Nebraska Hosts Baylor, Texas Tech in Big 12 Action

Nebraska looks to get back on the winning track this weekend as it hosts a pair of games against Baylor (5-6-1) and Texas Tech (5-7-0).  The Huskers face the Bears at the Nebraska Soccer Field on Friday at 4 p.m., followed by a Noon kick off against the Red Raiders on Sunday.

NU welcomes the chance to place a few tallies back into the win column this weekend after going 0-1-1 with a 1-1 tie against Colorado and a 1-0 loss to Kansas last week.  Nebraska certainly has every reason to be confident against both Baylor and Texas Tech as the Huskers own a 23-3-0 combined series record against the two programs.  NU has fallen to Baylor just three times, while Texas Tech has yet to mount a win over the Huskers.  Additionally, both Baylor and Texas Tech enter the game with losing records on the season.  However, the Lady Bears are 2-2-0 in the Big 12 and enter the contest on a two-game winning streak.

Nebraska readies for this week's games following another hard-fought weekend of Big 12 competition.  The Huskers played Colorado to NU's fifth overtime game of the season, which ended in a tie.  Senior Brittany Timko put NU up 1-0 early in the second half with a goal off a rebounded Aysha Jamni shot, but the Buffs notched the equalizer not long after with a goal that bounced off the far post into the net.  Neither team was able to tip the scale in its favor through two overtimes, ending in Nebraska's third tie of the year.  With the extra 20 minutes of play, the Huskers have now put in almost 95 additional minutes outside of regulation this season.

Although Nebraska's game against Kansas on Sunday took 90 minutes to decide a winner, the outcome could have been determined in the first minute of play.  The Jayhawks attacked the NU defense early, earning the first and only goal of the game at 1:01.  Although the Huskers fought back, they weren't able to find the net, resulting in Nebraska's first shutout this season.

Nebraska's games against Baylor and Texas Tech this weekend mark two of four remaining home contests for the Huskers this season.  Fans are encouraged to come out and experience Husker soccer action first hand and are reminded that entrance to the Nebraska Soccer Field is now strictly through the west gate beneath the skybridge of the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex.   

Scouting Baylor (5-6-1, 2-2-0 Big 12)
After dropping its first two Big 12 contests to Texas A&M, 1-0, and Texas, 2-1, Baylor comes to Lincoln this weekend on a two-game winning streak after notching conference wins over Missouri, 3-0, and Iowa State, 3-0, last week.

The Lady Bears struggled through the non-conference season before finding their rhythm for the start of Big 12 play.  Baylor's two conference losses were by just one goal, while its wins were each by a three-goal margin.

The Huskers are the second conference road contest for BU after the Lady Bears topped Missouri in Columbia last Sunday.  However, prior to its win over Missouri, Baylor had not earned a road win all season.

BU's recent Big 12 successes can be attributed to an offensive explosion of six goals in two games after scoring just five total goals through the first 10 games of the season.  Seven of those 11 goals can be directly tied to senior forward Anna Schuch, who has five goals and two assists on the year.

Against the Huskers, the Lady Bears could find themselves at a distinct disadvantage in set plays, a fact that could be the deciding factor in the game.  Baylor has earned just 21 corner kicks all season, while allowing 65 by its opponents.  Nebraska has 93 corners on the year, including 16 in one game alone, and the Huskers are a dangerous scoring threat off set opportunities.
 
NU History vs. Baylor
Nebraska enjoys a 13-3-0 all-time series record against Baylor after snapping a two-game winning streak for the Lady Bears with a 1-0 win last season.  BU garnered both home and road wins over Nebraska in 2003 and 2004 before falling in a shutout loss to the Huskers in Waco in 2005. 

Nebraska's Jessie Bruch scored the lone goal of the game in the second half off a free kick taken by NU goalkeeper Jamie Klages.  Klages sent the ball in from three yards behind the midfield stripe and found Sasha Andrews who booted the ball in to Bruch for the score. 

Over the last three seasons, the outcome between these two programs has never been decided by more than a one-goal difference.

Scouting Texas Tech (5-7-0, 1-3-0 Big 12)
Unlike Baylor, Texas Tech has not found any more success in Big 12 play than it did during the non-conference season.  However, with five wins on the season and one in the Big 12, the Red Raiders have already bettered their previous season's performance of just one victory all year long.

After falling to Texas A&M, 4-2, and Texas, 2-0, Texas Tech went to work against Missouri and came out with a 3-1 win in Columbia last weekend.  The Red Raiders fell to Iowa State, 1-0, to cap the weekend, but not before earning 13 shots on goal in 24 shots over those two games alone.

Overall, Texas Tech has put 79 shots on goal this season for 23 goals, including seven from freshman Brittney Harrison.  Despite the solid offensive production, the Red Raiders struggle on the defensive end.  Texas Tech utilizes a pair of freshman goalkeepers in Tina Rincon and Colleen Pitts.  However, both keepers have struggled in the net as Rincon owns a goals-against average of 1.50, while Pitts has a GAA of 1.84.

NU History vs. Texas Tech
Texas Tech is the one school in the Big 12 to have never notched a win over the Big Red.  Over the last 12 seasons, Nebraska has produced an impressive 12-0-0 series record with an average winning margin of four goals.

The Red Raiders last met up with the Huskers on Oct. 30, 2005 in Lubbock with Nebraska taking home a 4-1 victory.  NU's Brittany Timko scored the third hat trick of her career in the contest, while Sasha Andrews also added a goal.   

Timko Wraps Up Consecutive Points Streak
Senior Brittany Timko wrapped up an impressive streak of 14 games with points this past weekend against Kansas, as the Huskers were held to a scoreless 1-0 loss.  Timko earned her eighth goal of the season against Colorado on Sept. 29 to better her own record of consecutive games with points to 14. 

The 5-7 forward initially broke the consecutive games with points record against Iowa State on Sept. 24 with an assit that improved her streak to 13 consecutive games, one better than the previous school record of 12 set by Kim Engesser in 1997.  Timko owns 11 program records at Nebraska.

Close...But No Cigar
In 2006, Nebraska has played to three overtime ties, matching the school record for ties in a season with the 2002 team, which ended the season ranked 13th in the nation.

While those three ties were obviously close contests, Nebraska's three losses have also been by just one goal each.  NU first fell to Central Michigan, 2-1, on Sept. 15, before suffering a pair of Big 12 losses to Iowa State (3-2) and Kansas (1-0). 

Meanwhile, the Huskers are beating opponents by an average of two goals, including three shutouts, while suffering just one shutout of their own against Kansas on Oct. 1.

Nebraska has also been involved in a school-record five overtime contests this season, four of which went into double overtime.  Three of the contests have ended in a draw, while the Huskers have split the other two with a win over Western Carolina, 1-0, on Sept. 12 and a 3-2 loss to Iowa State on Sept. 22.

Huskers Continue Impressive Streak
Nebraska improved to a perfect 11-0 in Big 12 openers with a 2-0 shutout victory at Missouri on Sept. 22. NU has posted seven shutouts in those 11 contests and has outscored its opponents by a whopping 39-5 margin, winning by an average of more than three goals per game.

The win marked the third consecutive season that the conference-opening victory came on the road. Nebraska is 7-0 in Big 12 openers on the road and has outscored the home team, 21-4.

Starting Fast
The 2006 Huskers have been a stellar first-half team. Through 12 games, NU has tallied 11 goals in the first half, while surrendering just five. In the opening weekend of Big 12 play, the Huskers netted three first-half goals in two games. NU has also enjoyed a 107-51 advantage in shots in the opening period, while that margin shrinks to an 86-81 NU advantage in the second half. Nebraska has also won 44 corner kicks in the first period, while limiting opponents to 15.

Timko Records 40th Career Assist
Senior Brittany Timko assisted on freshman Carly Peetz's goal against Iowa State on Sept. 24 to mark the 40th assist of her career. She became just the third player in school history to record 40 career assists. Timko needs 10 more assists to tie Meghan Anderson's school record of 50. While that may seem like a tall task, 10 more assists would give Timko a total of 15 assists on the season, six fewer than she recorded last season.

Timko Nears 40/40
Senior Brittany Timko produced one goal in two games last weekend.  With her performance, Timko increased her career totals to 38 goals and 40 assists.

With just two more goals, Timko will join Meghan Anderson (48 goals, 50 assists) as the only players in school history to record both 40 goals and 40 assists in a career. Timko would also join Anderson as the only players in the 11-year history of the Big 12 Conference to join the 40/40 club, as well as becoming just the 35th player in NCAA history and only the third player to play her entire career in the 21st century to reach the marks.

Timko Plays a Major Hand in Husker Offense
Since her sophomore season at NU in 2004, senior Brittany Timko has been a catalyst for the Husker offense.  Anyone who watches Nebraska play can see Timko's impact, while the statistics back up her pivotal role in the Huskers' goal-scoring ability.

The statistics of goals and assists measure a player's contribution to a team's scoring.  But, by looking at these two statistics in tandem and comparing them against the total number of goals in a season, one can calculate how often a player was involved in a team goal.  The formula for this percentage is as follows:

Goals + Assists/Team's Total Goals = Percentage of goals involving that player

From the start of the 2004 season to the present, Nebraska has scored 110 goals in games in which Timko has played.  In those games, she either found the back of the net herself or assisted on 73 of those goals (66 percent).  Statistically speaking, Timko has had a hand in slightly better than two out of every three Husker goals scored in the past three years.

Through Timko's 11 games in 2006, she has garnered eight goals and five assists, involving her in 13 of Nebraska's 22 goals (57 percent).

Timko Joins Husker Elite at 100-Point Mark
Senior Brittany Timko recorded six points in Nebraska's 3-2 win over North Texas on Sept. 8 to reach a total of 103 points in her career with the Huskers.  Timko is now one of just six players in NU history to ever reach 100 points or more.

The Coquitlam, British Columbia, native earned her six points on three goals against the Mean Green, earning her fourth career hat trick.  She is now one hat trick away from tying Kim Engesser for the school record of five.
 

Injury Update 
Nebraska has made it through the first seven weeks of play relatively healthy after an unfortunate preseason that included four season-ending injuries.

Sophomore Lauren Isenhower was listed as a redshirt before the Huskers even reached training camp due to a knee injury she suffered while competing with Nebraska in Europe this past summer.  Junior Meghan Hungerford also suffered a season-ending injury before the season began as she fractured her ankle during summer camps.

Then came the loss of senior defender Abby Penas, who was expected to be a major contributor for the NU defense in her final season at Nebraska.  However, Penas suffered a knee injury in the Huskers' exhibition match with Louisville on Aug. 19, and is out for the rest of the season.

Freshman Jackie Walsh will likely apply for a medical hardship after undergoing foot surgery.

Two players who began the season injured have now recovered and seen game time.  Redshirt freshman Shannon Dickerson sat out the first week of the season with a leg injury before returning for Nebraska's 2-2 double overtime tie with Wisconsin Sept. 1.

Since then, sophomore Ali Lokanc has also returned to the lineup after rehabilitating a broken leg she suffered early in 2005.  Lokanc saw her first game action late in the first half against North Texas on Sept. 8 and has since saw consistent game time for the Huskers.

While the Huskers have enjoyed a relatively injury-free season, a few minor injuries popped up following the opening weekend of Big 12 play.

Junior Jessie Bruch suffered a slight knee injury against Missouri on Sept. 22, sidelining her in Nebraska's three games since.  However, Bruch's injury is not thought to be season-ending and the Huskers hope to return the 5-11 midfielder to the lineup as soon as possible.

Sophomore Jessie Goodell also experienced a knee injury in Nebraska's loss to Iowa State on Sept. 24.  Goodell did not play against Colorado or Kansas this past weekend, but is expected to return this season.

Corner Kickin'
Nebraska, which has historically enjoyed a tremendous advantage in corner kicks taken, is again out-cornering teams by a good margin.

In 13 games, the Huskers have earned 93 corner kicks to just 48 by their opponents, a testament to the endline work by both the NU offense and defense.  On Sept. 15 alone, Nebraska took a season-best 16 corners, which set a Nebraska Soccer Field record.  The previous record of 15 was set against UAB on Aug. 28, 2005. 

Timko Lands on Watch List
Nebraska senior Brittany Timko earned her second nomination to the Hermann Watch List this season as announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.  Timko is one of 25 nominees compiled by a panel of coaches from the NSCAA.

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.

An NSCAA All-American, Timko earned her first nomination as a junior in 2005 and went on to finish among 15 semifinalists for the award.  A list of this year’s 15 Hermann Award semifinalists will be released in early November, with three finalists chosen later that month.  The finalists will be invited to St. Louis, Mo., on Dec. 2 for the announcement of the winner, as selected through voting by the members of the NSCAA, at the NCAA Men’s College Cup.  The winner will receive the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy later that evening.

Big Time in the Big 12
Since joining the conference in 1996, the Nebraska soccer program has always been considered one of the teams to beat in the Big 12.  Over the last 12 seasons, the Huskers have laid claim to eight Big 12 titles and five Big 12 Tournament championships.  Only Texas A&M, which matched the Huskers with its eighth Big 12 title in 2005, has earned a comparable level of success in the league.

Apart from its postseason success, Nebraska also owns a number of Big 12 team season records including most shots (656 in 2000), points (316 in 1999), goals (108 in 1999), goals per game (4.32 in 1999), assists (108 in 2000) and shutouts (16 in 2000).

Individually, Nebraska also reigns supreme, capturing a league-best 39 first-team All-Big 12 picks to Texas A&M's 28.  Recently, NU senior Brittany Timko also joined the Big 12 record books as she notched a conference-record 21 assists in 2005 to topple the previous record of 17, which was set in 2003 by Oklahoma State's Nikki Wojtowicz.

NCAA Tournament Titans
For the Nebraska soccer program, the NCAA tournament isn't a goal, it's a tradition.  The Huskers have been a staple in collegiate women's soccer's biggest competition for the past 10 consecutive seasons, including eight runs into the Sweet 16 and two into the Elite Eight.

NU's success, coupled with the enthusiasm and support of the Lincoln community and Husker soccer fans, have made Nebraska one of the NCAA's favorite postseason tournament sites.  Lincoln has been host to opening-round action on seven occassions from 1996 to 2005.  Even when the Huskers made the move to the Nebraska Soccer Field in 2005, the trend continued as the venue was once again chosen to host the opening round between Nebraska, Creighton, Iowa State and eventual national champion Portland.