Tanya Dennis

Honors and Awards

• First-Team All-Big 12 (2004)
• Second-Team All-Big 12 (2006)
• Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2006)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Fall: 2003, 2006; Spring: 2006)
• Canadian National Team
• Canadian Under-19 National Team
• 2003 World Cup Participant

2006 Season

Senior <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Tanya Dennis anchored the Nebraska defense as a central defender in 2006. During the regular season, Dennis and the NU defense allowed just 89 shots on goal for 23 opponent goals.  Thanks in large part to Dennis' work, NU opponents average just over one goal per game and only 12.5 shots per contest.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

A patient defender with great tackling ability, Dennis was a leader on the field for Nebraska.  Flanked by sophomore Lindsay Poehling and freshmen Anna Caniglia and Carly Peetz, Dennis led a young defensive squad with incredible success in 2006. 

A potent offensive threat as well, Dennis set up many Husker breakaways. In addition, the Brampton, Ontario, native had no qualms about ripping the shots herself, as she took 15 shots and put four on goal, including one against Baylor on Oct. 6 that would have found the back of the net had it not been for a leaping save by BU goalkeeper Ashley Holder. Dennis increased her offensive aggression toward the end of the season, including a pair of shots against Oklahoma on Oct. 22. Dennis continued that attack against Loyola-Chicago on Oct. 25, taking three shots including one on goal for the Huskers.

Dennis tallied a pair of assists early in the year, both in the opening weekend of Big 12 play.  Dennis' first assist was in Nebraska's 2-0 shutout of Missouri on Sept. 22, when the 5-6 defender found senior Brittany Timko on a breakaway for NU's second goal of the night.  Dennis struck again in Nebraska's 3-2 overtime loss to IowaState on Sept. 24, as she fed the ball back into play on a broken corner kick and found freshman Shay Powell for Powell's only goal on the year.

2005 Season

Dennis filled a variety of roles for Nebraska in 2005. After earning All-Big 12 honors at defender in 2004, the Huskers hoped to use Dennis' offensive abilities more in 2005. However, three season-ending injuries to defensive starters depleted the backline so Dennis stayed back on defense more than planned.

After playing as an attacking midfielder and scoring a goal and notching two assists in the first two games of the season, Dennis attacked less, but did record a game-winning assist against Missouri on Oct. 2. Dennis became one of the Huskers' top distributors in 2005, ranking second on the squad with five assists, four more than her previous career total.

Dennis scored her only goal of the season from long range in the season opener against Minnesota on Aug. 26. She also added an assist against the Gophers to equal her career total. She added another assist in the Huskers' next game versus UAB, to set a new career high and added two more, including a game-winning assist at Oral Roberts on Oct 14.

2004 Season
Dennis played well in her first full year at the collegiate level, earning first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors. After missing most of her freshman season because of injuries and her commitment to the Canadian National Team, the Brampton, Ontario, native started every game for NU in 2004, before joining the Canadian Under-19 National Team prior to the Big 12 Tournament.

Dennis scored three goals, including a game-winner against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 3. Dennis scored her first career goal against Creighton on Aug. 29 and notched her first career assist against Northern Colorado on Sept. 19. For the season she finished with three goals, one assist and seven points.

In the second half of the season, Dennis moved back to play more on defense. She made the adjustment quite well, limiting the opponent's attack and helping hold opposing teams to just 1.25 goals per game. For her efforts, she was named a first-team All-Big 12 defender in her first year at the position.

2003 Season
Dennis spent the early part of the season competing for the Canadian National Team in the Women’s World Cup. Dennis played all 90 minutes in Canada’s first five games as a defender in the World Cup, before suffering a concussion and missing the consolation finals.

Dennis and fellow Canadian teammate Brittany Timko made the trip to Chapel Hill, N.C., to play with Nebraska against Duke and North Carolina, but did not rejoin the Huskers again until the weekend of Oct. 24. Dennis played 74 minutes between the two games in North Carolina.

Dennis did not play in a game for NU after her return to Lincoln because of the lingering effects of the concussion.

High School
Dennis did not play high school soccer at St. Marguerite D’Youville. She was a member of the basketball, volleyball and track and field teams. She was also fourth in her region in badminton. She was named to the honor roll for three years.

Other Information
Dennis was called up to play for the Canadian National Team in the 2003 World Cup just before the Huskers' fall season began. She played all 90 minutes in the first five games of the World Cup before suffering a concussion. She made her debut on the World Cup team on Aug. 31, 2003, in a match against Mexico. Also a starter for the Canadian Under-19 National Team, Dennis has a great deal of international experience.

Along with Timko and Sari Raber, Dennis participated in the U-19 World Championships in 2004, leading Canada to the quarterfinals.

She also played for her province for three years and helped Ontario claim two national titles and a runner-up finish. She received the Sports Achievement Award from the mayor of Brampton, Ontario, in 2001.

She was the top goal scorer at the Canadian Games with 10 goals in 2002. She has also received leadership and MVP honors on her Brams United club team. She was the captain of her club team for three years.

Personal Information
The daughter of Sandra and Nigel Dennis, Tanya has two brothers, Sean, 20, and Greg, 13. Tanya was born on Aug. 26, 1985, in Mississauga, Ontario. She is majoring in psychology.