Story by NU Athletic Communications
On a seven-match conference winning streak, the No. 15 Nebraska soccer team (14-2-3, 7-1-2 Big Ten) continues its run for a Big Ten Tournament title this week against No. 12 Wisconsin (12-3-4, 7-2-1 Big Ten) at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
The second-seeded Huskers and third-seeded Badgers square off in the semifinal round on Thursday, starting at 4 p.m. (CT). The match will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Last Time OutEleanor Dale’s 10th brace of the season powered the #19 Nebraska soccer team to a 3-2 victory over Ohio State on Sunday afternoon in front of 1,227 fans at Hibner Stadium.Next UpThe Big Ten Final, played at Lower.com Field, is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The NCAA Selection Show is set for Monday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed live on NCAA.com.Nebraska Conference Tournament Notes• Nebraska finished Big Ten play with a 7-1-2 record and matched the second-most Big Ten wins in a season since joining the conference in 2011.• The Huskers won a share of the Big Ten regular season title with 23 points, tied with Michigan State. NU earned the No. 2 seed in conference tournament due to the tiebreakers and the Huskers’ seed marks the second-best finish in the Big Ten standings since joining the conference in 2011, behind only the 2013 team that finished the conference season with a 10-1 record.• Nebraska is making its sixth appearance in the Big Ten Tournament since joining the conference in 2011. NU is 6-4 in Big Ten Tournament games, winning the title in 2013.• Nebraska is making its 20th overall appearance in a conference tournament since 1996, when the Huskers played their first season as a member of the Big 12. NU didn’t have a conference affiliation in its first two years as a program in 1994 and 1995.• Nebraska is 24-13 in conference tournament games, winning six titles. The Huskers won the Big 12 Tournament crown in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002, while taking home the Big Ten title in 2013.Big Ten Tournament at a Glance• Nebraska’s semifinal match against No. 3 Wisconsin will be the first game on Thursday before fourth-seeded Penn State battles No. 8 Iowa at 6:30 p.m. (CT).• In the quarterfinals, Iowa upset Michigan State 2-1, Penn State topped Indiana 3-0 and Wisconsin defeated Rutgers in penalty kicks.• The championship game will be played on Sunday, Nov. 5, starting at 1 p.m. (CT) on BTN.
Quick Notes
• The Huskers are currently ranked 18th in this week’s RPI, 15th in the Top Drawer Soccer poll and 15th by the United Soccer Coaches.
• Dale, a senior from Billingham, England, earned four Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors this season (second-most in Big Ten history), and she became the first Nebraska women’s soccer player to claim Big Ten Forward-of-the-Year honors. She leads the country in total goals (25), game-winning goals (8), goals per game (1.32) and shots per game (6.16), while also leading the conference in shots (117), shots on goal (60) and points (54). Dale’s total goals and points are the most in the Big Ten since 2001 (Christie Welsh, Penn State, 25 goals, 68 points).• Dale, who has tallied 10 braces this season, is third on Nebraska’s season goal scored list. She trails only Kim Engesser, who scored 27 goals in 1998 and 26 goals in 1997. Additionally, she is tied for first in the Huskers record books in game-winning goals and her total shots this season place her tied for second.• Gretna’s Sarah Weber joins Dale as a first-team All-Big Ten honoree as Weber captured her second-straight first-team All-Big Ten status. She ranks second in the conference in shots (78) and points (29), second in shots on goal (33) and fourth in goals (11). Nationally, Weber is tied for ninth in shots per game (4.33) and 23rd in total points.
• Junior midfielder Florence Belzile, a three-time member of the Top Drawer Soccer team, has a team-high 16 assists on the season, good for first in the conference and second nationally. She also is ninth in the conference standings with 22 points. In the Husker record books, her assists on the season place her tied for eighth with Husker greats Jenny Benson (1996) and Brittany Timko (2004).
• Junior midfielder Haley Peterson and junior Jordan Zade added second-team All-Big Ten honors this season, while senior Reagan Raabe earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for Nebraska.
• In addition to Nebraska’s five Big Ten honors, John Walker was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by his peers for the second time in his career. It is the fourth conference coach-of-the-year award for Walker, who was the 2013 Big Ten Coach of the Year, and the 1996 and 1999 Big 12 Coach of the Year. Walker was also the national coach of the year in 1996.
• Head Coach John Walker is in his 30th season, alongside assistant coaches Savanah Anderson-Baer (first season), Ian Bridge (ninth season) and Marty Everding (26th season).