Huskers Return Home, Seek First Big Ten Win

Game 9: No. 12 Penn State at Nebraska
Friday, Sept. 25 l Lincoln, Neb. l 7:05 p.m. CT
Stadium: Hibner Stadium
Capacity: 2,500
Series History: Nebraska trails, 1-3-0
Video: BTN Plus
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Special Events: Stadium Dedication and Ribbon Cutting

Game 10: Ohio State at Nebraska
Sunday, Sept. 27 l Lincoln, Neb. l 1:05 p.m. CT
Stadium: Hibner Stadium
Capacity: 2,500
Series History: Nebraska trails, 2-3-0
Video: BTN Plus
Live Stats: Huskers.com

The Nebraska soccer team (4-3-1) hosts No. 12 Penn State and Ohio State this weekend at Barbara Hibner Stadium.

The Huskers and Nittany Lions square off Friday at 7:05 p.m. NU trails the all-time series against Penn State, 1-3-0. Before the game, the new stadium will be dedicated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting outside of the front entrance. The first 300 fans to the game will receive a voucher for a free 12-pack of Pepsi.

Nebraska battles the Buckeyes on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The Huskers trail the all-time series, 2-3-0.

Both games will be streamed on BTN Plus. Live stats will be available on Huskers.com.

Last Time Out: Huskers Tie Spartans, 0-0
Nebraska and Michigan State played to a scoreless tie at DeMartin Soccer Complex on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Sophomore goalkeeper Erika Johnson collected four saves en route to her third shutout of the 2015 campaign. She saved two Spartan shots in the first half, one in the second half and one in the first overtime.

In the second overtime, the Huskers took three shots on goal, but they were saved by Michigan State goalkeeper Gabrielle Gauruder. Sophomore Haley Hanson took two, while junior Jaycie Johnson added the third. Hanson also managed a shot on goal in the first half and finished the game with four shots over 106 minutes of action.

NU outshot MSU, 5-3, in the first half, but the Spartans took seven in the second half compared to the Huskers’ five. Nebraska took five corner kicks for the game, while Michigan State took zero.

Scouting the Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 12 Penn State is 6-2-1 this season, coming off a 1-0 loss to Minnesota in its most recent outing. The Nittany Lions opened the season with two wins before tying then-No. 21 Duke at home. Penn State suffered its first loss of the season on Sept. 4 at then-No. 12 West Virginia. PSU responded with wins over then-No. 2 Stanford, Santa Clara and Wisconsin.

Mallory Weber leads the Nittany Lion offense with five goals this season. Frannie Crouse and Megan Schafer each have four. Goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom has posted three shutouts and made 29 saves, while giving up five goals.

Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is 5-2-2 this season, with an 0-1-1 record in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes opened the 2015 campaign with three wins before tying Texas. Since that time, OSU has gone 2-2-1, with losses to West Virginia and Minnesota.

Nichelle Prince has led the Buckeye offense with three goals and four assists this season. Lindsay Agnew, Nikki Walts and Sammy Edwards each have two goals. Goalkeeper Jillian McVicker has started all nine games and has 17 saves, while surrendering six goals.

New Stadium Drawing Large Crowds
In its four home games at the new Hibner Stadium, Nebraska has hosted 6,942 fans for an average of 1,736 per game. The mark surpasses the season totals for each of the last 10 years. In 2004, the Huskers had 10,749 fans for all of their home games. The school record is 19,874 (1,529 average), set in 1999. NU has five home games remaining in its new facility in 2015.

Baldo Captures B1G Co-Freshman of the Week
Nebraska’s Lia Baldo earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors, announced by the conference on Sept. 8.

Baldo, who redshirted last season due to injury, captured her first Big Ten accolade after a solid showing against then-No. 20 DePaul on the road on Sept. 6. The Glenview, Ill., native helped the Huskers to a 3-1 victory over the Blue Demons, scoring the game-winning goal off of a corner kick from Sydney Miramontez in the 73rd minute. Baldo’s goal marked her second of the season, with her first coming against Central Michigan on Aug. 28.

Baldo shared the weekly award with Minnesota’s April Bockin, and is the first Nebraska player to earn freshman-of-the-week honors since Jaycie Johnson in 2013.

Odermann Named to Primetime Weekly Honor Roll
Nebraska’s Jaylyn Odermann captured a spot on CollegeSoccer360.com’s (CS360) Primetime Performers Honor Roll for Division I, announced by the site for the week of Aug. 24.

Odermann claimed her place on the performance list after a stellar season debut victory versus then-No. 23 Kansas at home on Aug. 21. The Gretna, Neb., native tallied a single-game career-best five points against the Jayhawks, scoring two of Nebraska’s three goals and adding an assist in NU’s 3-0 win. The match marked Odermann’s first multiple-goal game of her career, becoming the first defender in program history to score multiple goals in a single game since Anna Caniglia produced three goals and an assist for seven points on Oct. 23, 2009 against Kansas.

Odermann is one of 15 players represented on the CS360 honor roll across all Division I for the opening week of eligibility, featuring games played during the weekend of Aug. 21-23. Criteria for the weekly list includes players’ noteworthy game performance, leadership and overall team contribution. Odermann is the first Nebraska player to appear on the list since Jaycie Johnson was named CS360 National Freshman of the Week on Oct. 29, 2013.

Hibner Stadium: The Inaugural Season
After 10 years at the Nebraska Soccer Field, the Huskers have a new home at Hibner Stadium. Named after former Nebraska senior women’s administrator Barbara Hibner, the soccer complex features an all-grass, regulation size field, stadium lights, quality seating for 2,500 fans and a support facility with direct access to fan amenities.

Huskers to Get BTN Exposure
Nebraska will be featured on the Big Ten Network twice this season, while also appearing on the BTN Plus six times over the course of the year.

The Huskers open BTN’s 2015 soccer coverage on Friday against Michigan at U-M Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT.

Nebraska will also be shown on BTN at Illinois on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m.