Huskers Travel to Oklahoma, No. 5 Oklahoma State

Game 16: Nebraska (11-4-0, 4-2-0) vs. Oklahoma (8-5-1, 3-2-0)
Date: Oct. 14, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: OU Soccer Complex; Norman, Okla.
Capacity: 3,500
Series History: NU leads, 12-2-0
Live Video: soonersports.com (subscription required)
Live Stats: soonersports.com

Game 17: Nebraska (11-4-0, 4-2-0) vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (12-1-1, 5-0-0)
Date: Oct. 16, 2010
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Cowgirl Soccer Complex; Stillwater, Okla.
Capacity: 1,450
Series History: NU leads, 10-5-0
Live Video: okstate.com (subscription required)
Live Stats: okstate.com

The Nebraska soccer team takes its three-game winning streak on the road this week with a pair of matches at Oklahoma (8-5-1, 3-2-0) and No. 5 Oklahoma State (12-1-1, 5-0-0). The Huskers (11-4-0, 4-2-0) are tied for second in the Big 12 standings with four games remaining and take on the fourth-place Sooners on Thursday night (7 p.m.) in Norman. The Big Red will then travel north to Stillwater to meet possibly its toughest opponent of the season with a Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) against the league-leading fifth-ranked Cowgirls. Both matches will be streamed live with a paid subscription on soonersports.com and okstate.com in addition to free live stats.

The Huskers have already matched their 2009 win total following the come-from-behind 4-2 win over Missouri on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, NU moved up to fifth in the NSCAA Central Region rankings. Oklahoma is receiving votes in the regional rankings, while Oklahoma State has risen to No. 5 in the top 25, its highest ranking in school history. The Cowgirls only loss of the year came to No. 2 Portland. Nebraska defeated both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last year in Lincoln, although the Cowgirls then defeated the Huskers on their way to the 2009 Big 12 Tournament title. Oklahoma State finished the season 15-7-2 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska fields a dynamic sophomore duo in Morgan Marlborough and Jordan Jackson. Marlborough leads the NCAA and Big 12 Conference with 38 points, while Jackson is second in the league with 26. The pair also shares the conference assist lead with eight, ranking 11th nationally. In addition, Marlborough is first in the Big 12 with 15 goals, four ahead of Oklahoma State's Krista Lopez. Marlborough and Jackson have been especially effective in recent games, as the duo has combined for 23 points (Marlborough 13, Jackson 10) in the past three matches. The Huskers have averaged 4.33 goals per game during that stretch.

Scouting Oklahoma
Oklahoma (8-5-1, 3-2-0) has won four its past five games and began the conference season with a solid 3-2-0 record. The Sooners only Big 12 losses came against Texas Tech and at Missouri, while they have picked up wins over Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas. Oklahoma also lost to rival Oklahoma State in a season-opening non-conference contest, while the Big 12 matchup will take place Oct. 29.

First-Team All-Big 12 selection Whitney Palmer has 15 points on six goals and three assists. The speedy senior forward scored 11 seconds into OU's win over the Jayhawks on Sunday and is one of the biggest offensive threats in the conference. Sophomore Caitlin Mooney, a transfer from Maryland, ranks second on the team with five goals, while junior Kelsey Kraft has four. The trio has combined for more than half of OU's total goals (15 of 29).

The Sooners are giving up 2.2 goals per game in Big 12 play. Sophomore Kelsey Devonshire has seen the majority time at goalkeeper and has logged a 6-5-1 record. She has a .756 save percentage and a 1.47 goals-against average. Sophomore defender Brianna Turang was a prep and club teammate of Nebraska freshman goalkeeper Emma Stevens in Corona, Calif. (Santiago High School/Slammers FC).

Head coach Nicole Nelson is in her third season with the Sooners and has an 18-30-4 record in Norman.  Nelson was previously an assistant coach at Baylor (2005) and Texas (2006-07) after a three-year head coaching stint Stephen F. Austin (2002-04). She is 51-49-13 during her career.

Husker History Against the Sooners
Nebraska has historically dominated the Oklahoma series with a 12-2 all-time advantage, including five straight victories. The Huskers defeated the Sooners last year in Lincoln, 5-2, as Morgan Marlborough completed her second hat trick of the season. In 2008 in Norman, the Huskers edged the Sooners, 1-0, on a game-winning header by Carly Peetz in the 71st minute.

Oklahoma's last win over Nebraska came in 2004, with its previous victory occurring in 2000 to account for the two Sooner wins in the series. The Huskers have shut out Oklahoma eight times in 14 matchups, including 1-0 battles in three straight matches from 2006 to 2008.

Scouting No. 7 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State (12-1-1, 5-0-0) is ranked No. 5 in this week's NSCAA top 25 poll and has not lost since Aug. 29 to No. 3 Portland. Since then, the Cowgirls are 10-0-1 with its tie coming in a 0-0 draw at Colorado College. Oklahoma State is 5-0-0 in Big 12 play with wins over Baylor, Texas Tech, Missouri, Iowa State and Kansas. On Sunday against the Jayhawks, the teams were scoreless at halftime before OSU scored a pair of second half goals to come away with a 2-0 victory.

The Cowgirls are one of the best defensive teams in the nation, as they have given up only eight goals all season, an average of 0.57 per game that ranks in a tie for 18th in the NCAA. First-Team All-Big 12 goalkeeper Adrianna Franch is No. 1 in the league with a 0.37 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. She has given up only five goals all season and has seven shutouts, also first in the Big 12.

Offensively, Oklahoma State is led by junior Krista Lopez, who has 22 points on 11 goals. Although Lopez has more than one-third of the team's goals, sophomore Megan Marchesano and freshman Taylor Mathews also pose strong scoring threats with four and three goals respectively. Senior Katie Richardson leads OSU with three assists and is one of three Cowgirls with two goals each, joining junior Kyndall Treadwell and freshman Kristen Kelley.

Oklahoma State's Colin Carmichael is in his sixth season as the Cowgirls' head coach and holds a 86-24-16 record. He was co-head coach with Karen Hancock in 2005 and 2006, when OSU began a run of four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. The 2008 18-win campaign marked the most victories in school history and earned Carmichael Big 12 Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors. Last season, Oklahoma State won the Big 12 postseason title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 15-7-2 record.

Husker History Against the Cowgirls
Nebraska has won 10-of-15 match-ups against Oklahoma State for a 10-5 lead in the all-time series. The Huskers only lost to the Cowboys one time in the first 10 meetings, but Oklahoma State has been stronger in recent years and won three of the last four contests. The teams split decisions last season as the Huskers won a 2-0 battle in Lincoln before the Cowgirls shut out Nebraska in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, 3-0.

In the last meeting in Stillwater in 2008, Oklahoma State was ranked No. 9 nationally before downing the Huskers, 2-1.

Nebraska Offense Erupts in Big 12 Play
The Huskers currently share the Big 12 goal lead with Baylor at 37, an average of 2.47 goals per game. Nebraska has averaged 2.83 goals per game in conference play after scoring at least four goals in three straight games with its recent wins over Texas Tech, Iowa State and Missouri. It marks the first time since 2001 that the Huskers have scored at least four goals in three consecutive matches.

Huskers Rank No. 37 in Newest RPI
Nebraska is No. 37 in this week's RPI. Seven of the Huskers' opponents rank in the top 50 (No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 22 Texas Tech, No. 30 Texas, No. 41 Baylor and New Mexico).The Rating Percentage Index measures strength of schedule and how a team fares against that schedule. It is heavily considered when the NCAA selects its field for the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, Nebraska finished with an RPI of 72.

Marlborough Breaks School Record, Continues Climb Up Charts
In only 34 collegiate games, sophomore Morgan Marlborough has already risen to No. 7 on the school's top 10 list with 36 career goals. Marlborough has at least one goal in eight straight matches to break Christine Latham's 11-year school record. While doing so, she was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, marking the fifth time she has earned a weekly conference award during her career. Her two goals in Nebraska's 2-1 victory over Texas on Sept. 24 helped the forward earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the fourth time in her career. This season, Marlborough has passed former Huskers Nikki Baker (2002-04), Kelly Rheem (1998-2001), Kori Saunders (1999-2002) and Jenny Benson (1996-2000) on the all-time goal chart. Christine Latham (1999-2002) is the school record keeper with 69 career goals. Marlborough leads the NCAA with 38 points and is the Big 12 leader in points, goals (15) and assists (8).

Although the all-time goal list is one of the most prominent charts, Marlborough holds her highest top-10 ranking with 10 multiple-goal games, tied for the fourth-most in school history with Kari Uppinghouse and Lindsay Eddleman. She is also ninth in game-winning goals (7) and points (87).

Last season, Marlborough's 49 points (21 goals, 7 assists) led a Husker scoring attack that ranked third in the NCAA with 3.10 goals per game, the highest scoring average by a Nebraska team since 2000 (4.0). Marlborough was named a freshman All-American and earned Big 12 Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year awards.

The fifth-highest scorer in the NCAA last fall, Marlborough broke the freshman school record for single-season goals just 14 games into the season. She is just one of seven players in school history to produce multiple hat tricks in a career after she tied the single-game school record with four goals against Akron and then had three vs. Oklahoma.

Prior to the start of this season, Marlborough was named to the watch list for the 2010 Hermann Trophy, given annually to the nation's best women's collegiate soccer player, while she also claimed a spot on the 2010 Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

Jackson Among Top Offensive Players in the NCAA
Sophomore Jordan Jackson ranks first in the Big 12 with eight assists alongside teammate Morgan Marlborough. The number also ties the midfielder for 11th in the nation, while she is 12th in points with 26.

The midfielder has scored 24 of her 26 points in the past 11 matches alone. She has four goals and three assists in the last three games, including the game-winning goal in Nebraska's 4-2 come-from-behind win over Missouri on Sunday. It also marked her seventh multiple-point game of the season.

Jackson had two goals in Nebraska's 3-1 win over Iowa on Sept. 19, following a two-assist performance in the 3-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 17 to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors. The sophomore scored her first two goals in the Sept. 6 win against IUPUI and has since been one of the biggest offensive threats in conference.

Jackson worked her way into the lineup to start 14 of 20 games as a freshman, including the last 11. The forward scored five goals on the season, tied for the third-most on the team. Jackson added three assists, including one in Nebraska's upset of No. 14 Texas A&M. She accounted for 13 points on the year.

Thomas Works Toward Another All-Big 12 Season
Two-time All-Big 12 selection Molly Thomas is third on the team in goals behind Marlborough and Jackson with four. The Omaha native also has two assists to total 10 points on the year as she aims for All-Big 12 honors for the third straight season. Thomas scored at least one point in four straight matches from Aug. 27-Sept. 6, including both goals in Nebraska's 2-0 win over Loyola Chicago. Her offensive aggressiveness and speed has been the lead force in helping Nebraska currently rank first in the Big 12 with 98 corner kicks.

Thomas has started 52-of-54 career games with the Huskers. She had 23 points on eight goals and seven assists in 2009 after an 11-point freshman season.

Stevens Compiles 3-0 Big 12 Record
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emma Stevens has produced a 3-0 record in Big 12 play with wins over Texas, Iowa State and Missouri. Stevens had a career-high seven saves against the Cyclones and allowed only one goal against the Longhorns with five saves. That victory came on the heels of back-to-back wins over Cal State Fullerton and Iowa the previous week. The Corona, Calif., native is 5-1-0 overall with a 1.58 goals-against average and .684 save percentage.

Stevens redshirted the 2009 campaign, but was impressive in the spring season that included a shutout over BYU. At Santiago High School, Stevens accumulated over 6,000 minutes in net and notched 383 saves. As a senior, she posted 121 saves while leading the Sharks to a 19-4-2 record. Stevens earned two shutouts in the state tournament, before Santiago was eliminated in the quarterfinals. She claimed 11 shutouts during the season.

Macdonald Moves Up All-Time Charts
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 was 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 in her first action of the 2010 season, as Nebraska downed the Ramblers (2-0) and the Greyhounds (2-0) three weeks ago. Macdonald totaled seven saves in the victories, including a four-save, complete-game shutout against Loyola Maryland. She has a 1.45 goals-against average and 0.787 save percentage.

Macdonald transferred from the University of Oklahoma in 2008. Despite battling injuries in just over one season at Nebraska, she has reached eighth on the school's all-time top 10 lists for career saves with 70. She is also tied for seventh on the all-time win list with an 11-3-3 record as a Husker.

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

Romero Scores First-Career Goal, Named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Freshman Ari Romero saved her first career goal for an opportune time as her rebound header in the 92nd minute gave Nebraska a 5-4 overtime victory at Texas Tech on Oct. 3 and earned her Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. After a Texas Tech foul less than two minutes into overtime, sophomore Morgan Marlborough took a 40-yard free kick from the right side of the field that hit the left post. Romero was positioned inside the six-yard box for the rebound attempt and headed in the game-winning goal past Texas Tech goalkeeper Colleen Pitts. It marked the first-career goal for Romero, a freshman from Surprise, Ariz., who has started all 15 matches for the Huskers this season. She was an offensive contributor in last Friday's 4-1 win over Iowa State by assisting Morgan Marlborough on the first goal of the match in the 28th minute.

Freshmen Playing Big Roles in 2010
Four Husker freshmen have earned time in the starting lineup this season, led by forward Ari Romero and defender Maritza Hayes who have each started all 15 matches. Hayes, along with senior Brittany Goosen and junior Katie Goetzmann, have helped lead the Huskers to four shutouts. Goalkeeper Emma Stevens has earned a starting role in eight matches, while Bartels has worked her way into the lineup for five games and scored three goals.

Nearly the entire true freshmen class has seen playing time this fall, including midfielder Ashley Hick, forward Maddie Hanssler, midfielder Kylie Kusleika and forward Megan Merrill. Goalkeepers Mallorie Monhollon and Amy Swearer have not yet appeared in a game, as they have both battled injuries while serving as back-ups to redshirt freshman Emma Stevens and senior Tara Macdonald.

Cardona, White Return to Starting Lineup
Forward Alexa Cardona has earned three starts this season, marking a return to the lineup for the first time 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. This year, she has one goal from Sunday's 4-2 win over Missouri as she scored in the 48th minute to spark the comeback. With action in 45 career matches, she is one of the more experienced players on the NU roster.

Another veteran Husker who saw a recent return to the starting lineup is utility player Jaclyn White. The senior from Long Beach, Calif., has also started three matches, her first starts since 2007. White has made the most of her opportunity as she scored her third career goal in NU's 3-0 win over Arizona on Sept. 10. Her role was taken to a further extent against No. 6 Texas A&M when she served as the NU goalkeeper for the final 49 minutes of the match. Despite having no previous goalkeeping experience, White gave up only one goal and tallied three saves against the Aggies in the 2-1 loss.

Huskers Hold One of Nation's Biggest Home Field Advantages
Nebraska has shown the Big Red has one of the best home field advantages in the country by losing only one home match in its past 21. The lone loss came against No. 6 Texas A&M on Sept. 26, breaking a streak of 18-straight unbeaten home games that was the fifth-longest in the NCAA. During that span, NU compiled 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 75 percent (46-12-10) of its home matches. Last season's home success included a 2-1 upset of No. 14 Texas A&M, while the Huskers scored at least two goals in 9-of-11 home matches and a combined 29 goals in the first four games. Nebraska is 8-1 at home this season.

Review: Huskers Overcome Two-Goal Deficit to Defeat Missouri, 4-2
After falling behind 2-0 in the opening minutes Nebraska scored four second-half goals to defeat defending Big 12 champion Missouri at the Nebraska Soccer Field, 4-2. The Huskers matched last year's win total in the process and maintained its second-place position in the Big 12 standings with two weeks remaining.

The comeback marks the biggest come-from-behind win since Aug. 29, 2004 when the Huskers overcame the same deficit to down Creighton, 4-2, at the Abbott Sports Complex. On Sunday afternoon, Nebraska gave up a pair of Missouri goals in the first 11 minutes to find itself in a 2-0 hole. The Huskers created several offensive opportunities in the first half and led the shot battle (11-4) but could not get past Missouri goalkeeper Jessica Gwin, who saved three shots on goal from sophomores Jordan Jackson and Morgan Marlborough to main a 2-0 Tiger lead at the intermission.

Nebraska came out on fire in the second half and scored its first goal at 47:02 when Marlborough broke free down the right sideline. The forward centered a pass to junior Alexa Cardona, who flipped the ball behind her with her right foot past Gwin to account for her first goal of the season.

Ten minutes later, Nebraska came up with another prime opportunity as Marlborough took a pass from Jackson on the left side and dribbled to the near post. She then delivered a perfectly-timed pass to senior midfielder Colleen Goetzmann in front of the net for a one-touch shot to tie the game at 2-2. Goetzmann has scored in two of the past three games, while Marlborough completed her second multiple-assist game of the season.

Riding the momentum of the game-tying goal, NU continued its offensive pressure to come up with the game-winner in the 62nd minute on Jackson's ninth goal of the year. Jackson received a long, crossing pass from junior defender Katie Goetzmann on the right side of the penalty box and sent a one-touch, sliding shot to the left post to complete the comeback. Jackson entered the match ranked second in the Big 12 in points and increased that total to 26 with a three-point day on one goal and one assist.

Marlborough, the only player ahead of Jackson in the league point standings, had another remarkable game of her own as she scored for a school-record eighth straight match with an unassisted goal in the 76th minute to put NU ahead 4-2. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native used a slide tackle to obtain possession on the right sideline and then immediately dribbled into the penalty box and sent a low shot to the left post for her 15th goal of the season. The Big 12 leader in goals (15) and points (38), Marlborough has had three straight games with at least four points.

The win marks the second consecutive season that Nebraska has defeated the defending Big 12 regular-season champion, as the Huskers also downed Oklahoma State last October after the Cowgirls won the 2008 conference title.

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emma Stevens improved her record to 5-1-0 with the win over the Tigers as she totaled three saves in the complete-game effort. Gwin finished the match with six saves but only stopped three of NU's seven shots on goal in the second half. Nebraska outshot Missouri, 23-11, giving the Huskers at least 20 shots for the fourth straight game. Nebraska is only the second team to score at least four goals on Missouri this season, joining No. 1 North Carolina, as the Tar Heels defeated the Tigers, 6-1, on Aug. 29.