Huskers End Season with 2-2 Tie against Cyclones

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln ? The Nebraska soccer team once again dominated their opponent on the offensive side of the ball, but had to settle for a tie as the Huskers battled the Iowa State Cyclones to a 2-2 double-overtime draw on Friday at the Nebraska Soccer Field.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Huskers (5-10-4, 1-8-1 Big 12) ended their season by creating 23 shots against Iowa State (8-6-4, 4-4-2 Big 12), including 11 on goal, while the Cyclones managed just 16 total shots and six on goal. A back-and-forth first half saw ISU outshoot the Huskers 10-6, but NU roared back with 10 shots to ISU’s four in the second half. NU did its best to seal the game in the double overtime as they created seven shots in the 10-minute period. Both teams had seven corner kicks.

 

Nebraska continued its early offensive pressure as the Huskers scored first in the game in the 17th minute. The goal would have come earlier, in the 8th minute, but NU was caught offsides and the goal was disallowed. The Huskers rebounded, though, as freshman forward Alexa Cardona put a ball across the box in the 17th minute that junior midfielder Selenia Iacchelli headed past the ISU goalkeeper.

 

ISU had some magic of its own as the Cyclones scored twice in the span of five minutes to jump on top. Jordan Bishop found the back of the net in the 23rd minute, while Stephanie Kaphingst scored in the 28th minute. The Huskers countered with a goal of their own in the 56th minute to tie the game at two apiece. Cardona recorded two more points in the game as she notched a goal of her own off an assist from sophomore forward Shay Powell.

 

On senior night, NU attempted to send their seniors out with a win as the Huskers outshot the Cyclones 7-2 in the overtime periods. The Cyclones nearly put the game away in the fifth minute of the first overtime period as they put a shot off the post. Not to be outdone, the Huskers found the post twice in the second overtime. Both shots glanced off the post in the final minute, including Sari Raber’s shot with less than 10 seconds left that went off the crossbar and bounced straight down before being cleared.

 

NU forced ISU goalkeeper Ann Gleason to make nine saves in the game, while freshman goalkeeper Jessica Mills made four saves for the Huskers.

 

Cardona had six shots in the game, including three on goal, while Iacchelli recorded eight shots and also put three attempts on goal. Freshman midfielder Anna White had four shots.

 

Nebraska ends its season scoring 12 goals in the last seven games as the Huskers were shutout just four times on the year.