NU Looks for Pair of Wins this Weekend

The Nebraska soccer team (4-2-0) faces a final tune-up before entering Big 12 Conference play next week when it travels to Purdue on Friday and plays host to UC Irvine on Sunday.

The Huskers travel to West Lafayette, Ind., for just their second road contest of the season. Against the Boilermakers, NU will be searching for its first road victory as well as its first back-to-back victories since beginning the season 2-0 with wins over Minnesota and UAB.

Following the match with Purdue, the Huskers will host their sixth home game of the season and their final non-conference game before opening league play at Colorado on Sept. 23. The game with UC Irvine also marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Nebraska enters this weekend's matches after posting a 2-1 record in three games at the Nebraska Soccer Field last week. The Huskers fell behind in all three contests, but rallied for victory on two occasions.

NU opened the week with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over San Diego State. After leading 1-0 at the half, back-to-back goals by Jessica Girdner in a span of 3:06 gave the Aztecs a 2-1 lead with under 25 minutes to play.

The Huskers continued to trail until junior Brittany Timko scored the equalizer off an assist from senior Nikki Baker in the 83rd minute. Timko and Baker then teamed up to assist on senior Sasha Andrews' game-winning goal 1:56 later that gave the Huskers the comeback victory.

The momentum from the dramatic victory over SDSU did not carry into NU's next match, where a lone goal in the 12th minute lifted Colorado College to a 1-0 win. Despite outshooting the Tigers, 12-6, and playing with great effort, Nebraska saw several good scoring chances end unsuccessfully, including two shots that hit either the post or crossbar.

NU fell behind 1-0 against Rice two days later, but rallied for three goals to cap a winning week. After a goal in the 23rd minute, Timko and Andrews teamed up on a pair of set plays to give the Huskers the lead. On similar plays 10:08 apart, Timko's free kick from near midfield found Andrews in the box, where she headed into the back of the net.

Freshmen Selenia Iacchelli and Aysha Jamani combined for the Huskers' third goal. Jamani sent a beautiful ball into the box where Iacchelli provided a beautiful final. The goal was the first of Iacchelli's career, while the assist was the first of Jamani's career.

While the team enjoyed a successful week, several individual players also had good showings last week. Andrews scored three goals in the three-game stretch, including notching both game-winning goals. She also recorded the first multi-goal game of her career against Rice.

Timko totaled a goal and three assists during the week, but also picked up both game-winning assists. She has now notched the game-winning assist in each of the Huskers' four wins of the season and is tied for second place on the NU career chart with 10 career game-winning assists.

Scouting Purdue (1-4-0)
Purdue is off to a hard-luck 1-4-0 start to the 2005 season. Despite picking up only one victory through its first five games, Purdue has outshot its opponents, 91-77, and has scored six goals on the year, the same total of its opponents.

Each of the Boilermakers' losses have come by only one goal. Purdue has faced two Big 12 teams, losing road games to Iowa State (1-0) and Missouri (2-1). In 2004, Nebraska defeated both the Cyclones (3-2) and the Tigers (2-1 OT) on the road.

Purdue is led offensively by Kim Comisar, who has one goal and two assists. No Boilermaker has more than one goal and Comisar is the only player with more than one assist.

In net, Lauren Mason has played every minute and has recorded 24 saves. She has posted one shutout en route to a 1.20 goals-against average.

Last Time We Met
Behind a pair of goals from birthday girl Brittany Timko, Nebraska earned a 3-0 victory over Purdue on Sept. 5 of last season in Lincoln. Nikki Baker scored an unassisted goal just 53 seconds into the game and the Huskers never looked back.

Timko added her first goal in the 18th minute to give NU a 2-0 halftime advantage. She added her second goal in the 77th minute to provide the final margin.

In net, Katie Wright picked up her second consecutive shutout in the win, recording five saves.

Nebraska is 2-0 all-time against Purdue, with both victories coming in Lincoln. The Huskers also own a 12-3-1 all-time record against Big Ten opponents, including a 1-0 loss to Illinois on Sept. 2 in Nebraska's lone road game of the season.

Scouting UC Irvine (1-4-1)
UC Irvine is 1-4-1 on the season heading into this week. The Anteaters' last game came against a familiar foe to Nebraska - San Diego State. After a scoreless first half, SDSU scored a pair of goals in the second half to hand UCI a 2-0 loss. Irvine has not won since a season-opening 2-1 victory over San Jose State. Since that contest, the Anteaters have lost four games and managed a 0-0 tie with Columbia.

UCI has been outshot 97-41 on the season, including a 43-21 deficit in shots on goal. Britney Webster leads the team with three goals and one assist. She is one of only three players to boast a goal and one of only two players to add an assist. Megan Ortiz has also added two goals and Alex Fries is the only other Anteater with more than one point in 2005.

In net, Erin Henry has made five starts and has allowed 13 goals en route to a 2.54 goals-against average. Rosie Aguilera has seen action in two contests, including one start. She has not been scored upon in nearly 119 minutes and has the only shutout of the season for the Anteaters.

UC Irvine is an unknown opponent for Nebraska. The Huskers and Anteaters have never met on the soccer field and NU is 0-1-0 all-time against Big West opponents after a 2-1 home loss to Pacific last season.

Andrews' Career Week
Senior defender Sasha Andrews enjoyed a career week during the Huskers' three-game schedule last week. In addition to being an anchor on the NU backline that saw two freshmen start due to injuries, Andrews got involved in the offense, scoring three goals off set plays. Andrews provided the game-winning goal in the 85th minute against San Diego State when she headed in a goal off a corner kick from junior Brittany Timko and a pass from fellow senior Nikki Baker.

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Andrews followed that performance with the first multi-goal game of her career against Rice on Sunday. She found the back of the net twice off Timko free kicks to finish the week with three goals. Her three goals were not only the first of the season for Andrews, but also matched her entire 2004 total. Both of her goals were also game-winning goals.

No Assistance Needed
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' four victories this season, including both of Nebraska's wins last week. Her career total now stands at 10, which ties Sharolta Nonen for second place on the NU career chart.

For the season, Timko leads the team with six assists and has also scored two goals for a team-best total of 10 points.

Trio of Firsts
The freshman trio of Lauren Isenhower, Selenia Iacchelli and Aysha Jamani each recorded career firsts in the Huskers' 3-1 win over Rice on Sunday. Isenhower earned the first start of her career against the Owls, while Iacchelli and Jamani teamed up to produce NU's third and final goal. After a good run, Jamani sent a perfect cross into the box that found Iacchelli, who had a perfect finish to find the back of the net. That goal marked the first of Iacchelli's career and also marked the first assist of Jamani's career.

Two is Better Than One
Through its first six games, Nebraska has enjoyed the benefits of a two-goalkeeper system. Besides pushing each player to be the best that she can be, junior Katie Wright and freshman Jamie Klages have each responded with outstanding performances.

Both Wright and Klages have earned three starts in goal this season. Wright boasts a 3-0-0 record, while Klages is 1-2-0. Klages, however, has recorded the only shutout of the season and her goals-against average of 0.67 is lower than Wright's 1.33 GAA.

While there is no set rotation as to who will start, both keepers have proven their ability and the Huskers plan to utilize both players to get the best results for the team. Their combined goals-against average of 1.00 is better than Wright's 1.25 average for the 2004 season.

Coming Back
The Huskers have proven they have the ability to come back and should never be counted out of a match. In each of its two victories last week, NU was down by a goal at some point in the game.

In the San Diego State game, Nebraska responded after the Aztecs erased a 1-0 halftime deficit and took a 2-1 lead by scoring a pair of goal with less than 10 minutes remaining to earn a regulation victory. The Huskers applied relentless pressure before junior Brittany Timko scored the equalizer at 82:57 and senior Sasha Andrews added the game winner at 84:53.

Nebraska again fell behind 1-0 to Rice on Sunday, but rallied for three unanswered goals to cruise to a 3-1 victory. After an Owl goal in the 23rd minute, it took just over 20 minutes for the Huskers to take the lead after a pair of goals from Andrews. Freshman Selenia Iacchelli added the first goal of her career to cap the comeback.

In NU's 1-0 loss to Colorado College, the Huskers were unable to overcome a goal in the 12th minute. After surviving several counterattacks in the first half, the Huskers controlled play in the second half and had excellent scoring chances, including two shots that hit the post and crossbar.

It's all Set
After coming close through its first three games, Nebraska - and junior Brittany Timko and senior Sasha Andrews, in particular - connected on three set plays last week to lead the Huskers to a pair of victories.

Andrews scored the tying goal in NU's eventual 3-2 win over San Diego State after Timko's corner kick found senior Nikki Baker, who flicked the ball to Andrews for the score.

After converting a corner kick for the first time this season, a pair of free kicks involving Timko and Andrews lifted Nebraska past Rice.

NU won a pair of free kicks near the midfield stripe and on both plays, Timko played a beautiful service into the box and found Andrews who found the back of the net with a header.

Not only was Nebraska able to convert on the set plays, it was able to do so at crucial times. Two of the set-play goals tied the game, while the third proved to be the game winner.

Unfamiliar Position
Nebraska found itself in an unfamiliar position against Colorado College last Friday. For the first time this season, the Huskers trailed at the half against the Tigers.

NU was unable to come back and win that game and is now 0-1 when trailing at the half, compared to 4-0 when leading at the half.

Double Spells Trouble
Statistically speaking, the Nebraska soccer team has been twice as good as its opponents this season. The Huskers have more than doubled their opponent totals in both the goals scored (13-to-6) and shots on goal (51-to-23) categories.

NU has also doubled up its opponents in corner kicks (46-to-23), while nearly doubling the opponent's number of shots (96-to-51).

In addition, the Huskers have also had to make only 17 saves, while opponent's have been forced to make 38 saves.

Timko Moving Up Charts
In addition to her ascent on the NU game-winning assist chart, junior Brittany Timko is moving up several other school record charts.

With two assists against Rice, Timko reached the 20-career-assists plateau. One of only 11 players in school history to accomplish the mark, Timko is in a three-way tie for 10th place with 20 assists.

Her two-assist game against the Owls was also the fourth multi-assist game of her career, moving her into a four-way tie for fifth in school history.

Timko, whose assault on the record books can be tracked on page eight of this release, currently ranks in the career top 10 in five categories.

Nearing 70
Senior Nikki Baker has seven points this season and now has 68 points in her career.

With two more points, Baker will become only the 10th player in school history to record 70 or more points in a career.

A native of Bixby, Okla., Baker currently ranks 10th in school history with 68 career points. She will leave Nebraska as the top point-getter since three-time All-American Christine Latham totaled a school-record 167 points during her playing career, which stretched from 1999 to 2002.

Wright Reaches Milestone
Junior goalkeeper Katie Wright, who finished the 2004 season with 108 saves - the third-highest total in school history - recorded two saves against Rice last Sunday to give her 151 saves in her career.

She ranks third in school history in career saves and with a season and a half remaining, could challenge Erin Miller's school record of 239 career saves.

While the Mission Viejo, Calif., native reached one milestone, she is approaching another, Wright won a pair of games last week and has now earned 19 victories in her career.

With her next win, Wright would become only the fourth goalkeeper in Nebraska history to win 20 games in a career.

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 four wins, the game-winning goal came off the foot of a freshman scoring her 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.

To date, five freshmen have earned a start, including Lauren Isenhower who started the first game of her career on Sunday against Rice.

In net, Jamie Klages opened her career with a shutout against UAB and stretched her scoreless minutes streak to 150:37 before surrendering her first goal in the Huskers' 1-0 loss at Illinois on Sept. 2.

When Leading at the Half...
Nebraska is 4-0 this season when leading at the half and is now a remarkable 151-2-2 all-time when leading at the half after holding the lead on Friday against Rice.

The Huskers did have a scare, however, against San Diego State on Sept. 6. 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.

Assistance Needed
Senior Nikki Baker notched her second and third assists of the season last week. With three assists just six games into the season, Baker has already established a new single-season career high, eclipsing her previous best of two, 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 on Sept. 4.

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.

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 Sept. 2. Klages did not allow a goal in her first three halves and had a scoreless minute streak to open her career of 150:37.

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, however, 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.

Nearing 200
Head Coach John Walker, the only coach in the history of the Nebraska Soccer program, needs just 10 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 190-54-8 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.

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 new soccer offices, including Coach 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 4-1 at their new home after suffering their first loss against Colorado College on Friday.

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.

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 to break 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.

Each January, the winners are honored at an annual banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club, located in downtown St. Louis.