The Nebraska soccer team opens the 2013 regular season at home on Friday, Aug. 23 against Southeast Missouri State at 6 p.m., before finishing its homestand on Sunday, Aug. 25 with a match against Cincinnati at Noon.

NU put on a dominating performance last season with a 4-0 shutout win over Southeast Missouri in the first meeting between the two programs on Sept. 8 at the Nebraska Soccer Field. The Huskers recorded a season-high 30 shots, while allowing just one shot all day from the Redhawks.

Nebraska and Cincinnati also met last season for the first time on the pitch, where NU pulled out a 2-1 victory in Ohio on Sept. 2. Both squads were evenly matched in last year’s contest as they each posted 19 shots, with the Huskers posting eight shots on net to the Bearcats’ seven.

Experienced Group of Huskers
Nebraska returns an experienced squad in 2013 that includes six seniors. 11 starters are back from last year’s squad, including senior Jordan Jackson who is back for her final season after an injury setback in 2012. Senior goalkeeper Emma Stevens will provide leadership in net for the Huskers as she has started all but one match in net for the Huskers the past two seasons.

Junior Mayme Conroy had a breakout season for the Huskers in 2012 on her way to earning second-team All-Big Ten honors, leading the Huskers with 14 goals. Ari Romero also earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades as she helped the Huskers pitch a pair of shutouts last season and hold six teams to one goal or less.

Ninth Season at Nebraska Soccer Field
Nebraska’s home turf has given the Huskers a definitive advantage. Since moving to campus in 2005, the Huskers are 54-22-12 at home over the past eight seasons, including an impressive combined record of 33-13-5 over the past five seasons.

Stevens Climbing the Husker Ranks
Stevens enters her fourth season as the Husker goalkeeper and is near the top of a number of statistical categories. In Stevens’ next match, she will pass Erin Miller and move into second place all-time in games played for Husker goalkeepers with 49. With her next victory, Emma will move into a tie with Katie Wright for fifth with 19 wins in net.

Stevens also ranks third in both career saves (184) and minutes in goal (4,048), while sitting fourth all-time with 44 starts in net.

Game 1 – vs. Southeast Missouri State
Series History – NU leads, 1-0-0
When –  Friday, Aug. 23 (6 p.m.)
Where – Nebraska Soccer Field
Live Stats – Huskers.com

Game 2 – vs. Cincinnati
Series History – NU leads, 1-0-0
When –  Sunday, Aug. 25 (Noon)
Where – Nebraska Soccer Field
Live Stats – Huskers.com

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.

Lincoln – The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday that the Nebraska soccer team will make one appearance on the Big Ten Network this upcoming season and six of its remaining eight home games will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network (BTN.com).

Husker fans nationwide will be able to watch NU open Big Ten Conference play at home against Michigan State on the Big Ten Network or BTN2Go.com. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. (CT) start in Lincoln on Thursday, Sept. 19. Michigan State prevailed over Nebraska one year ago in East Lansing, Mich., by a 2-1 tally.

This season’s match between the Huskers and Spartans is one of 10 games scheduled to be shown on BTN during the 2013 regular season. Both semifinal games and the championship game of the Big Ten Conference Tournament are also shown live on BTN.

The Huskers will make their first appearance on BTN.com this season on Sunday, Sept. 22, when NU hosts a 1 p.m. contest against Denver, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last season.

All six of the Huskers’ home Big Ten Conference games will be shown on BTN or BTN.com.

Iowa and Michigan visit Lincoln in October for games on Thursday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 6, respectively. The Huskers wrap up the regular-season with three straight home contests at the Nebraska Soccer Field against Ohio State (Oct. 25), Penn State (Oct. 27) and Indiana (Nov. 1).

Other road Big Ten Conference games carried by BTN.com are likely to be added as each conference school sets its Student U/BTN.com schedules. Nebraska’s own HuskersNSide may also stream the two remaining home contests, but those will be announced at a later time.

Big Ten Network and BTN2Go.com
Thursday, Sept. 19 – Michigan State

BTN.com
Sunday, Sept. 22 – Denver
Thursday, Oct. 3 – Iowa
Sunday, Oct. 6 – Michigan
Friday, Oct. 25 – Ohio State
Sunday, Oct. 27 – Penn State
Friday, Nov. 1 – Indiana