Well-Rounded Huskers Gear Up for 2006 Season

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska returns to the pitch in 2006 for its 13th season under head coach John Walker, who broke the 200-win mark last season.  The Huskers ended the 2005 season with their 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.  With the return of two-time Big 12 Player of the Year Brittany Timko, 2004 first-team All-Big 12 selection Tanya Dennis and 2005 second-team All-Big 12 pick Aysha Jamani, Nebraska is on pace to continue its winning ways.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Leading the charge will be the Husker offensive unit, which returns 80 percent of its goal scoring (36 of 45 goals) and assists (37 of 46 assists). Timko will once again pilot Nebraska’s offensive efforts after a stellar 2005 season when she amassed 43 points on 11 goals and a Big-12 leading 21 assists.  Joining Timko up front is Jamani, whose seven goals and four assists in her freshman campaign quickly gained conference attention.  The 5-3 sophomore hopes to continue her progress and make an even greater impact in 2006.

 

Both an offensive and defensive weapon, Dennis gained league accolades for her work as a defender in 2004, but was also exceptional in the midfield for the Huskers in 2005.  This season, the Brampton, Ontario, native could be used in a variety of roles.

 

Adding support to Nebraska’s striking corps is a bevy of experienced, aggressive attacking midfielders including Jessie Bruch and Selenia Iacchelli.  Bruch ranked second on the team in goals scored (eight) in 2005, while Iacchelli logged extensive game time with starts in all 23 of NU’s contests.  Together, this talented duo is capable of controlling the neutral portion of the field as well as pushing into scoring position to create offensive opportunities.

 

Perhaps the biggest boost to the Nebraska roster this season will be the return of Sari Raber and Ali Lokanc, who both fell to injury early in 2005.  Raber started 19 games at defender for the Huskers in 2004 and has added extensive experience as a member of the Canadian National Team.  Like Dennis, Raber is a powerful influence at a number of positions and could see playing time all over the pitch.

 

Lokanc could contribute in the midfield this season, after she started five games as a defender before her injury in 2005. 

 

With the mass of returning talent gracing the 2006 NU roster, it is hard to see where the Huskers could fit new blood, but they have.  Offensively, Nebraska welcomes the scoring abilities of Texans Brittney Lanier and Shay Powell, along with Lincoln native Carly Peetz. The Huskers will also enjoy added size from 5-8 midfielder Anna Caniglia, 5-10 midfielder Julie Berkshire and 5-11 defender Shannon Dickerson. 

 

All 27 members of the 2006 Nebraska roster will have the opportunity to train and compete in some of the most impressive atmospheres in the country.  After moving to the NU city campus and the Nebraska Soccer Field in 2005, the Huskers have added a host of new facilities and amenities to the program that will give them an even greater advantage in working toward an NCAA postseason run. Located on the north side of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska soccer boasts the recent additions of new offices, conference rooms, training centers and locker rooms.

 

Goalkeepers

Sophomore Jamie Klages will assume a familiar place in the net for the Huskers this season. After starting 19 games and posting six shutouts in her freshman campaign, the Coronado, Calif., native has already experienced substantial success in goal for the Huskers.  She logged nearly 1,734 minutes last season and recorded a goals-against average of 1.19 to rank eighth on Nebraska’s all-time goals-against single-season chart.

 

Klages’ size and athleticism add substance to her already stellar technical knowledge of the game, making her a lethal force in the net.  At 5-11 with agility and speed, Klages can blanket the goal and frustrate opposing attackers.

 

With just one season behind her, Klages is poised to quickly move up the Husker record books.  She ranks fifth on the NU career chart in saves (88), fifth in games started (19), sixth in minutes played (1,734), wins (10) and games played (19), and eighth in goals-against average (1.19). 

 

With a repeat of the success she enjoyed last season, Klages could move into the top three in several categories this season, including saves and games started.

 

Joining Klages at goalkeeper is redshirt freshman Brittany Pfeil.  Although Pfeil has yet to see game action, she continues to train with goalkeeping coach Marty Everding and has seen steady improvement during the offseason.

 

Defenders

The defense had some holes to fill following the loss of anchors Katie Bunkers, Aly Scace and All-Big 12 selection Sasha Andrews to graduation.  But with the return of junior Sari Raber to the defensive strategy, coupled with 2004 All-Big 12 member Tanya Dennis and a host of young talent, the defense could be a strength in 2006.

 

Raber rejoins the Husker lineup in 2006 after missing the 2005 season with an injury.  After signing with Nebraska as a forward in 2004, Raber spent the majority of that season as a defender, starting in 19 games and amassing 1,490 minutes.  The Richmond, British Columbia native’s return brings with it the game experience that Nebraska may have otherwise been lacking with the loss of its defensive veterans.

 

Like Raber, Dennis moved into the defense from a more offensive role in 2004 and was rewarded with an All-Big 12 honor.  Last season, Dennis continued that role often as an outside defender with the ability to push up into a position to create scoring opportunities, a strategy that utilized Dennis’ speed and awareness of the pitch.  In 2006, the Brampton, Ontario native could provide a similar function as a rover between the defense and midfield.

 

One of NU’s three seniors in 2006 also boasts a tremendous amount of defending experience and is expected to secure the defensive lineup.  Abby Penas started in nine games as an outside defender last season and has played in over 40 games at defender in her collegiate career.  This season, Penas will assure more experience and depth in that position, while helping to assimilate some of Nebraska’s younger players.

 

While Dennis and Penas provide a wealth of experience to the Nebraska defense, there is the potential that both could also be utilized in the offensive attack.  Their absence will bring in some less experienced, yet immensely talented young players.  One such example is sophomore Kellie Jensen, who earned three starts at defender in 2005, while seeing action in 21 games. 

 

Other players vying for time in the NU defense include sophomore McKensie Kirchner, redshirt freshman Shannon Dickerson and true freshmen Jacy Wicker, Anna Caniglia and Carly Peetz.  Kirchner played in eight games at defender in 2005 and saw more time in the position this past spring.

 

Dickerson joins the Huskers as a transfer from USC and at 5-11, has the potential to fill the physical void left by the loss of Andrews.  A skilled defender with a wealth of national experience as part of the U.S. Under-18 national team, Dickerson could play a big role in Nebraska’s defensive strategy.

 

A four-time first-team all district honoree from Dallas, Texas, Wicker brings speed to the defensive position, an element that complements the size and physicality of the majority of Nebraska’s 2006 defense.

 

Although both Caniglia and Peetz played a more offensive role as midfielders and forwards in their high school careers, each will be tried as defenders at Nebraska.

 

Midfielders

Nebraska’s midfield may be growing into one of the elite units in the country.  Anchored by junior Jessie Bruch and sophomore Selenia Iacchelli, the Husker midfield is a solid organization of offensive and defensive minded players.

 

After suffering a knee injury in 2004, Bruch returned to her post as a central midfielder in 2005 and quickly took control of the field.  A potent offensive threat, Bruch scored eight goals in 21 starts for the Huskers last season.  A factor in the air, Bruch is a vital component in Nebraska’s set plays and with her aggressiveness and physicality, she could be a major force in creating scoring opportunities for Nebraska this season.

 

Although only in her sophomore season, Iacchelli is already a veteran in the midfield.  She started all 23 games in 2005, scoring four goals and adding an assist.  An attacking midfielder, Iacchelli utilizes her skill and control to score goals.

 

Sophomore Ali Lokanc also returns to the Nebraska midfield this season after an injury shortened her freshman campaign.  Lokanc started in five of seven games at defender in 2005 following the loss of defender Aly Scace before suffering an injury herself that kept Lokanc out for the remainder of the season.  Now healthy, she will move back to the midfield where the Huskers can best utilize her passing and shooting skills.

 

Sophomore Lindsay Poehling played in five games at forward for Nebraska in 2005 before suffering a season-ending injury. Now healthy, Poehling will be tried in the Husker midfield and could also see time as a defender in 2006.

 

While Nebraska returns a bounty of midfielders, it also brings in a wealth of young talent including in-state freshmen Julie Berkshire of Omaha and Savannah Allen of Grand Island, as well as Becca Krynski of Rapid City, S.D.

 

Forwards

The depth and caliber of Nebraska’s offensive unit is among the best in collegiate women’s soccer. Led by All-American Brittany Timko, the Husker forwards are a talented group of attackers with the potential to produce high-scoring contests.

 

After becoming just the second player in league history to repeat as Big 12 Player of the Year, Timko is poised for a strong season in 2006. With outstanding ball-handling skills and a creative ability to serve up goal-scoring opportunities, Timko draws the focus of opposing defenders.  She led the Huskers with 11 goals, 21 assists and 43 points in 2005.

 

In fact, Timko recorded double-digit goals and assists in each of the last two seasons, something never before done at Nebraska.  She already owns the school record for single-season assists and game-winning assists and is on track to top several other lists by the close of her senior season. 

 

Nebraska expects to have plenty of other offensive threats up front this season, including Aysha Jamani and Jessie Goodell. 

 

Jamani netted seven goals and added four assists en route to being named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2005.  The 5-3 forward started 20 of 23 games in 2005 and quickly gained the experience to be considered a veteran.   

 

Goodell played in 23 games and netted one goal and two assists in 2005 before logging extensive postseason action at the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.  She also performed well this spring, an indication that her talent on the frontline will continue to grow.

 

In addition to their returning forwards, the Huskers have several freshman forwards who will contend for time, including Brittney Lanier, Carly Peetz, Shay Powell and Jackie Walsh. 

 

Lanier is a fast, fluid forward who has spent time with the Olympic Development team, which should help the transition to collegiate soccer. A standout at Pius X in Lincoln, Peetz scored five goals and added a team-high 11 assists in leading the Thunderbolts to a Class B state title in 2005. Powell captained the Lutheran boy’s team in Dallas, Texas and was one of the top-three scorers on the team three consecutive years. Walsh, a native of Omaha, has been ranked among the state of Nebraska’s top five scorers in each of the last two seasons, including ranking second with 20 goals and 10 assists last year. 

 

Schedule

Nebraska’s 2006 schedule includes 13 contests at the Nebraska Soccer Field, now in its second season as the home of the Huskers.  With games typically on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, Nebraska fans will have ample opportunity to come out and support the Huskers.

 

Nebraska faces an abundance of talented teams this season, including seven squads that advanced to the 2005 NCAA Tournament.  The Huskers will also host contests against four first-time foes, including WrightState, North Texas, Western Carolina and Central Michigan.

 

Nebraska opens the season at home on Aug. 25 against WrightState and remains at the Nebraska Soccer Field for the next seven games before hitting the road to begin Big 12 play.  The Huskers host Big 12 foes Colorado, Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech and Texas at home, while going on the road to meet up with Missouri, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.  Nebraska’s contest with Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, could be one of its toughest of the season, as the Aggies advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and return nine starters this year.

 

Postseason play begins Nov. 1 at the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio, Texas where the Huskers will vie for their sixth Big 12 Tournament championship.  The first round of the NCAA Tournament begins on Nov. 10, with the Huskers aiming for their 11th consecutive tournament-opening victory en route to a chance for yet another long run into the NCAA Tournament.