SportsMonday
Huskers show potential in tie game with UNC
By Brian Christopherson
Staff writer
Nebraska soccer is the real deal.
Anson Dorrance said so.
Dorrance is a good source. The
North Carolina coach has guided some
winners in his day.
He has only 19 career losses in 21
seasons as coach of the Tar Heels, with
more national championship rings in his
J possession than fingers.
On Saturday night, Dorrance’s
North Carolina team was fortunate to
escape with a 1-1 exhibition tie against
NU. It was a one-sided affair, literally.
We were lucky to escape with a
tie,” Dorrance said. “They could have
set up a camp on our side of the field.”
However, Nebraska only put one in
the net out of 21 shots, on defender
Breanna Boyd’s first-half goal in the
shortened 70-minute game.
“We had plenty of chances to win
this game. We just have to do a better job
of finishing our chances,” NU Coach
John Walker said.
Nebraska had 10 more shots than the
Heels and owned a 13-2 advantage in
comer kicks.
UNC scored a second half goal on a
counter attack when Meredith Florence
blasted a shot by NU goalie Karina
LeBlanc to force the stalemate.
It was the fourth season that NU has
played North Carolina in the spring, and
the Comhuskers haven’t quite hurdled
ahead, going 0-2-2.
HUSKERS 1
TAR HEELS 1
“We didn’t win, but it wasn’t
because we didn’t play hard,” Walker
said. “There was no shortage of effort.”
UNC was playing its second game
of the day, losing earlier to the United
States National Under-21 team 3-1.
“It’s hard to play two games in a
day,” Dorrance said. “It’s a challenge,
but we love challenges.”
Following the hard-fought game,
Dorrance said the Comhuskers will be
the ones presenting challenges to other
teams next fall.
I he spring season can tell you what
the core of your team is like, and the
core they have is national caliber,”
Dorrance said.
“They’re at that level that a small
collection of schools are at, competing
for the national title every year.”
The Huskers took to the field again
Sunday afternoon at the Abbott Sports
Complex to take on the Under-21 team.
Najah Williams’ goal in the 50th
minute brought NU to a 1-1 tie with the
all-star team.
However, goals by Stanford star
Becky Myers in the 61st and 67th minute
broke Nebraska’s back.
“Up until that second goal of the
half, I thought we played with them step
for step and actually controlled most of
the action,” Walker said.
Tiredness dogged the Huskers down
the stretch, after playing a game only 18
a The spring
season can tell you
what the core of
your team is like,
and the core they
have is national
caliber.”
Anson Dorrance
North Carolina coach
hours earlier.
“We went all out early in the second
half, but we just ran out of gas,” Boyd
said.
NU’s Kori Saunders was disappoint
ed that the Huskers couldn’t pick up a
win this weekend.
“I feel about the same as I felt about
the North Carolina game,” Saunders
said. “We capitalized on only a few of
our many opportunities, and they scored
on most of their few chances.”
Walker was optimistic about his
team after the two games.
“This was such a good weekend for
us. This is why we do the spring sched
ule the way we do it,” Walker said.
“After this weekend, we have no illu
sions. We know our strengths and weak
nesses, and we know what we need to
work on before fall.”
Josh Wolfe/DN
FRESHMAN PAIGE PHILLIPS fights for control of the ball with the
U.S.’s No. 8 during the first half Sunday at Abbott Sports Complex.
Scrimmage
shows off
improving
defense
By Brandon Schulte
Staff writer
What a difference a week has
made for the Nebraska football team.
In their first major scrimmage of
the spring season, quarterbacks
Jammal Lord, Joe Chrisman and
Brett Lindstrom combined to lead an
offensive attack that racked up nearly
700 yards of total offense and scored
eight times.
In Saturday’s second major
scrimmage, the defense controlled
the offense, as it allowed 409 yards,
two touchdowns and two field goals
while recording seven sacks and
causing six turnovers.
Coach Frank Solich liked the
changes he saw from his defense.
“I think the defense showed some
progress,” Solich said. “I thought
they really, at times, stalled out drives
and did things necessary to slow our
offense down.”
One of NU’s main offensive
weapons - Lord - went down with a
knee injury to his posterior cruciate
ligament.
Chrisman moved up to direct the
No. 1 offense, while Lindstrom took
the snaps with the No. 2 offense. And
freshman receiver Kelly Cook was
the third quarterback.
So the offense was scaled back as
the jerseys virtually nullified the
passing game and the option, Solich
said.
“Offensively, we did move the
football on the ground,” Solich said.
“We did not have much of a throwing
attack today.
Most of the Comhuskers’ limited
offensive success came on the
ground, as they racked up 284 yards
on an incredible 105 carries.
Mike Warren/DN
RENE PRETORIUS took third In the womens 100-meter high hurdles for NU behind second-place Emily Walbel,
also of NU. The Huskers hosted their first home meet in over three years and won 10 events. Itoenty teams com
peted In the open meet with over 000 athletes and some post-colleglate Independent athletes.
NlJfinishes
first home
meet with
good marks
By Jamie Suhr
Staff writer
Nebraska Track and Field Coach
Gary Pepin couldn’t be happier with
Saturday’s Nebraska Open, but it had
little to do with scores or times. He
was glad to be home.
The first home meet in nearly
three years for the Huskers attracted
3,600 fans to the newly refurbished
Ed Weir Stadium Track.
“I’m glad we got some good
weather and pretty good performanc
es, but it’s nice to be home,” Pepin
said.
While the new track surface did
n’t chum out any record performanc
es, Pepin said he wasn’t disappoint
ed. Five Huskers claimed provisional
qualifying marks, and 10 athletes
took home first-place finishes.
iNeorasKa cleaned up in me mrow
competitions. Shot-putter Leann
Boerema threw a provisional qualify
ing mark in her third straight meet
with a throw of 49 feet, 8 lA inches,
while hammer-thrower Melissa
Pricethrew a provisional mark of
193-5. Men’s javelin-thrower Cory
Lehman also qualified provisionally
after throwing 221-1.
NU’s Jessica Thompson finished
third but was the top competing col
legiate. Thompson cleared with a
provisional mark of 6 feet.
NU sprinter Chris Chandler fin
ished first in the 200-meters with a
time of 21.21 seconds.
“I just wanted to go out there and
do average and just get through the
day,” Chandler said.
With a leap of 19-10 %, long
jumper Dalhia Ingram took home
first, but didn’t compete in the triple
jump for precautionary reasons after
her hamstring tightened up.