Lincoln – The Nebraska soccer team looks to continue its impressive play against a pair of 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers in Utah over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. The Huskers will battle No. 6 Brigham Young on Saturday night, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. (Central) before traveling to Utah State for a 2 p.m. kickoff with the Aggies on Monday, Sept. 2.
Saturday’s matchup between the Huskers and Cougars, an Elite Eight finisher from a year ago, will be the first meeting since 2001 when NU knocked BYU out of the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers have won all three meetings against the Cougars and will be making their first-ever visit to Provo. BYU defeated Cal State Fullerton 3-1 to open the season on Aug. 23 after a pair of goals from Rachel Manning.
Nebraska will finish out the second week of the season with its first-ever meeting on the pitch against Utah State. The Aggies are off to a 2-0 start with shutout victories against Creighton and Utah Valley. Utah State went 13-3-6 last year en route to an NCAA Tournament bid, before bowing out to BYU in a first round matchup.
Saturday’s contest will be shown live on BYUtv and byutvsports.com, with live stats on BYUCougars.com. Live stats for Monday’s game will available via UtahStateAggies.com.
High-Powered Husker Offense
The Huskers featured a high-octane offense over its season-opening homestand with a pair of victories that had many statistical similarities. Nebraska recorded 30 shots, 14 shots on goal and four goals in each of its first two matches of 2013.
The Huskers have already matched their season-high (30) from a year ago, which happened twice in 2012. The NU offense, aided by a strong defensive unit, outshot their opponents by a 60-14 margin through two matches, including a 28-4 shots on goal advantage. Seven of the Big Red’s eight goals have occurred in the second half.
Climbing the Husker Ranks
Senior Emma Stevens will be moving up the ranks in her fourth season as the Nebraska goalkeeper in a number of categories. Stevens ranks second in career games played in net (50) and third in starts in goal (47), minutes (4,210) and saves (185) amongst all-time Husker keepers. Stevens has also tallied 20 wins in her career, fifth most in NU history.