GAMES: The University of North Dakota soccer squad heads to Lincoln, Neb., for the Adidas Husker Classic where they will battle against Big 12 Conference's and host Nebraska Cornhuskers and Missouri Valley Conference's Creighton Bluejays. The Sioux are scheduled to take on Nebraska on at 5 p.m. on Friday and Creighton at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
NEBRASKA: The Cornhuskers are currently off to a 2-1-1 start as they return seven starters from their 2008 team that went 10-9-1. Nebraska is led by head coach John Walker that is in his 16th season with a career record of 227-87-17.
Offensively, Nebraska returns its top four scorers from last year's team in senior forward Shay Powell (19 points), sophomore forward Molly Thomas (11 points), senior defender Anna caniglia (11 points) and junior forward Michaella Fulmer (11 points).
Morgan Marlborough currently leads Nebraska with 10 points (four goals, two assists) followed by three players with four points.
CREIGHTON: The Bluejays are looking to replace its all-time leading leading scorer, Marcy Gans, and record-setting goalkeeper, Kristen Casey, from last years team. They are currently being led by Brittany Neumann who has 12 points (five goals, two assists) and Alicia Montgomery in net who has gone 5-1-1 with four shutouts allowing only 0.30 goals-per-game.
The Bluejays are currently 5-1-1 returning six starters from their 2008 team that went 12-6-1. Creighton is led by head coach Bruce Erickson that is in his 11th season with the team leading the Bluejays to a record of 109-83-19 (179-144-26 career record).
LAST ACTION: UND suffered a couple of disappointing losses to Great West Conference rival South Dakota, 3-2 at home at Bronson Field on Friday and 2-1 in Vermillion, S.D., on Sunday.On Friday, the Sioux suffered the loss with only 22.2 seconds remaining. Freshman Rhaya Ballon scored her first collegiate goal while junior Alex Zarling also scored. On Sunday, Rachael Loomis scored UND's lone goal that came on a header over the Coyotes goalkeeper.
A SPREAD OFFENSE: The Fighting Sioux have scored six goals this season from five different players. Rachael Loomis leads the team with two goals while Sarah Penner, Alex Zarling, Rhaya Ballon and Kirsten Zachman have all scored a goal apiece.
OLD STOMPING GROUNDS: Seniors Meagan Houlihan and Holly Remmenga are both from Lincoln, Neb., while head coach Kristen Gay graduated a Cornhusker. Gay played soccer from 1995-98 and led the Cornhuskers to a Big 8 tournament championship in 1995 and Big XII regular season titles in 1996 and 1997. She was Nebraska's leading scorer her freshman year, was an all-conference and all-region selection in 1996 and served as team co-captain as a senior in 1998.
