Saturday afternoon dealt the Nebraska soccer team another variable during its spring exhibition slate. The Huskers were finally able to play on their home field, in what will be the only friendly at Hibner Stadium this spring. But a week of exceptional weather finally buckled under the weight of a cold front and rain poured ahead of the 2 p.m. kickoff with Missouri-Kansas City. The match, and the Huskers, endured to see through the full 90 minutes.
A goal in each half saw the Huskers to a justified 2-0 victory over the Roos on Saturday. Sadie White and Abbey Schwarz’s passing opened an opportunity for Eleanor Dale to put the Huskers ahead in the 13th minute. Ella Guyott doubled Nebraska’s lead in the second half when she stole the ball in UMKC’s third, then beat the center back and sent a howler past the keeper to the far post.
Nebraska’s quick attack kept the Roos on their heels most of the match. Official stats show UMKC with 62% possession while playing 73% of the match in their own half. Nebraska gained four corner kicks and put eight of 15 shots on goal.
The Huskers’ starting XI stayed relatively unchanged from previous exhibitions, although that group played limited minutes. Dale, Gwen Lane, Sarah Weber and Reagan Raabe all started on the forward line but played 40 minutes or less. Weber led starting outfielders with 40 minutes played and only goalkeeper Sami Hauk played more among starters. Dale’s opening strike led an early onslaught with 11 shots in the first half. That laid the groundwork for young Huskers to seize game minutes in the exhibition.
Freshman early enrollee Ella Rudney from Grand Island, New York, tallied two shots in 43 minutes on the front line. Audra Clark was physical in the wing for 39 minutes while Abby Vacek and Allie Napora both provided 17 minutes of valuable depth. Guyott, a Papillion-La Vista graduate, and Norris early enrollee Reese Borer shined in the second half on Saturday. Guyott’s tenacity and pressure throughout the half troubled the Roos and ultimately led to Nebraska’s second goal. Borer prospered in the back line, making a vital tackle in the box in the 71st minute and allowing the Huskers to clear an attempted UMKC attack. Guyott, Borer and Rudney all played 43 minutes. Sophomore Cece Villa relieved Hauk in goal for the majority of the second half. She decisively came off her line when she needed to and made two saves.
Former Lincoln East standout Briley Hill managed a shot on goal in 37 minutes off the bench. Omaha Marian graduate Emma Prososki played a team-high 61 minutes off the bench. In total, 24 different Huskers saw the field.
Saturday’s win extended Nebraska’s unbeaten run during the spring season, dating back to a three-match jamboree last month. Nebraska is a perfect 6-0 so far this spring while outscoring opponents by a combined 12-1. Nebraska hosted Iowa State and South Dakota in March for a three-half clash between the two teams. Teams planned for unreliable Nebraska weather so the Huskers won all three meetings by a combined 5-1 margin indoors at the Hawks Championship Center.
Nebraska was then scheduled to host Kansas on April 8 but injuries left the Jayhawks short-staffed and forced a cancellation. Instead, the Huskers traveled to Omaha for exhibition matches against the Mavericks and Iowa Western Community College last week. Nebraska’s multiple chances finally led to a Gwen Lane goal in the 70th minute to beat Omaha, 1-0. A hot start then helped the Huskers beat Iowa Western CC, 4-0. Sarah Weber and Dale both scored in the first 10 minutes. Lincoln East early enrollee Kayma Carpenter added her first goal as a Husker on an assist from Abby Vacek and then Maggie Altman capped the scoring with a goal of her own.
The Huskers face Creighton in a 1 p.m. exhibition at Morrison Stadium on Sunday before closing their spring slate at Colorado on April 22.
