Huskers Return to the Lone Star State

Lincoln - Nebraska returns to the Lone Star state for the second consecutive weekend as the Huskers (4-5-3, 1-3-0 Big 12) travel to Beaumont on Friday to face Lamar (0-10-0, 0-2-0 Southland) at 5 p.m. and stop in Lubbock at noon on Sunday to play Texas Tech (3-6-1, 1-3-0 Big 12).

Friday's match up features several firsts as the Huskers and Lamar Cardinals face off for the first time. Lamar is a first-year program competing in the Southland Conference. NU has never faced a team from the Southland. Both teams enter the match looking for a win as Nebraska has lost its last three matches and the Cardinals are winless on the season. The game offers a chance for NU's offense to shine, as Lamar has been outscored 64-1 this season.

The Huskers face an important early conference game in Sunday's contest against Texas Tech. NU is tied with the Red Raiders for eighth place in the Big 12 at 1-3-0. Only the top eight teams advance to the conference tournament. TTU enters the game with a three-game losing skid of its own after several tough road games.

NU boasts an 82-27-4 all-time conference record, but is still looking for its first conference road win this season after starting 0-2-0.

Scouting Lamar (0-10-0, 0-2-0 Southland Conference)
The 2007 campaign is the first official season Lamar University has sponsored women's soccer as a varsity sport, so Friday's game will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. The Cardinals, competing in the Southland conference, added soccer to their roster of 13 varsity sports. Head coach Matthew Dillon may be in his first year at LU, but he brings a high level of experience. Dillon has spent time as an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida and Southern Methodist University. His teams have earned two conference crowns and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

However, as with many new programs, LU has struggled. The Cardinals enter Friday's game with an 0-10-0 record, including 0-2-0 in conference play. LU has been outscored 64-1, including being outshot 300-66. LU opponents have put 166 shots on goal to the Cardinals' 24.

Junior midfielder Aline Pugliese scored Lamar's lone goal of the season in an 11-1 loss to South Alabama. Freshman midfielder Stefani Turner assisted on the goal, while freshman forward Beth Squires has recorded 13 shots this season.

The Cardinal defense is led by freshman goalkeeper Kelsie Binetti, who has recorded the majority of minutes in net for LU. Binetti has recorded 74 saves on the season, while fellow freshman goalkeeper Lauren Ludwig has stepped in and made 26 saves.

Scouting Texas Tech (3-6-1, 1-3-0 Big 12)
The Huskers conclude their third and final game in Texas this season with a noon showdown with Texas Tech in Lubbock on Sunday. The Red Raiders, who returned 10 starters this season, have faced a tough road though, as six of their first nine games have been on the road. Tech started the conference season with a 1-0 win at Colorado, but dropped its next three games to Texas, Missouri and Kansas. The Red Raiders enter the weekend in a tie with the Huskers at 1-3-0 in the Big 12.

The Red Raider offense has been led by freshman forward Karen De Leon, with five points on two goals and one assist. De Leon has got help up front from senior forward Priscilla Esquivel and sophomore midfielder Emmie Bennett who both have two goals on the season. In total, eight different Red Raiders have scored this season. TTU has a losing record despite outshooting its opponents 173-143 this season.

Junior Tina Rincon has started every game for TTU in net this season. She has recorded 50 saves on her way to three shutouts and a 1.49 goals-against average.

Tom Stone enters his first season as TTU's head coach, after being Clemson's assistant coach for one year. Stone's experience includes time in the WUSA as a head coach. He led the Atlanta Beat to the regular-season championship in 2001.

Husker History versus Texas Tech
The Huskers boast an unblemished 13-0-0 all-time record against Texas Tech. Nebraska has outscored TTU 56-6, and shut them out seven times. The Huskers have never allowed the Red Raiders to score more than one goal in a game.

The last meeting between the two teams saw Texas Tech close the gap with a 2-1 loss. The Red Raiders grabbed an early lead in Lincoln behind a Brittney Harrison goal in the 26th minute. However, the Huskers mounted a come-from-behind victory, 2-1, behind the play of Brittany Timko, who scored two goals in the second half. Timko's 40th goal of her career came in the 54th minute as she took a Selenia Iacchelli pass for a break-away goal. Timko sealed the game in the 78th minute on a long shot from the left side of the field. NU outshot TTU 30-12, including nine shots on goal.

Shay Scores
Sophomore forward Shay Powell found the back of the net in the second half against No. 3 Texas last Sunday and put the Huskers in position to become just the second road team to leave Austin with a win or tie in the Longhorns' last 12 home matches.

Powell collected a cross from sophomore forward Brittney Lanier and scored in the 54th minute for her third goal of the season. Powell's goal ended a 320-minute scoreless streak for NU, as the Huskers have played three consecutive Sunday games against top-16 teams.

Jamani Done for Season
Junior forward Aysha Jamani had her season cut short when she suffered a season-ending Achille's tendon injury last week in practice. The Huskers lose one of their top offensive threats in Jamani, as she was leading the Huskers in shots on goal through the first 10 games.

Jamani, a Calgary, Alberta native, was selected to the preseason All-Big 12 soccer team in the league's coach's poll.

Mills Garners Honor
The Big 12 Conference announced on Sept. 25 that Husker freshman goalkeeper Jessica Mills had been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. Mills, a Houston, Texas, native, has started all 10 games in net for Nebraska this year.

Mills played two tremendous games on Sept. 21 and 23 as she recorded 11 saves and only allowed one goal in two games. On Sept. 21, she recorded five saves and did not allow a goal against Saint Louis as Nebraska won 5-1. She followed up that performance with six saves and one goal allowed in 110 minutes of action as the Huskers tied No. 12 Florida 1-1 on Sept. 23.

At the announcement, Mills was first in the Big 12 in minutes played (774), saves (42) and saves per game (5.25). Her save percentage of .857 ranked third in the conference and her two shutouts placed her fourth in the league. She is only the third Husker freshman to win the Big 12 weekly defensive accolade.

(Near) Perfect on the Home Pitch
Nebraska's 1-0 loss to No. 16 Oklahoma State on Sept. 30 marked the first loss for the Huskers at the Nebraska Soccer Field this season. The Huskers are now 4-1-2 at home, notching wins over Northwestern, Missouri State, Saint Louis and Oklahoma, while tying San Diego State and Florida. The mark is the best home start for the squad since the 2003 season when the Huskers went a perfect 9-0 at home on their way to a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Husker Hot Shots
The Huskers bombarded Oklahoma's goalkeeper with 12 shots on goal on Sept. 28 in a 1-0 NU win. Twelve shots on goal is a season high for the Huskers and the most since Nebraska recorded 12 at Texas Tech on Oct. 30, 2005. Fans have seen impressive results as NU's offense has matured over the season. The Huskers have attempted at least 10 shots on goal against Oklahoma, Saint Louis and San Diego State this season. Nebraska racked up 10 shots in goal in only two games last year.

Nebraska Stays Undefeated in Big 12 Openers
With a 1-0 win over Oklahoma on Sept. 28, the Huskers won the program's 12th consecutive leage opener in 12 tries. NU is 12-0 all-time in Big 12 openers and has outscored its opponents by a whopping 40-5 margin, winning by an average of more than three goals per game.

Nebraska opened league play at home this year, after three consecutive years on the road. Nebraska is 6-0 in Big 12 openers at home and has outscored its opponents 19-1. The Huskers have faced Oklahoma just twice in the conference opener, as NU put an 9-0 win on the Sooners in 1996. Below is a breakdown of how the Huskers have fared in league openers since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996:

Year Opponent Result
1996 Oklahoma W, 8-0
1997 at Colorado W, 5-1
1998 at Iowa State W, 4-2
1999 Texas Tech W, 1-0
2000 at Baylor W, 3-0
2001 Baylor W, 4-0
2002 at Missouri W, 4-0
2003 Iowa State W, 5-1
2004 at #8 Kansas W, 1-0
2005 at Colorado W, 2-1
2006 at Missouri W, 2-0
2007 Oklahoma W, 1-0
Total: 12-0; outscored opponents 40-5

Offensive Outburst
After scoring only six goals in the first six games, the Huskers burst through with five goals against Saint Louis on Sept. 21. The Huskers set several Nebraska Soccer Field records in notching the 5-1 win. NU’s five goals set a team record for goals at the field, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. The previous high was four goals on three occasions. The four-goal win also ties the largest margin of victory at the field.

Four Huskers scored their first goal of the season in the game, while five goals is the biggest offensive outburst for NU since a 6-0 win at Oral Roberts on Oct. 14, 2005. Four goals in a half are also the most since scoring five against Northern Colorado on Sept. 17, 2004.

Mills Makes Her Mark
Jessica Mills is not one to waste time. After graduating high school a year early to join the Huskers, Mills has already made her mark on the Husker squad. Starting all 10 games in net for NU this year, she has accumulated a 0.81 goals-against average, allowing just nine goals in 10 games. Mills has even worked her way into the Husker record book. She became the first freshman goalkeeper to record a shutout in a Nebraska season opener with her 2-0 victory over Northwestern on Sept. 2. Mills’ six saves on the day were the most by a Nebraska goalkeeper making her career debut since at least 1996.

Mills opened her career with a scoreless streak of nearly 160 minutes, and hasn’t looked back since. She ranks near the top of the Big 12 in several categories. She is first in minutes played with 954 minutes of action, over 50 minutes ahead of second. She is second in saves, collecting 50 on the year and third in saves per game, averaging five per game. Her save percentage of .862 ranks her third in the Big 12. She has posted three shutouts, which ties her for second in the conference.

Fit to be Tied
With a 1-1 overtime tie against No. 12 Florida on Sept. 23, the Huskers recorded their third tie on the year, tying the single-season mark for ties. Just like last year, Nebraska has posted three ties on the year. Counting 2006 and 2007, the Huskers have recorded three ties in a full season just three times in the program’s 14-year history. This year’s ties are the most ever in nonconference play.

Nebraska’s 0-0 tie with San Diego State Sept. 9 was just the third scoreless tie in the 14-year history of Husker soccer, totaling a whopping 293 games. The last time NU played to a scoreless tie was against Kansas in 2005, also at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Berkshire’s Breakthrough
The Huskers found the cure for their sputtering offense on Sept. 21 in sophomore midfielder Julie Berkshire, who posted her first two goals of the season in a 5-1 win over Saint Louis. A mere eight minutes after a Jessie Bruch goal, Berkshire powered a ball past SLU’s goalkeeper from 18 yards out to beat her to the right. The goal put the Huskers up 4-0 at half. In the second period, Berkshire showed she has some touch, too. On an Anna Caniglia corner, Berkshire headed the ball past SLU’s goalkeeper in the 69th minute to put NU up five and seal the game.

Berkshire’s two goals already put her on the path to a career year. She recorded only three shots, one on goal and one goal in 2006. Berkshire has two shots, two on goal and two goals already this season.

Isenhower’s Return
Sophomore Lauren Isenhower made her return to the pitch against Florida on Sept. 23. The Lenexa, Kan., native has suffered a number of injuries over the last year, but has undergone rehabilitation and will add offensive firepower to the Huskers’ attack.

Isenhower’s hard luck first hit prior to the 2006 season, leaving her out of the lineup following a spectacular freshman year that included two goals and three assists. The 5-9 midfielder had barely set foot back on the pitch this past spring when she again suffered a knee injury and was forced back into rehabilitation.

Goosen’s Goal
Brittany Goosen (pronounced GO-sun) has been one of several freshmen to step up for the Huskers this season. Goosen has started all eight games on the back line for the Huskers this year. She is part of a defense that has allowed just eight goals in eight games, including two shutouts.

Goosen proved her offensive worth as she scored her first career goal against Georgia on Sept. 16. She took a free kick from nearly midfield in the 65th minute. The ball bounced in the goal box and made it over the head of Bulldog goalkeeper Michelle Betos. Her goal broke a 245-minute scoreless streak for the Huskers.

Goosen became the second freshman to score a goal for NU this season. Fellow Husker Alexa Cardona recorded the first NU goal of the season against Northwestern in the season opener. Goosen’s performance earned her a spot on the all-tournament team for the USC Tournament.

A Winning Week
Nebraska played its first four games of the 2007 season in a span of just seven days, marking just the fifth time in program history the Huskers played four games in one week. NU has never suffered a loss when playing four games in a week, opening this season 2-0-2, while posting a 3-0-1 record in 2006 and perfect 4-0-0 marks in 1996, 2001 and 2004.

More than Mills
Goalkeeper Jessica Mills continues to wow Husker fans in her freshman campaign, but Mills owes part of her success to the stout Nebraska defense in front of her. Mills, along with starting defenders Brittany Goosen, Anna Caniglia, Carly Peetz and Lindsay Poehling, allowed only two goals through the first four games this season, including a pair of double-overtime contests. The 2002 NU squad was the last to allow two or fewer goals after four games, while the 2000 team was the last to have a lower goals-against average through four games than this year’s squad (0.45). The Nebraska defense did not allowed a first-half goal through the first four games and 180 minutes. The Huskers have given up only nine goals through their first 10 games.

Freshman Facts
The Nebraska roster is nearly half freshmen this season as 14 of 31 players are in their first year in Lincoln. Three of those freshmen made their first career starts on Sept. 2 in a 2-0 Husker win over Northwestern, including midfielder Anna White, forward Brittany Goosen and goalkeeper Jessica Mills.

Alexa Cardona, another freshman, did not start, but did score the game-winning goal in the 71st minute. Cardona became the first true freshman to score the game-winning goal in a season-opener since Ashley Carter in 2003.

The shutout was Nebraska’s first in a season-opener since 2003 and made Mills the first freshman goalkeeper to record a shutout in a Nebraska season opener.

Mills’ six saves on the day were also the most by a Nebraska goalkeeper making her career debut since at least 1996.

Meet Me at the Corner
The Huskers’ eight second-half corner kicks against Northwestern in the season opener matched or exceeded NU’s entire game total from 11 of its 20 games in 2006. Nebraska last had at least eight corner kicks in a half last season against Central Michigan when NU took 12 second-half corner kicks.

Corner kick duties for the Huskers have been split between midfielders Sari Raber and Anna Caniglia and forward Brittney Lanier.

Jamani Earns Big 12 Pick
Junior Aysha Jamani has been selected to the preseason All-Big 12 soccer team in the league’s coach’s poll. Jamani returns to Nebraska for her junior year in 2007 as the Huskers’ most potent offensive threat following the graduation of three-time Big 12 Player of the Year Brittany Timko. Jamani owns 11 goals and eight assists in two seasons and has started at forward in 37games. A former Big 12 All-Newcomer Team member and two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection, Jamani has consistently performed at the highest level for the Huskers.