The Nebraska soccer team begins its second week of competition on Friday against Butler at the Nebraska Soccer Field at 5:30 p.m. (CT) before traveling to Milwaukee, Wis., to face Marquette on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Huskers and Bulldogs will be meeting for the first time in series history on Friday. Both teams enter the contest with a 1-1 record after the first weekend of play. The game will be streamed on Huskers.com.
NU takes on Marquette on Sunday at Valley Fields for the second time in series history, with the Huskers holding a 1-0-0 advantage all time. In 1994, Nebraska defeated the Golden Eagles, 2-1, at home. This year’s matchup will be streamed on GoMarquette.com.
Last Time Out: Huskers Split Opening Weekend Games
Nebraska opened the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22 with a 4-0 victory over SMU before falling to DePaul, 2-1, on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Nebraska Soccer Field.
Against the Mustangs, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned a shutout in her first career start at the position. She compiled five saves, four of which came in the second half. Caroline Gray, Caroline Flynn, Jaycie Johnson and Sydney Miramontez scored for the Huskers in the home opener.
Against the Blue Demons, Johnson scored the lone goal for the Huskers in the 89th minute off an assist from Flynn, but DePaul had already built a 2-0 lead. Elise Wyatt scored for the Blue Demons in the 16th minute before Abby Reed added a goal in the 85th minute.
Scouting the Butler Bulldogs
Butler enters Friday’s match with a 1-1 record after competing in the Boilermaker Challenge Cup last weekend. On Friday, the Bulldogs earned a 3-2 win over Ohio in double overtime before dropping a 1-0 decision to Miami (Ohio) on Sunday.
Kelly Mahoney led Butler on the weekend by scoring two goals, while goalkeeper Madison Card earned two saves over 193 minutes. Elise Kotsakis added a score and Stephanie Kaylor tabbed two assists.
Scouting the Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette opened the 2014 campaign with a 3-0 win over Loyola-Chicago on Friday, but fell by a 1-0 margin to Northwestern on Sunday. Darian Powell paced the Golden Eagles with two goals on five shots as Ashley Handwork scored an additional one. Goalkeeper Amanda Engel gave up one goal in 180 minutes of action, while earning six saves in a 1-1 weekend.
Johnson Continues to Produce on Offense
Nebraska’s leading goal scorer from 2013, Jaycie Johnson, started 2014 where she left off from last season and scored twice during the opening weekend.
Johnson assisted on Nebraska’s first goal against SMU on Friday before adding the Huskers’ third goal of the game in the 32nd minute off an assist from Mayme Conroy. Johnson took five shots for the game, three of which were on goal.
A Lake Winnebago, Mo. native, Johnson took two shots against DePaul and scored a goal in the 89th minute off an assist from Caroline Flynn. Johnson’s five points and seven shots lead the team after two games.
Final Season at Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers are in their 10th and final season at the Nebraska Soccer Field before moving into the Nebraska Soccer and Tennis Complex next season. Since moving to campus in 2005, NU has compiled a 64-25-12 record and has 10 home games remaining in 2014.
2014 Season Outlook
Nebraska’s 2014 team includes five seniors in Head Coach John Walker’s 21st season at the helm of the school’s soccer program. The Huskers also welcomed back All-Big Ten second-team member Jaycie Johnson, who is a sophomore in 2014 after leading the team with 17 goals last season. The Huskers added 12 newcomers in the offseason in addition to their 12 returning letterwinners from 2013.
Huskers to Make Three BTN Appearances
Nebraska will appear on the Big Ten Network three times this season, while also making seven Big Ten Digital Network showings.
The Huskers open BTN’s 2014 soccer coverage on Thursday, Sept. 11 against Northwestern at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The game is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.
Nebraska will host Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m., on BTN. The game was originally set for 1 p.m., but was changed for TV scheduling. NU’s final regular season appearance on the network comes at Michigan on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m.