Bruch's Overtime Goal Keeps Huskers Unbeaten

Lincoln - Junior Jessie Bruch took a cross from senior Brittany Timko and fired a shot into the back of the net with 5:13 remaining in the second and final overtime period, lifting the Husker soccer team to its fourth consecutive win, a 1-0 victory over a tough Western Carolina squad on Tuesday at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Bruch's second goal of the season kept the Huskers unbeaten in 2006, as Nebraska improved to 4-0-2 with the win, while Western Carolina dropped to 2-4-0. Tuesday's match was the third overtime contest for the Huskers in six games this season and marked the first time since Oct. 30, 2004, that the Big Red prevailed in two overtimes.

After Timko dribbled past a Catamount defender and created space for the cross, Bruch made a run into the box. Timko's cross glanced off the outstretched leg of a Western Carolina defender before Bruch blasted a shot into the back of the net for the game-winner.

Timko, who earlier in the day was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the fifth time in her career, earned the game-winning assist on Bruch's goal. Timko has now scored a point in nine straight matches dating back to last season, three shy of the NU record.

Nebraska dominated most of regulation, but was unable to score. The Huskers outshot the Catamounts, 8-0, in the opening half and it wasn't until the 52nd minute that Western Carolina attempted its first shot.

Nebraska's continued pressure nearly resulted in a goal in the 54th minute. Timko took a free kick and found redshirt-freshman Shannon Dickerson in the box, whose header beat WCU keeper Alesha Row, but carromed off the crossbar before being corralled by Row.

After the Huskers dominated play for most of the match, Western Carolina mounted a serious scoring threat of its own with less than 17 minutes remaining in regulation. Following a long Western Carolina throw-in from Keevy Harris, Dickerson and sophomore Lindsay Poehling collided while attempting to clear the ball. With both players down on the ground, Buki Baruwa launched a shot that was blocked, but Shannon Schmoker found the rebound and fired a shot on goal that sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Klages was able to stop for the Huskers.

In the first overtime, each team nearly found the back of the net for a victory. The Catamounts again pressured the NU backline, and Harris launched a shot headed for the top of the net that Klages was able to tip off the post and out of bounds just 3:01 into the overtime period.

With only 1:02 remaining in the first 10 minutes of extra time, Bruch headed a Timko free kick to the near post that Row was able to make a diving, fingertip save to preserve the shutout and send the game to a second overtime.

Row was brilliant in net for Western Carolina, making seven saves, including several outstanding stops that kept the Huskers off the board. Not to be outdone, Klages posted her second shutout of the season by denying two shots.

For the game, Nebraska outshot Western Carolina 18-6 and the Huskers enjoyed an 8-3 shots-on-goal advantage.

NU will put its season-opening six-match unbeaten string on the line on Friday, when the Huskers face Central Michigan at 5 p.m. at the Nebraska Soccer Field.