker room, in addition to new strength and conditioning and athletic medicine facilities.

The Huskers hope to be as successful on campus as they were off. Nebraska owned a career home record of 107-17-4 (.852) in its two previous off-campus homes, including a 101-16-4 (.835) mark at the Abbott Sports Complex. The Huskers are 2-0 at their new home.

Nebraska Soccer Field Firsts
In the first regular-season home game on campus in program history, senior Nikki Baker scored the first goal in the history of the Nebraska Soccer Field. Juniors Abby Penas and Tanya Dennis added the first assists, while freshman Aysha Jamani notched the first multi-goal game at the Nebraska Soccer Field. Fellow freshman Jamie Klages also recorded the first shutout at the new home in the second game of the season against UAB.

Timko on Watch List
Junior Brittany Timko, the 2004 Big 12 Soccer Player of the Year and a third-team NSCAA All-American, was one of 25 players named to the Hermann Award preseason watch list announced.

The Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy honors the top male and female Division I college soccer players in the United States. The award represents the highest level of individual achievement in the sport. Over the years, the award has honored some of the biggest names in U.S. soccer. Kristine Lilly, Mia Hamm, Shannon MacMillan, Claudio Reyna, Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola are just a few of the players who won the award prior to achieving success on the international stage.

Timko enjoyed a stellar sophomore season in which she was named the Big 12 Conference and National Player of the Week three times. In 19 games, the Coquitlam, British Columbia native scored 15 goals and added 13 assists to total 43 points. Timko also recorded six game-winning assists, breaking the school record.

A list of 15 semifinalists for the award will be announced in early November, with the three finalists announced in December. The trio will be invited to St. Louis for a news conference and dinner held at the Missouri Athletic Club on Jan. 6, 2006, where the winner of the award will be revealed. The winner is determined through voting of NCAA Division I members of the NSCAA.

Timko was a semifinalist for the award in 2004.

The winners of the award are selected through voting by the members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Each January, the winners are honored at an annual banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club, located in downtown St. Louis. The Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy is on exhibition at the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum in Oneonta, N.Y.