Huskers Face #6 MSU in Big Ten Semifinals

#4 Nebraska vs. #1 Michigan State
Thursday, Nov. 3 – 1 p.m. (CT)
Lower.com Field
Columbus, Ohio
» Big Ten Tournament Semifinals
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Fresh off a thrilling quarterfinal match, the Nebraska soccer team (8-6-5, 5-3-2 Big Ten) continues the Big Ten Tournament this weekend against #6 Michigan State (15-1-3, 9-0-1 Big Ten) at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

The fourth-seeded Huskers and top-seeded Spartans square off in the semifinal round on Thursday, starting at 1 p.m. (CT). The match will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Last Time Out

Eleanor Dale’s brace powered the Huskers to a 4-0 victory over #25 OSU on Sunday afternoon in front of a season-high 1,519 fans at Hibner Stadium.

Next Up

The Big Ten Final, played at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 and will be streamed live on NCAA.com.

Nebraska Conference Tournament Notes

• Nebraska finished Big Ten play with a 5-3-2 record, matching its conference wins from 2016 and 2018 and the second-most Big Ten wins in a season since joining the conference in 2011. NU won the Big Ten regular-season title in 2013 when the Huskers went 10-1 in conference play.
• The Huskers tied for fourth in the Big Ten standings with 17 points, sharing the spot with Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers. NU earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament due to the tiebreakers. NU’s tie-for-fourth marks its second-best finish in the Big Ten standings since joining the conference in 2011, behind only the 2013 team that won the regular-season crown.
• Nebraska is making its fifth appearance in the Big Ten Tournament since joining the conference in 2011. The team qualified for the conference tournament in 2020-21, but the match was deemed a no-contest. NU is 5-3 in Big Ten Tournament games, winning the title in 2013.
• Nebraska is making its 19th 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 23-12 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.

Quick Notes

• Nebraska is ranked 52nd in the latest RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday. The Huskers have the seventh-best ranking by a Big Ten team, behind No. 11 Penn State, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 25 Rutgers, No. 30 Ohio State and No. 49 Wisconsin.
• Sophomore Sarah Weber leads the Big Ten with 78 shots, averaging 4.11 shots per game. Junior Eleanor Dale is close behind with 63 shots total for a 3.71 average.
• Junior goalkeeper Sami Hauk stands in fourth place in saves per game with 73 and an average of 3.84.
• Nebraska produced three All-Big Ten selections and one All-Freshman Team member when the conference announced its 2022 postseason honorees on Thursday.
  

Big Ten Tournament at a Glance

• The Big Ten semifinals are set for Thursday at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
• Nebraska’s semifinal match against No. 1 seed Michigan State will be the first game on Friday before sixth-seeded Penn State battles No. 2 seed Northwestern at 3:30 p.m. (CT). 
• In the quarterfinals, MSU defeated Minnesota 2-1, PSU topped Wisconsin 1-0 and Northwestern defeated Rutgers 2-1.
• The Big Ten Final will be played on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. (CT) on BTN. 

Scouting the Michigan State Spartans

• No. 1 seed Michigan State is 15-1-3 this season and finished conference play with a 9-0-1 record. The Spartans are ranked 13th in the RPI.
• Michigan State is one of three teams the Huskers didn’t face during the regular season, along with Rutgers and Maryland.
• The all-time series between the two teams is tied, 4-4-2, dating back to the first meeting in 2011. The teams last faced each other at home last season and played to a 2-2 double overtime tie.
• Head Coach Jeff Hosler is 25-5-6 in his second season at MSU. He holds a career record of 169-17-22 in his ninth season overall. Hosler is assisted by Gabe Romo, Megan Link and Tara Lierman.