Nebraska Heads to Big Ten Country, Hosts IUPUI

Game 4: Nebraska (2-1-0) at Indiana (3-1-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 4
Time: 11 a.m. CST
Location: Armstrong Stadium, Bloomington, Ind. (map)
Live Video: Big Ten Network
Live Stats: Click Here

Game 5: IUPUI (0-3-0) at Nebraska (2-1-0)
Date: Monday, Sept. 6
Time: Noon CST
Location: Nebraska Soccer Field, Lincoln, Neb.
Live Stats: Click Here

The Nebraska soccer team travels to Big Ten territory this Saturday (11 a.m.) to take on Indiana, before returning home for a Monday (Noon) contest against IUPUI at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Husker-Hoosier battle will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network's website (www.bigtennetwork.com), while NU's meeting with the Jaguars will give free admission to Husker fans with ticket stubs from the Sept. 4 Nebraska football season opener.

The Huskers (2-1-1) will be looking for their third win in a row this Saturday after taking home victories over Loyola Chicago and Loyola Maryland last weekend. Nebraska is 15-5-2 all-time against Big Ten opponents. When the Huskers return home Monday to face IUPUI, they will be aiming to keep an unbeaten home streak alive that dates back to October of 2008. The Jaguars won the Summit League regular season and postseason titles last season to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

Nebraska will return to the road Sept. 10-12 to take part in the Arizona State Tournament in Tempe. The Huskers will battle Arizona on Friday, Sept. 10 before meeting Arizona State on Sunday, Sept. 12. Following the road trip, NU will host four straight home games at the Nebraska Soccer Field from Sept. 17-26.

Huskers Put Unbeaten Home Streak on the Line
The Huskers have not been defeated at the Nebraska Soccer Field since Oct. 17, 2008. During that span, NU is 12-0-2 in Lincoln, including a 9-0-2 record in 2009 that was the best home record since the 2001 Huskers went 12-0-0 at the Abbott Sports Complex. Since moving on campus in 2005, Nebraska has won 74 percent (40-11-10) of its home matches. Last season's home success included a 2-1 upset of No. 14 Texas A&M, while the two ties came against Arizona State and Baylor. The Huskers scored at least two goals in 9-of-11 home matches and a combined 29 goals in the first four games.

Nebraska has played two home matches this season, earning a pair of 2-0 wins over Loyola Chicago and Loyola Maryland.

Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers (3-1-0) played their first three matches on the road, earning wins at Evansville (3-0) and Butler (6-0), while dropping a 2-0 game at Kentucky. In its home opener Wednesday night, IU downed Western Michigan in overtime. The Hoosiers also won a 3-1 exhibition match at No. 24 West Virginia on Aug. 10.

Indiana was 10-7-2 last season and finished eighth in the Big Ten standings with a 2-6-1 conference record. The Hoosiers upset No. 6 Florida and also defeated No. 20 Michigan State to narrowly miss an NCAA Tournament berth. Indiana returns eight starters this fall, including juniors Devon Beach and Carly Samp, both 13-point scorers a year ago. Samp and sophomore Orianica Velasquez each have two goals and an assist this season. Defensively, the Hoosiers have rotated three goalies, with Lauren Hollandworth picking up all three wins. The senior has not allowed any goals in 149 minutes of action while tallying five saves.

Head Coach Mick Lyon (Evansville, 1989) is in his ninth season at Indiana. He holds a 76-66-18 record with the Hoosiers and a 183-131-36 career mark in 17 seasons. Lyon's best year with the Hoosiers came in 2007 as IU recorded 13 wins and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Before Indiana, Lyon spent nine seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Evansville. Lyon is a native of Boston, England, located 90 miles northeast of Bulkington, the hometown of Nebraska assistant coach Dan Bassett.

Husker History Against the Hoosiers
The Huskers and Hoosiers will be meeting on the soccer field for the first time in school history. Nebraska is 15-5-2 all-time against the Big Ten. Its last matchup with a Big Ten foe was a 4-3 setback at Northwestern in the 2008 season opener. Nebraska is 3-3-1 all-time against opponents from the state of Indiana.

Scouting IUPUI
The Jaguars (0-3-0) have dropped their first three matches of the season to Eastern Illinois (0-2), Ball State (0-3) and Detroit (0-3). Although IUPUI has not put a game in the win column, the Jaguars have high hopes for the 2010 season as they are coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009. Behind forwards Alicia Brock and Megan Hock, IUPUI returns six starters this season. Brock and Hock combined for 50 points last year as two of the top players in the Summit League. Brock was named the conference offensive player of the year with eight goals and four assists, while Hock earned second-team all-conference honors. The Jaguars were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the first round by No. 4 Notre Dame, but totaled a school record 17 wins during the season.

Head Coach Chris Johnson (St. Joseph's College, 1981) is currently in his eighth season at IUPUI and has compiled a 53-65-12 record in Indianapolis. Johnson is 134-144-14 overall in 17 seasons at the Division I level. Prior to his time with the Jaguars, he spent nine years at the University of Indianapolis.

Husker History Against the Jaguars
Nebraska and IUPUI will be meeting for the first time in school history. The Huskers are 8-0-0 all-time against Summit League opponents. Six of those victories have come over Oral Roberts.

Thomas, Marlborough Spark Offense
Junior Molly Thomas and sophomore Morgan Marlborough, both 2009 All-Big 12 selections, have sparked the 2010 NU offense after it was held scoreless in the season opener at New Mexico. In its last two matches, the duo has combined to score all four Husker goals, including three from Thomas. The Omaha native had both goals in the 2-0 win over Loyola Chicago, while Marlborough came up with the game-winner versus Loyola Maryland with Thomas adding an insurance goal with 19 minutes remaining.

The Huskers ranked third in the NCAA with 3.10 goals per game in 2009, the highest scoring average by a Nebraska team since 2000 (4.0). Marlborough had 49 points (21 goals, 7 assists) to rank fifth in the nation in scoring and earn the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award. Thomas scored 23 points on eight goals and seven assists. As underclassmen, Marlborough and Thomas combined for 29 of the team's 63 goals. In all, the Huskers return 70 percent of its goals (43-of-62) from last season.

Macdonald Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
Senior Tara Macdonald was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for matches Aug. 27-29 following her strong performances in wins over Loyola Chicago and Loyola Maryland. Macdonald's player of the week award is the first of her career and the ninth for a Husker goalie in school history.

A native of Austin, Texas, Macdonald turned in two shutouts last week in her first action of the 2010 season, as Nebraska downed the Ramblers (2-0) and the Greyhounds (2-0). Macdonald totaled seven saves in the victories, including a four-save, complete-game shutout against Loyola Maryland. She currently ranks in a tie for first in the conference with a 0.00 goals-against average and 1.000 save percentage.

Macdonald transferred from the University of Oklahoma in 2008. Despite battling injuries in just over one season at Nebraska, she is nearing the school's all-time top 10 lists for career saves and wins. Macdonald is 8-2-3 as a Husker, putting her two victories away from reaching 10th on the all-time win chart, while she also has 52 career saves, just five short of the 10th spot in all-time saves.

Last season, she ranked fourth in the Big 12 Conference with 3.75 saves per game and totaled 45 on the year with a .763 save percentage.

In addition to Macdonald, Texas A&M midfielder Alyssa Mautz (Offensive) and Texas Tech forward Jessica Fuston (Newcomer) earned the other two Big 12 Player of the Week honors.

Freshmen Earn Starting Roles in 2010
Four Husker freshmen have combined to earn nine starts this season, led by forward Ari Romero and defender Maritza Hayes who have each started all three matches. Hayes, along with senior Brittany Goosen and junior Katie Goetzmann, put together two strong defensive efforts in shutouts over Loyola Chicago and Loyola Maryland last week. Goalkeeper Emma Stevens earned a starting role in the first two matches, while Bartels worked her way into the lineup for the season opener at New Mexico.

Husker underclassmen have made up 45 percent of Nebraska's starts this season.

Cardona Battles Back from Injuries
Forward Alexa Cardona earned two starts last week, marking her first time in the lineup since Nov. 2, 2007 when she scored a goal and had an assist in a 2-2- tie against Iowa State. Since then, the Lincoln, Neb., native was forced to sit out the 2008 season due to a foot injury and then missed the last six games of 2009 with a dislocated knee cap. Before her injury-shortened junior season, Cardona tallied two assists in 11 games. With action in 33 career matches, she is one of the more experienced players on the NU roster and looks to continue a successful comeback in 2010.

Review: Marlborough, Thomas Lead Huskers Past Loyola Maryland
Strong defense for the second straight match and timely goals from All-Big 12 selections Morgan Marlborough and Molly Thomas gave Nebraska a 2-0 win over Loyola Maryland on Sunday at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Huskers improved to 2-1-0 on the season and keet their unbeaten home streak alive that dates back to October of 2008 (12-0-2).

Marlborough accounted for the game-winning goal in the 24th minute on a free kick from 25 yards out. The sophomore found a gap on the left side of the Greyhound wall that snuck inside the post and out of the reach of LMU goalkeeper Danielle Ippolito. It was the first goal of the season for Marlborough, who was named the 2009 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last year with 49 goals (21 goals, 7 assists).

The Husker defense was stellar throughout the day in compiling its second shutout in a row. Loyola Maryland was held to zero shots in the first half and tallied only six in the match to Nebraska's 23. Senior goalkeeper Tara Macdonald (2-0-0) saved all four Greyhound shots on goal in the second half.

Despite dominating every offensive category, Nebraska was clinging to a one-goal lead as the match went into the final 20 minutes. At that time, Thomas came up with her third goal in the past two games, picking up a rebound off a Marlborough shot in the penalty box. Marlborough nearly converted her second goal of the match on a head-to-head opportunity with the goalkeeper that she fired off Ippolito's hands. Thomas was there to pick up the rebound and calmly knocked in the insurance goal to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead.

Marlborough and Thomas combined for 10 of NU's 23 shots, while sophomore Jordan Jackson had five. The Huskers had 11 shots on goal, including five from Marlborough.