Nebraska Soccer’s Florence Belzile, Sarah Weber and Jordan Zade earned spots on the Big Ten Players to Watch list, the conference announced Tuesday.
Belzile, a senior midfielder, earned this award after an impressive 2023 season. A three-time member of the Top Drawer Soccer team, Belzile tallied a team-high 17 assists on the season, good for first in the conference and second nationally. In Big Ten history, she tied for second-most only behind Jennifer Walek, Minnesota (1995) and Christie Walsh, Penn State (2001) who both had 18. In the Husker record books, her assists on the season place her tied for second with Husker great Jenny Benson (1999) and is four out of first (Brittany Timko, 2005).
Earning this award for a third-straight year is senior forward, Weber. In 2023, she was a First-Team All-Big Ten honoree as she captured her second-straight first-team All-Big Ten status. She started 23 games this season, amassed 1,885 minutes and was second on the team in goals (16) and total points (38). She also tallied 102 shots on the season, 43 of which were on goal. Additionally, Weber recorded four game-winners and recorded three braces on the season. In NCAA competition, Weber is tied for first in the Husker records with eight combined points and four goals and is second all-time with 19 total shots.
Rounding out the group is senior defender, Zade, a 2023 Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree. A mainstay in the Husker backfield, she started all 24 games in 2023 and amassed 1,957 minutes. She managed nine assists and recorded 12 shots, eight of which were on goal. Zade helped the Huskers secure seven shutouts and earn its program-best third-trip to the Elite Eight and a Big Ten regular season title.
The Big Ten also released its preseason poll voted on by the head coaches. Nebraska is picked to finish fourth in the conference.
B1G time players. 👀
— Nebraska Soccer (@HuskerSoccer) August 13, 2024
🗞️ https://t.co/7VHutVsqEI | #GBR pic.twitter.com/uwDoybakxL
2024 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. UCLA
2. Penn State
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. USC
6. Wisconsin
7. Rutgers
8. Iowa
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Michigan
12. Northwestern
13. Washington
14. Minnesota
15. Illinois
16. Purdue
17. Maryland
18. Oregon