Honors and Awards
- First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference (1997)
- Nebraska's Most Consistent Player Award (1997)
- NSCAA/Umbro Second-Team All-Central Region (1997)
- NSCAA/Umbro Third-Team All-American (1996)
- NSCAA/Umbro First-Team All-Central Region (1996)
- Soccer Buzz Central Region Defensive Player-of-the-Year (1996)
- First-Team All-Big 12 Conference Tournament (1996)
- Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference (1996, 1997)
- Big 12 Conference Academic Honor Roll (1996)
1997 Season
Rebecca Hornbacher (pronounced HORN-bock-er) started all 22 games for NU in 1997. She recorded 59 saves and allowed just 15 goals on the season on her way to allowing just a 0.78 goals-against average. Named NU's Most Consistent Player, she led the Huskers to an 18-4 record on the year by recording 11 shutouts.
She was selected to the All-Big 12 Conference second-team, Academic All-Big 12 Conference first-team and NSCAA/Umbro second-team All-Central Region. Her coaches honored her with NU's Most Consistent Player Award.
1996 Season
Hornbacher earned third-team All-America honors, while finishing fifth in the nation with a 0.51 goals-against average. She allowed 11 goals in 1,940 minutes in goal to capture Soccer Buzz Central Region Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors.
She set the Husker single-season record with 82 saves. She posted seven complete-game shutouts and shared seven more with No. 2 goalkeeper, Michelle Denomme, as the Huskers finished second nationally with 14 shutouts. Hornbacher set a Nebraska single-game record with 10 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She matched her performance against the Gophers with 10 more saves in a spectacular 3-0 shutout of Duke in the second round.
She earned first-team All-Central Region and All-Big 12 Tournament honors, to go along with second-team all-conference recognition. She claimed a spot on the Big 12 Conference Academic Honor Roll with a 3.245 GPA in psychology. She also earned the Huskers' Most Consistent Player Award.
1995 Season
Hornbacher was forced to sit out her first season at Nebraska after transferring from the University of Virginia.
1994 Season
(University of Virginia)
Hornbacher started all 21 games in goal for the Cavaliers, leading the ACC and setting a school record with 11 shutouts. Hornbacher's 0.80 goals-against average led the ACC and paved the way for UVA's No. 10 national ranking.
1993 Season
(University of Virginia)
As a true freshman in 1993, Hornbacher started in goal for UVA's first two games but was granted a medical hardship after breaking her leg against North Carolina-Greensboro.
High School
A four-year letterwinner at Ralston, Hornbacher was a three-time first-team all-state selection for the Rams and earned first-team Nebraska Soccer Coaches Association honors as a junior and senior. As a senior, Hornbacher was named Ralston High School Athlete-of-the-Year, Ralston Recorder Athlete-of-the-Year and B'nai B'rith Athlete-of-the-Year. She posted a 0.79 goals-against average in high school and set a school record with 21 goalie saves in a game.
She played forward as a freshman and led the team in goals scored. She also lettered three years in basketball and two in volleyball. A member of the National Honor Society, Hornbacher was tabbed as the Ralston Area Chamber of Commerce Student-of-the-Year as a senior and earned distinctive honor roll designation eight semesters.
Other Information
Hornbacher's father, Bill, lettered for the Husker football team in 1968 and 1969 as a middle guard. Rebecca may have inherited her goalkeeping instincts from her father, who also had a knack for blocking opposing kicks during his Husker football career. Bill still holds the Nebraska career and single-season record with six blocked kicks in 1968.
Personal Information
The daughter of Bill and Debbi Hornbacher, Rebecca has two brothers, Bill, Jr., 25 and Mike, 23. She was a psychology major. She was born Aug. 5, 1975.