University of Oklahoma Athletics
University of Oklahoma
Nebraska
Soccer Falls Short to Nebraska
October 22, 2006 | Soccer
NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma Sooners, coming off a 5-0 victory on Friday, had trouble finding the back of the net on Sunday against Nebraska, dropping a 1-0 decision at John Crain Field.
The loss, which drops OU to 7-10-1 overall and 3-6-1 in Big 12 play, eliminated the chance for the Sooners to record a top five finish in the conference. OU and Nebraska entered today's game tied for fifth place in the Big 12 standings with Colorado, but the Cornhuskers (9-6-3, 4-5-1) took advantage of the situation by scoring the game's only goal in the first half.
Nebraska's Selenia Iacchelli tallied the score after she beat OU goalkeeper Jennifer Nichols in the 32nd minute. Aysha Jamani delivered the assist to Iacchelli, who was wide open on the back side of the goal.
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Despite several scoring chances, including two free kicks at the top of the Nebraska box in the second half, the Sooners were blanked for the fifth time this season (first since Sept. 24).
“We had a mental breakdown on the goal and that is something that we should not have given up,” said OU head coach Randy Evans. “Our defense was solid besides that three-second lapse and I was also encouraged by our offensive play throughout the game, and felt we had some good chances to put the game away early and tie it late.”
With three minutes remaining, junior Audri Habibi had one of those chances as she created space in the Nebraska box and fired the potential game-tying score over the crossbar. OU, despite being outshot 8-5 in the first half, finished the game with a 12-11 advantage in the shot column.
Defensively, OU limited two-time Big 12 Player of the Year Brittany Timko, who scored two goals on OU last season. Timko finished the game with two shots while Nichols (7-10-1) made three saves for Oklahoma in the loss. Jamani and OU's Kady Kelly led both teams with five shots apiece.
For Nebraska, goalkeeper Jamie Klages (9-6-3) made four saves to record her fourth shutout of the season.
Sunday's game was the Big 12 finale for both teams, who along with Oklahoma State, will await the seedings for the 2006 Big 12 Championship after next week's action. The rest of the conference has one game remaining on the Big 12 slate, which will conclude play next week.
The Sooners qualified for the postseason for the fifth time in the program's history after Texas eliminated Iowa State with a 4-1 win on Sunday. OU can finish as high as seventh in the conference and face Oklahoma State in the first round if Baylor loses next week at Texas Tech. Should the Bears find a victory in Lubbock, the Sooners will claim the eighth seed and face Texas A&M.
Oklahoma will have five days to prepare for its first round game after it concludes the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 26 against Missouri State in Norman at 7 p.m.
The top eight teams in the conference standings qualify for the Big 12 Championship which begins on Nov. 1 in San Antonio at Blossom Soccer Stadium
Below is a complete look at the Big 12 standings after Sunday's action and next week's schedule around the conference:
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Wed., Oct. 25
Loyola Chicago at Nebraska - 3 p.m.
Thu., Oct. 26
Missouri State at Oklahoma - 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 27
Colorado at Kansas - 3 p.m.
Baylor at Texas Tech - 7 p.m.
Missouri at Iowa State - 7:00 p.m.
Texas A&M at Texas - 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 28
Oklahoma State at Murray State - 1:00 p.m.
