Huskers – Page 167 – North Platte Post Archive

Huskers Earn 2-1 Victory in Exhibition Opener

Posted on August 17, 2013

Lincoln – The Nebraska soccer team used upperclassmen leadership to its advantage, as goals from Jordan Jackson and Mayme Conroy enabled the Huskers pick up a 2-1 exhibition victory over Colorado College Friday afternoon at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Almost halfway through the first half, senior Jordan Jackson helped NU break the tie when she received a through ball pass from Mayme Conroy and knocked it in from eight yards out.

Senior goalkeeper Emma Stevens came up big play in the final minute of play in the first half when she made an impressive double-save to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard as the Huskers took a 1-0 lead into the halftime intermission.

NU recorded 12 shots in the first half compared to seven for Colorado College forcing Stevens into three save, while the Tigers’ Kate Scheele stopped six shots.

The Huskers capitalized on a scoring opportunity less than ten minutes into the second half, as last season’s leading scorer Mayme Conroy connected on a shot from the top of the box, fed to her by Caroline Gray for the assist and the 2-0 advantage.

The Tigers kept things interesting at the 64:29 mark when Rachel Herron settled a cross and then netted a goal to the far post to cut the Husker lead to 2-1.

NU displayed a strong back line in limiting Colorado College to just one shot on goal in the second half and four in the contest. The Huskers tallied double-digit shots in both halves en route to 23 total in the match, while allowing just 10 for the Tigers.

Head Coach John Walker’s team returns to action for the regular season opener against Southeast Missouri State on Friday, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. before welcoming Cincinnati on Sunday, Aug. 25 for a noon start.

12 Huskers to Earn Degrees at Summer Commencement

Posted on August 17, 2013

Lincoln – A solid class of 12 Husker student-athletes led by six current or former Nebraska football players, will earn their bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska during summer commencement exercises at Lincoln’s new Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday morning.

Current Huskers Andrew Green, Thad Randle and Mohammed Seisay will claim their degrees in the first UNL graduation ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena. All three Nebraska defenders will earn their diplomas before entering their senior seasons on the gridiron for Coach Bo Pelini. Overall, the Nebraska football program will have 10 active players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees as they enter their final seasons for the Huskers in 2013.

In addition to the three current football student-athletes, former Huskers Chris Patrick, Cory Ross and P.J. Smith are expected to receive their diplomas on Saturday. Patrick and Ross have both spent time in the NFL.

Coach Chuck Chmelka’s men’s gymnastics program will add a pair of summer graduates with Wyatt Baier and Gabriel Sanchez earning their degrees.

Volleyball All-American Hannah Werth will add her undergraduate degree to her lengthy list of accomplishments for Coach John Cook at Nebraska, while men’s basketball guard Dylan Talley also will claim his diploma for Coach Tim Miles’ squad. Coach Darin Erstad’s Nebraska baseball program will add Ryan Hander to the list of graduates, while Coach John Walker’s Husker soccer program will contribute Bri Badje as the lone Nebraska native among the dozen all-sport graduates.

The Husker graduating class provides a diverse mix of student-athletes who came from near and far to call Nebraska home during their collegiate careers. The 2013 August graduates came to Nebraska from 10 states, including Arizona, Colorado (2), Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Dakota, Texas (2) and Virginia.

The Huskers continue to lead the nation in the number of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (307) and NCAA Top Ten Award winners (16) across all sports.

August 2013 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates (12)

Student-Athlete (Sport) – Hometown (Major)

· Bri Badje (Soccer) – Lincoln, Neb. (International Business)
· Wyatt Baier (Men’s Gymnastics) – Denver, Colo. (Nutrition, Exercise & Health Science)
· Andrew Green (Football) – San Antonio, Texas (Ethnic Studies)
· Ryan Hander (Baseball) – Sioux Falls, S.D. (Business Administration)
· Chris Patrick (Football) – Ithaca, Mich. (Criminology & Criminal Justice)
· Thad Randle (Football) – Galena Park, Texas (Ethnic Studies)
· Cory Ross (Football) – Denver, Colo. (Sociology)
· Gabriel Sanchez (Men’s Gymnastics) – Phoenix, Ariz. (Advertising & Public Relations)
· Mohammed Seisay (Football) – Springfield, Va. (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
· P.J. Smith (Football) – River Ridge, La. (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
· Dylan Talley (Men’s Basketball) – Camden, N.J. (Sociology)
· Hannah Werth (Volleyball) – Springfield, Ill. (Communication Studies)

Huskers Selected to Finish Fourth in Preseason Big Ten Poll

Posted on August 16, 2013

Chicago, Ill. – The Nebraska volleyball team was selected to finish fourth in the Big Ten coaches’ preseason poll released Friday morning by the conference office.

The Huskers finished the 2012 season tied with Minnesota for second in the Big Ten. Nebraska welcomes 10 newcomers to the 2013 team, including All-Americans Kelsey Robinson and Mary Pollmiller. The Huskers also return All-Americans Morgan Broekhuis and Meghan Haggerty.

Defending Big Ten Champion Penn State was picked to finish first in the conference, while Minnesota was tabbed to finish second. Michigan, who advanced to the NCAA semifinals last season, was picked to finish third. Michigan State and Illinois rounded out the poll at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

Additionally, conference coaches selected a preseason All-Big Ten team, which featured three unanimous selections and seven returning members. Michigan State’s Lauren Wicinski, Minnesota’s Tori Dixon and Penn State’s Ariel Scott were unanimous selections. Dixon was honored for the third consecutive season, while Scott earned preseason recognition for the second year in a row. Minnesota’s Ashley Wittman, Northwestern’s Stephanie Holthus and Penn State’s Deja McClendon and Katie Slay were also three-time preseason All-Big Ten honorees, while Illinois’ Liz McMahon appeared on the list for the second consecutive year. Also on the preseason All-Big Ten list was Illinois’ Jocelynn Birks, Michigan’s Jennifer Cross, Lexi Dannemiller and Lexi Erwin and Penn State’s Megan Courtney and Micha Hancock.

2013 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL

1. Penn State

2. Minnesota

3. Michigan

4. Nebraska

5. Michigan State

6. Illinois

2013 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL TEAM

Name	School	Yr.	Position	Hometown
Jocelynn Birks	Illinois	So.	Outside Hitter	Willow Springs, Ill.
Liz McMahon (2)	Illinois	Jr.	Outside Hitter	Liberty Township, Ohio
Jennifer Cross	Michigan	Sr.	Middle Blocker	Scarborough, Ontario
Lexi Dannemiller	Michigan	Jr.	Setter	West Chester, Ohio
Lexi Erwin	Michigan	Sr.	Outside Hitter	Spring, Texas
LAUREN WICINSKI	Michigan State	Sr.	Outside Hitter	Geneva, Ill.
TORI DIXON (3)	Minnesota	Sr.	Middle Blocker	Burnsville, Minn.
Ashley Wittman (3)	Minnesota	Sr.	Outside Hitter	Shakopee, Minn.
Stephanie Holthus (3)	Northwestern	Sr.	Outside Hitter	Burlington, Ill.
Megan Courtney	Penn State	So.	Setter/Outside Hitter	Dayton, Ohio
Micha Hancock	Penn State	Jr.	Setter	Edmond, Okla.
Deja McClendon (3)	Penn State	Sr.	Outside Hitter	Louisville, Ky.
ARIEL SCOTT (2)	Penn State	Sr.	Rightside Hitter	Ridgewood, N.J.
Katie Slay (3)	Penn State	Sr.	Middle Hitter	Raleigh, N.C.

UNANIMOUS SELECTION IN CAPS
(2) Two-time selection
(3) Three-time selection

Huskers Practice Under the Lights

Posted on August 16, 2013

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its 2013 football fall camp Thursday night, going through a two-hour practice in full pads under the lights in Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska Defensive Coordinator John Papuchis addressed the media after practice, noting that the team worked on a little bit of everything, including scrimmaging at the end of practice.

“A little bit of everything today, we had some tackling and live work but the way we approach it, it was like a regular practice.” Papuchis said, “Everything we do in a practice for us involves everything besides taking guys to the ground, so when we do turn that up a little bit, the only difference in everything we do is we are actually finishing the play.”

Papuchis also talked about the ongoing competition on the defensive line, noting that things are going pretty good, and also senior defensive tackle Thad Randle has been impressing the coaching staff.

“The competition has been going pretty good, there is still a bunch of guys that are rolling through, I think I said there are six or seven guys that are rotating through and I still believe that is the case.” Papuchis said, “I think Thad Randle has had a very good camp up to this point, I think we can feel pretty solid that he will be lining up for us on Saturday a couple weeks from now. Beyond that it’s still a little bit up in the air.”

JP also mentioned that he is pretty impressed with senior defensive tackle Brodrick Nickens, mentioning that he is a big body and is very physical, something the defensive line desperately needed.

“Well he is a physical guy, he is a big body and is strong and eats up space in the middle. What he does well in terms of rushing the passer is he pushes the pocket for us and he is pretty physical guy in the run.” Papuchis said, “I think Brodrick, especially in the right situations can play a pretty good role for us.”

With a young and mostly inexperienced linebacker corps, Papuchis noted that the depth of the linebackers is not a big concern, considering NU usually plays a nickel with two linebackers on the field.

“Like we eluded to a week ago with the personnel that we play, and a lot of times against our offense we are at least half the time in some form of nickel package so there is only two ‘backers on the field, so from a depth perspective we aren’t hurting too bad.”

A freshman newcomer that Husker fans should keep an eye on is Lincoln Southwest graduate Josh Banderas. Banderas has been impressing the coaching staff with his play at linebacker during fall camp.

“Josh Banderas has really come a long way, I think Josh still has a lot of work to do. He is a young guy that has been here for 10 days but I think he is going to push to get some playing time if he continues on this track,” Papuchis said.

Nebraska will be back on the practice field on Friday as it continues fall camp.

Big Ten Network Announces Volleyball Television Coverage for 2013 Season

Posted on August 15, 2013

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska Athletic Department and the Big Ten Conference announced a total of 11 Husker volleyball matches will be televised or streamed online this fall. The Big Ten Network, which has been assigned all of Nebraska’s television rights for all sports from the Big Ten Conference, will televise five conference matches during the 2013 season. In addition, at least six home matches will be webcast on BTN.com.

NET Television will announce its 2013 coverage of the Huskers at a later date. Other road conference matches carried on BTN.com are likely to be added as each conference school sets its Student U/BTN.com schedules.

In their first Big Ten Network televised match of the season, the Huskers will take on Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Champaign, Ill. The Huskers’ home match with Minnesota on Friday, Oct. 4 will also be broadcast on BTN, in addition to the match on Oct. 23 when Iowa will come to the Devaney Center. BTN will televise Nebraska’sOct. 30 match against Illinois, and BTN will also televise Nebraska’s trip to Minnesota on Sunday, Nov. 10.

At least six other matches this season will be webcast on BTN.com. The first match slated to be webcast by BTN.com will be a historic night as the Huskers play their first match in the Devaney Center against Villanova onSept. 6. BTN.com will also webcast Nebraska’s match with St. Mary’s on Sept. 12, Dayton on Sept. 13, Indiana on Oct. 18, Purdue on Oct. 19 and Michigan State on Nov. 15.

2013 Volleyball TV/Webcast Schedule (subject to change)

Sept. 6 (7 p.m.) – Nebraska vs. Villanova (BTN.com)
Sept. 12 (7 p.m.) – Nebraska vs. St. Mary’s (BTN.com)
Sept. 13 (7 p.m.) – Nebraska vs. Dayton (BTN.com)
Sept. 28 (4 p.m.) – Nebraska at Illinois (BTN)
Oct. 4 (7 p.m.) – Nebraska vs. Minnesota (BTN)
Oct. 18 (7 p.m.)- Nebraska vs. Indiana (BTN.com)
Oct. 19 (7 p.m.)- Nebraska vs. Purdue (BTN.com)
Oct. 23 (6:30 p.m.) – Nebraska vs. Iowa (BTN)
Oct. 30 (6:30 p.m.) – Nebraska vs. Illinois (BTN)
Nov. 10 (3:30 p.m.) – Nebraska at Minnesota (BTN)
Nov. 15 (7 p.m.)- Nebraska vs. Michigan State (BTN.com)

Red/White Match Tickets Available, Alumni Team Announced

Posted on August 15, 2013

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska volleyball team would like to remind fans that tickets are still available for the Red/White match on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The match will give Husker fans their first opportunity to see the new home of Nebraska volleyball.

Fans at the Red/White match will see the 2013 Huskers take on Nebraska volleyball alumni, including Olympians Jordan Larson and Nancy Metcalf, All-Americans Gina Mancuso, Lauren Cook and Brooke Delano and 2011 team captain Jordan Wilberger Sauer. In addition, there will be an opportunity for fans to get autographs from their favorite current and former Huskers after the match.

Tickets for the match are $10 for reserved and $8 for standing room only. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets on Huskers.com, while tickets are also available by visiting the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office or calling 1-800-8-BIGRED. UNL students will receive free admission to the match, but ticket quantities are limited and students must secure a ticket in advance on Huskers.com.

Huskers Host Miami on ESPNU

Posted on August 15, 2013

Lincoln – Nebraska’s game against Miami could be the decisive game of the 2013 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, as television and start times for the annual event were announced Thursday morning.The Huskers’ game with the Hurricanes from Pinnacle Bank Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 4, will be televised nationally on ESPNU with a start time of 8:30 p.m. central. It is final game of the 12-game series, as the Big Ten looks to hold on to the Commissioner’s Cup for the fifth consecutive year.

The Huskers are 1-1 all-time in ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchups, including a win at Wake Forest in 2012. The ACC leads the all-time series, 10-3-1, with the Big Ten winning three of the last four matchups.

The Huskers fared well on ESPNU in 2012-13, going 4-0 on the network, including three Big Ten victories.

Nebraska, under second-year Coach Tim Miles, returns three starters from a team that went 15-18 in his first season, including senior guard Ray Gallegos and forwards David Rivers and Shavon Shields. Gallegos, who averaged 12.5 ppg in 2012-13, led the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game and ranked second in school history with 83 3-pointers, while Shields averaged 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a true freshman. Rivers started NU’s final 17 games at forward and averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. In all, nine letterwinners return for the Huskers in 2013-14, while eight newcomers, including three redshirts, will suit up for the Scarlet and Cream for the first time this season.

Complete matchups, start times and television information are listed below.

Tuesday, Dec. 3

Indiana at Syracuse: 7:15 p.m. ET/6:15 p.m.CT (ESPN)

Illinois at Georgia Tech: 7:15 p.m. ET/6:15 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

Penn State at Pittsburgh: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

Michigan at Duke: 9:15 p.m. ET/8:15 p.m. CT (ESPN)

Notre Dame at Iowa: 9:15 p.m. ET/8:15 p.m.CT (ESPN2)

Florida State at Minnesota: 9:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

Wednesday, Dec. 4

Maryland at Ohio State: 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT (ESPN/ESPN2)

Wisconsin at Virginia: 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m.CT (ESPN/ESPN2)

Northwestern at North Carolina State: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

North Carolina at Michigan State: 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT (ESPN)

Boston College at Purdue: 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

Miami (Fla.) at Nebraska: 9:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

Husker Basketball Enjoys Attendance Surge

Posted on August 15, 2013

Lincoln – Nebraska’s national attendance ranking was its highest since 1996-97, as the NCAA released its men’s basketball attendance figures from the 2012-13 season on Wednesday. The Huskers were 38th nationally in attendance in 2012-13, drawing an average of 10,352 fans per game in the final season of the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The average was NU’s highest since the 2006-07 season, while the No. 38 ranking marked its best performance since a No. 34 ranking during the 1996-97 season. Nebraska’s per-game average is also 10 percent higher than it was during its final season in the Big 12 two years ago.

The Huskers’ average attendance will make a sizeable leap next year Nebraska moves into the brand new Pinnacle Bank Arena in the Haymarket District of Lincoln. All 2013-14 tickets in the 15,147 seat arena have already been presold since last May.

Once again, the Big Ten led all conference in average attendance with 13,114 fans per game, which is over 2,400 more fans per game than the next-closest conference. It marks the 37th consecutive year the Big Ten has led the nation in attendance. During the 2012-13 regular season, the Big Ten welcomed 2,937,630 fans over 224 games, which set the conference’s all-time total attendance record for the second-straight season, and is the 21st straight year the conference eclipsed the two-million mark.

Seven of the conference’s 12 schools ranked among the top 25 nationally, while no other conference had more than three top-25 programs.

In addition, the 2013 Big Ten Basketball Tournament set the total attendance record, as the conference welcomed 124,543 fans to the United Center in Chicago for the four-day event. The mark out-paced the previous record for total attendance of 109,769, which was set during the 2001 event in Chicago. All six sessions of the tournament were officially sold out, with an average of 20,757 patrons attending each session.

Media members will see Pinnacle Bank Arena on a media tour on Tuesday, Aug. 27, while the ribbon cutting and open house will take place on Thursday, Aug. 29. The open house will continue on Aug. 30-31, while fans can also watch the Huskers’ football game against Wyoming on the HD video board and purchase concessions on Aug. 31.

Huskers Set to Host Friday Exhibition Match

Posted on August 15, 2013

Lincoln – The Nebraska soccer team will begin its 2013 season when it hosts an exhibition match against Colorado College at the Nebraska Soccer Field this Friday, Aug. 16, at 4 p.m. Admission is free for the exhibition contest.

The Huskers and Tigers last met for a preseason tilt in 2009 where NU took a 2-0 decision. NU holds a 2-1 advantage all-time during the regular season against Colorado College, with the last contest occurring in 2005.

Head Coach John Walker returns an experienced squad in 2013 with six seniors, including second-team All-Big Ten selection Ari Romero and fellow defender Maritza Hayes who has started every game of the past three seasons, while starting goalkeeper Emma Stevens has started all but one match in net for NU over the past two seasons.

The Huskers also welcome back 2011 all-conference second-teamer Jordan Jackson, who was set to play her senior season in 2012, but an injury resulted in her receiving an extra year of eligibility.

Junior Mayme Conroy had a breakout season for the Huskers in 2012 on her way to earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. Conroy led the Huskers with 14 goals, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten and tied for 23rd in the country.

Nebraska welcomes eight new players to their squad in 2013, including one in-state product, along with three players from Missouri, as well as one each from Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas and an international newcomer from Brazil. The incoming class will join a Nebraska program that made its first appearance at the Big Ten Tournament in 2012 during the team’s second season in the conference.

The Huskers are set to play 19 games in their third season as members of the Big Ten Conference in 2013. NU faces eight NCAA Tournament qualifiers from last year, including two Sweet 16 teams in Denver and Michigan, an Elite Eight finisher in BYU, and Penn State, who fell in the national title game.

NU will open the regular season next weekend as it hosts the Husker Classic beginning on Friday, Aug. 23, when it faces Southeast Missouri State at 6 p.m. The weekend will commence on Sunday, Aug. 25, with a match against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Noon. The two contests are the first of nine regular-season home games.

For more information, including TV and video stream information, check out the soccer schedule page at Huskers.com.

Softer Schedule Should Help Cornhuskers in Big Ten

Posted on August 14, 2013

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — If the schedule is an indication, Nebraska’s initiation to the Big Ten is over and the Cornhuskers are set up to make hay.

Coach Bo Pelini starts his sixth season in Lincoln with one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses and a young defense that will benefit from playing its first five games at home.

UCLA is the only real non-conference test. Big Ten favorite Ohio State and three-time defending champion Wisconsin drop off the regular-season schedule and are replaced by Illinois and Purdue.

It probably will be November before anyone knows how good the Huskers are, after they play Northwestern at home and Michigan and Penn State on the road.

The Huskers open the season Aug. 31 at home against Wyoming.