2008 Woodie Awards
NU ready to redeem itself in spring exhibition season
Nick Filipowski
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Sports
Following a disappointing end to the 2007 fall campaign, the Nebraska soccer team is ready to hit the field and prove itself in the spring exhibition season.
The Cornhuskers lost eight of their 10 Big 12 Conference games last season, notching only a 1-0 victory in the conference opening against Oklahoma. The Huskers finished the season 5-10-4 but ended on a high note with an exciting 2-2 tie against Iowa State on Nov. 2.
The spring season kicks off Sunday with back-to-back contests against Arizona State and Arizona.
Last season, the Sun Devils finished sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 10-9-1 overall record (4-4-1 Pac-10).
Freshman Karin Volpe led the Sun Devils with 12 points in the fall, scoring five goals and two assists in 20 games last season, including three game-winners. Junior Kylla Sjoman led ASU with seven assists and scored two goals to finish the season with 11 points.
The Arizona Wildcats finished second to last in the Pac-10 last season, finishing with a disappointing 6-13-1 overall record and collecting only a 1-7-1 mark in league play.
Wildcats London King and Jasmin Day led the team with four goals apiece.
NU freshman Colleen Goetzmann was one of 14 freshman featured during the fall season for the Huskers and performed well, seeing action in all 19 games for NU. She started in nine contests and said she feels more at ease the second time around.
"You know what Coach expects of you in terms of practices," Goetzmann said. "As a team, everyone practices much better just because we've been through it for one season. It's been easy to adjust to since we've had a season under our belt."
Goetzmann said all the players expect more out of each other.
"First off all, I think when the freshmen came in, they're extremely talented, all of them," said senior NU forward Aysha Jamani. "I think we kind of put a lot of pressure on them at first because there were so many of them, and I think they felt like us having a disappointing season that a lot of it had to do with them."
Jamani also said that already in practice she's noticed a change in the freshmen, hearing them vocalizing aspects of practice more than the older players and said the squad now looks more complete and comfortable instead of scared.
Jamani, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury she suffered last October, said the injury is better with continued rehab and that she just start resuming basics like passing.
"It feels good," Jamani said. "It shouldn't be too much longer before I'm playing again."
Jamani said because of the letdown season, the squad could be too eager to prove itself.
"I think that might be a concern," Jamani said. "But I know from talking with the girls that everyone is excited."
But even with the possibility of wanting to do too much too early, the squad is looking forward to a new beginning and the next step in fulfilling its goals.
"It's a clean slate to us," Jamani said. "We kind of just want to start fresh."
NICKFILIPOWSKI@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
The Cornhuskers lost eight of their 10 Big 12 Conference games last season, notching only a 1-0 victory in the conference opening against Oklahoma. The Huskers finished the season 5-10-4 but ended on a high note with an exciting 2-2 tie against Iowa State on Nov. 2.
The spring season kicks off Sunday with back-to-back contests against Arizona State and Arizona.
Last season, the Sun Devils finished sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 10-9-1 overall record (4-4-1 Pac-10).
Freshman Karin Volpe led the Sun Devils with 12 points in the fall, scoring five goals and two assists in 20 games last season, including three game-winners. Junior Kylla Sjoman led ASU with seven assists and scored two goals to finish the season with 11 points.
The Arizona Wildcats finished second to last in the Pac-10 last season, finishing with a disappointing 6-13-1 overall record and collecting only a 1-7-1 mark in league play.
Wildcats London King and Jasmin Day led the team with four goals apiece.
NU freshman Colleen Goetzmann was one of 14 freshman featured during the fall season for the Huskers and performed well, seeing action in all 19 games for NU. She started in nine contests and said she feels more at ease the second time around.
"You know what Coach expects of you in terms of practices," Goetzmann said. "As a team, everyone practices much better just because we've been through it for one season. It's been easy to adjust to since we've had a season under our belt."
Goetzmann said all the players expect more out of each other.
"First off all, I think when the freshmen came in, they're extremely talented, all of them," said senior NU forward Aysha Jamani. "I think we kind of put a lot of pressure on them at first because there were so many of them, and I think they felt like us having a disappointing season that a lot of it had to do with them."
Jamani also said that already in practice she's noticed a change in the freshmen, hearing them vocalizing aspects of practice more than the older players and said the squad now looks more complete and comfortable instead of scared.
Jamani, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury she suffered last October, said the injury is better with continued rehab and that she just start resuming basics like passing.
"It feels good," Jamani said. "It shouldn't be too much longer before I'm playing again."
Jamani said because of the letdown season, the squad could be too eager to prove itself.
"I think that might be a concern," Jamani said. "But I know from talking with the girls that everyone is excited."
But even with the possibility of wanting to do too much too early, the squad is looking forward to a new beginning and the next step in fulfilling its goals.
"It's a clean slate to us," Jamani said. "We kind of just want to start fresh."
NICKFILIPOWSKI@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
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