Huskers Host #25 OSU to Start Big Ten Tourney Play

Lincoln, Neb. – For the first time in program history, the Nebraska soccer team (7-6-5, 5-3-2 Big Ten) will host a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match as it faces No. 25 Ohio State (10-4-3, 5-3-2 Big Ten) on Sunday at Hibner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.

The Huskers earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, while the Buckeyes represent the No. 5 seed.

Last Time Out

The Huskers split their matches during the final week of Big Ten regular season. Nebraska upset No. 24 Penn State, 4-2, on Thursday night before falling to Wisconsin, 4-1, on Sunday in Madison.

Next Up

The Big Ten Semifinals (Thursday, Nov. 3) and the Big Ten Finals (Sunday, Nov. 6) will be played at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 prior to the first-round of competition.

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 4-3 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 22-12 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 70th 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 Michigan State, No. 14 Penn State, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 21 Ohio State, No. 22 Rutgers and No. 45 Wisconsin.
• Sophomore Sarah Weber led the Big Ten with 73 shots during the regular season, averaging 4.06 shots per game. Junior Eleanor Dale was close behind with 59 shots total for a 3.69 average.
• Junior goalkeeper Sami Hauk stands in fifth place in saves per game with 66 and an average of 3.67.

Big Ten Tournament at a Glance

• All four quarterfinal matches of the Big Ten Tournament will be played on Sunday at the campus sites of the top four seeds.
• Big Ten regular-season champion and No. 1 Michigan State hosts eighth-seeded Minnesota on Sunday at 3 p.m. (CT) on BTN.
• No. 2 seed Northwestern faces No. 7 seed Rutgers in Evanston, Ill., on Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.
• No. 3 seed Wisconsin hosts sixth-seeded Penn State on Sunday at 4 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.
• The winners of each game will advance to the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 3 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The start times for the semifinal matches are 1 p.m. (CT) and 3:30 p.m. (CT). Both games will be televised on Big Ten Network.
• The championship game will be played on Sunday, Nov. 6, starting at 1 p.m. (CT) on BTN.

Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes

• Ohio State holds a 10-4-3 record this season and finished Big Ten play with a 5-3-2 mark to tie for fourth.
• The Buckeyes enter Sunday’s match on a two-match losing streak to the top two teams in the conference standings.
• The all-time series between Nebraska and Ohio State is tied at 4-4-3. The two teams met earlier this season in Lincoln on Oct. 8 where they played to a 2-2 draw.
• NU and OSU have played each other in the Big Ten Tournament on two previous occasions. The Buckeyes won by a 1-0 margin over the Huskers on Oct. 13, 2021 in Bloomington, Ind. Most recently, in 2018, the teams tied 0-0 in double overtime, but the Huskers advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 penalty shootout victory.
• Ohio State has secured three Big Ten Tournament championships in program history and picked up its highest seed since 2018.
• Head Coach Lori Walker-Hock is 281-192-57 in her 26th season at Ohio State. Walker-Hock is assisted by Brian Jankowski and Gavin MacLeod.