Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1999)
Thursday, November 4,1999___ Page 11 Women’s soccer sets tournament record ■ No. 4-ranked Nebraska continues to win as coach gets 100th career win. By Brock Wendlandt Staff writer The No. 4 Nebraska women’s soc cer team opened its postseason Wednesday the same way it closed out its regular season - by scoring at will. The Cornhuskers (18-1-1 over all,) set a tournament scoring record by pummeling Tech 10-1 in the open ing game of the Big 12 Women’s Soccer Championships in San Antonio, Texas. NU, which outscored conference opponents 50-3 during the regular season, raised its scoring average to 4.6 goals per game. The victory secured Coach John Walker his 100th career victory in just six seasons at NU. It also served as a good measuring stick for the Huskers, who defeated Tech (8-11-1) 1-0 in their season opener. “We’ve played almost 20 games in between those two games, and we’re a lot better team now,” said sophomore midfielder Meghan Anderson. “We have been getting bet ter each game as a team. That shows how much improvement we have had.” Anderson, who leads the team with 19 goals, opened the scoring at the 18:31 mark. NU put the Red Raiders away when sophomore mid fielder Shannon Tanaka scored the game-winner in the 21st minute. The Huskers then took'a 4-0 lead into halftime on a pair of goals from freshman midfielder Kori Saunders. \yalker said the big lead was a good opportunity to rest several play ers. But when the Huskers emerged from the locker room for the second half, there was certainly no pacifism in their nature. NU tied a school record by blast ing Tech for six more goals. Sophomore Najah Williams scored twice, while Kelly Rheem, Lindsay Eddleman, Brooke Jones and Christine Latham chipped in goals to finish the onslaught. The Red Raiders scored their lone goal at 86:01 when Jenny Alfred beat NU freshman Leah Lamale. It was the only goal given up by Lamale this season. Tanaka said the Huskers’ scoring production has not been a coinci dence. “We are just finishing chances that we should have finished earlier in the year,” Tanaka said. “We have def initely made a commitment to finish ing and a commitment to each other. We’ve grown a lot as a team. “It is not easy to have a perfect conference record, but we have made ourselves accountable to each other on and off the field.” That reliability has been notice able all the way through to the fresh men, said senior defender Sharolta Nonen, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year on Tuesday. “We can give some of our older players a break, and freshmen like Kori Saunders and Christine Latham Nebraska10 Texas Tech 1 can keep up the pace of the game.” Nonen said. “It is really reassuring to know that they can score as many goals as any of our starters ” The Tech victory, Nonen said, will serve as a strong message to future opponents. “It was important to show the teams to come that we don’t have any weak spots,” she said. “It^was also important for our confidence, and it might make some of those other teams a little worried.” The Huskers’ next game will be against Baylor at 7:30 tonight. The fourth-seeded Bears defeated fifth seeded Texas 2-0 Wednesday. Assists aplenty in easy Husker win By Brandon Schulte Staff writer It wasn’t perfect by any means, but the Nebraska women’s basket ball team cracked the century mark in its first performance this year. The Comhuskers jumped out to an early lead and easily coasted to a 102-51 victory over Arvi Vemitas (Lithuania) at the Bob Devaney Sports-Center on Wednesday night. The game gave Nebraska a chance to play in a game environment against new competition. Nebraska 102 Lithuania 51 Coach Paul Sanderford wasn’t overly impressed with his team’s 5erformance, but one area of the lame did stand out in his mind: the mproved passing skills from a year igo. Ten of 12 Huskers contributed it least one assist Wednesday night. “I think we’re making irogress,” Sanderford said. “We tave to play better defense. But the tat that I really liked was the 33 issists. We passed the ball really veil. If we can move the basketball nd be unselfish, then we’ll be pret y good.” The passing led to many good hooting opportunities as seven layers had double-figure scoring otals. Leading the way were eniors Brooke Schwartz and licole Kubik, who both had 16 oints On the night. Jvubik said the fact everyone fas able to get in the game and core will help build team chem itry down the line. “It’s a lot more fun when you et everyone scoring,” said Kubik, rho led Nebraska with seven ssists. “Whenever you score over 00 points, it means everyone is Dntributing.” As a team, Nebraska shot 55.7 arcent from the field (39-70) com ared to 26.9 (18-67) percent for ithuania. While Lithuania may not have Jen a tight match that will prepare U for the Big 12 Conference sea >n, Schwartz said something ►uld be gained from the one-sided ime. “It was better for our team to :t chemistry by playing against uneone who doesn’t know our Tense and defense,” Schwartz id. “It was good to get out there id play with different players at fferent times.” Sanderford said that during the ]VIike Warren/DN NEBRASKA FRESHMAN Stephanie Janes of Omaha drives to the basket against team Arvi Vernitas (Lithuania) at the Bob Oevaney Sports Center on Wednesday night. regular-season fewer players will see the court. But against Lithuania everyone got into the mix, includ ing five freshmen. Three hit double figures as the five combined to score 38 points for the Comhuskers. U? Freshman Shahidrah Roberts, who went 5-7 from the field for 11 points, said the adjustment from being a star player in high school to a role player with the Huskers has been difficult. “It has been a little tough seeing where you fit in,” Roberts said. “Everyone has a different variation of what they can do that they pro vide to the team.” Darren Ivy Saunders pulls for NFL father from Lincoln If you asked freshman soccer player Kori Saunders who her favorite NFL football team was, she would tell you the Kansas City Chiefs But the St. Louis Rams are a close second place. Unlike the thousands of other people who have jumped on the Rams bandwagon this sea son, Saunders said the 6-1 record doesn't matter. Her connection with the team is her father, Al, who is in his first year as the Rams’ wide receivers coach. He used to coach for Kansas City as recently as last year. “I cheered for the Chiefs because it was my dad’s team,” said Kori, who has accumulated a “plethora” of Rams apparel in just one season. “Now I am a Rams fan.” Despite being a Rams fan, Sunday’s game with the Tennessee Titans was the first game Kori was able to watch this season. The past six / Sundays, the Nebraska women’s soccer team has had games at the same time. Prior to this week, NU and St. Louis were both 6-0 in those Sunday games, but the Rams lost to the Titans 24-21 this week. “I guess I jinxed them,” Kori joked. Despite the loss, the Rams are enjoying their best season in years. Last year they were 4-12. Likewise, Kori is enjoying success in her first season at NU. The Huskers are ranked fourth, the highest in school history. But neither father nor daughter has been able to see the other’s success in person, with the exception of the first NU soccer game of the sea son. “It is killing him,” Kori said. Football has separated Kori and her father since the second half of her senior year at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Mo. When A1 became the wide receivers coach, he had to move to St. Louis. Being in St. Louis, he had to rely upon his wife and daughter to tell him about all the Missouri high school scoring records Kori was breaking. In her career, she tallied 281 points on 111 goals and 59 assists and was a Gatorade Circle of Champions national player of the year finalist. * Soccer is Kori’s first love, but football has been a part of her life for as long as she can Please see NFL on 12