Huskers Host Maryland, Visit Minnesota

On a two-match conference winning streak, the Nebraska soccer team hosts Maryland on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. (CT) before traveling to Minnesota for a matchup on Sunday in Minneapolis, beginning at 1 p.m. (CT). Both matches will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. 

Last Time Out
Behind Eleanor Dale’s eighth brace of the season, the Nebraska soccer team defeated Iowa at Hibner Stadium 4-2 on Saturday afternoon in front of 1,390 fans.

Next Up
After this week’s conference matches, Nebraska will host Purdue on Thursday, Oct. 19 and travel to Illinois on Sunday to close out regular season play. 

Quick Notes

• The Huskers moved up eight spots in this week’s RPI as they are now ranked 16th. Penn State (first) is the only team in the Big Ten who is ranked higher, and NU is joined by Wisconsin (19th) and Michigan (24th) in the top 25. Also, NU broke into the rankings for the second time this season as the team is 19th in the Top Drawer Soccer poll. 
• Dale earned her fourth Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor this week as she currently leads the country and conference in total goals (19) and game-winning goals (6), while also leading the conference in shots (83), shots on goal (38) and points (41). Additionally, she has tallied eight total braces on the season and is currently tied for seventh all-time in the Husker records in goals scored.
• Dale’s 19 goals and 41 points are the most in the Big Ten since 2013 when Illinois’ Jannelle Flaws had 23 goals and 48 points.
• Junior forward Weber has continued her strong offensive attack as she is second in the conference standings in shots (60) and shots on goal (27), fourth in points (20) and seventh in goals (7)
• Junior midfielder Florence Belzile, a member of this week's Top Drawer Soccer team, recorded three assists in Saturday’s game against Iowa and now has a team-high nine on the season, good for second in the conference.
• As a team, the Huskers are fifth in the nation in points per game (8.86) and assists per game (3.14), and sixth in total goals (14), shots per game (20.43) and shots on goal per game (9.64).
• In the goal, senior Sami Hauk has recorded 54 saves on the year and is currently third in saves per game (3.86).
• NU enters the week in fourth in the conference standings with 11 points (three points for a win, one point for a tie).
• Four of NU’s six freshmen have seen the pitch so far this year, led by Reese Borer who has played 214 minutes
• The Huskers’ six goals against Eastern Washington marked the most finishes the Huskers have tallied in a regular season match since the 2011 victory against Northern Arizona (8-1) and the most goals on the road since the win in 2009 at Kansas (7-4). Additionally, that was the first time since NU’s victory over Missouri in 2021 that the Big Red has netted four or more goals in the second half
• This season’s win over Eastern Washington also marked the 350th win in program history. Head Coach John Walker achieved the same milestone, having been at the helm of the program since its inception in 1994
• Nebraska’s devoted fan base has continued its strong attendance numbers at Hibner Stadium this season. In seven matches this season, NU welcomed 8,065 fans overall, an average of 1,152 per contest. This average ranks 23rd nationally and is fifth in the Big Ten.
• Head Coach John Walker is in his 30th season, alongside assistant coaches Savanah Anderson-Baer (first season), Ian Bridge (eighth season) and Marty Everding (26th season).     

Scouting the Maryland Terrapins

• Maryland is 3-6-5 overall with a 0-5-1 record in Big Ten play. The Terrapins are coming off four-straight losses in conference play
• Nebraska leads the all-time series, 5-0-1, dating back to the first meeting between the schools in 2014. Most recently, the teams tied 0-0 in 2021 in Maryland
• Head Coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer is in her first season at Maryland. Previously, she spent eight seasons as Rutgers’ Associate Head Coach. Nemzer is assisted by Katie Ely, Alex Ng and Kenie Wright. 

Scouting the Minnesota Gophers

• Minnesota is 5-4-4 this season with a 1-3-2 record in Big Ten play. The Gophers face Ohio State on Thursday night before their matchup against Nebraska on Sunday
• NU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 9-7-2, dating back to 1996. The Huskers are on a two-match winning streak against the Gophers as NU won 2-0 in 2021 and 1-0 in 2022.
• Head Coach Erin Chastain is 21-18-10 in her third season at Minnesota. Chastain is assisted by Maya Hayes, Allie Wisner and Tarah Nupson.