Lincoln, Neb. – Senior forward Eleanor Dale scored her second brace of the season to help the Nebraska soccer team top Missouri, 5-0, at Hibner Stadium on Thursday night.

The Huskers’ (4-0-1) combined 18 goals through the first five matches of the season is the most since also scoring 18 in 2011. Additionally, this is the second time this season NU has netted four or more goals in the second half.

Dale started the scoring for the Huskers as she tallied the lone goal in the first half for both teams. In the 19th minute, Dale continued her impressive senior showing as she recorded her fifth goal of the season and third-straight game with a finish. Dale gathered the ball from a top the penalty box and punched the ball into the top left corner of the net for the game-winner.

After the break, junior Florence Belzile netted her second goal of the season off the assist from Abbey Schwarz in the 49th minute.

Then, in the 53rd minute, Dale scored her second goal of the game and sixth in 2023 off the assist from defender Jordan Zade, her fourth assist of the season.

In the 74th minute, senior defender Nicola Hauk recorded her third finish of the season and third-straight game with a score. Sophomore Sadie Waite shot a pass into the penalty box which was headed by Hauk into the back of the net.   

To secure the 5-0 victory over Missouri (2-1-1), freshman Kayma Carpenter recorded her first career goal in the 81st minute as she dribbled through the defense and scored past the diving Missouri goalie.

Overall, the Husker offense outshot Missouri 14-5 and 11-1 in shots on goal.

In the goal, senior Sami Hauk and Cece Villa combined for the Huskers’ second shutout of the season.

Up next, the Huskers travel to Manhattan, Kan., to face Kansas State on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. (CT). Action will be aired on ESPN+.

TRIPLE THREAT: HUSKER WOMEN'S GOLFERS TO WATCH

Nebraska's Kelli Ann Strand, Miu Takahashi and Michaela Vavrova were among the list of Big Ten Women's Golfers to Watch when the conference announced its list of preseason top players on Thursday, Aug. 31, ahead of the opening of the 2023-24 collegiate season.

Strand enters her second season at Nebraska ready to build off the best freshman season in school history. The sophomore from Challis, Idaho, captured second-team All-Big Ten honors after posting a school-record 72.05 stroke average in 2022-23. She tied the Nebraska record with a 202 (-14) three-round total at the 2022 Green Wave Classic  on her way to an individual tournament title to open her collegiate career. She finished with six top-10 finishes before adding a tie for 20th at the Big Ten Championship. After leading Nebraska to its second NCAA Regional appearance in the last three years and finishing in the top 125 in the NCAA Division I individual rankings, Strand earned a spot in the 123rd U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in August. Earlier in the summer, she advanced to match play at the Women's Western Amateur.

Takahashi added a breakthrough season in her second year as a Husker in 2022-23. The junior from Nasu-machi, Japan, set the Nebraska sophomore stroke average record (73.49) on her way to finishing the year among the top 250 golfers in NCAA Division I. She was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week (Oct. 12, 2022) after capturing an individual title at the Dale McNamara Invitational in Oklahoma. She also helped the Huskers to team titles at the Badger Fall Invitational and the Westbrook Spring Invitational, where she fired a career-best 212 over three rounds. Takahashi is coming off a strong summer that included a victory at the Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship. She also played alongside Strand at the U.S. Women's Amateur.

Vavrova rounds out Nebraska's trio of Big Ten Women's Golfers to Watch with her third career appearance on the conference's list of preseason honorees. The 2022 Slovakian Women's Player of the Year, Vavrova produced a career-best 75.80 stroke average as a junior, including a career-best 216 that included a career-best final-round 66 to help the Huskers claim the 2023 Westbrook Spring Invitational championship. Vavrova has been a key element in helping Nebraska to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances in her first three seasons in Lincoln.

In addition to their success on the course, all three of Nebraska's Big Ten Women's Golfers to Watch have earned high honors in the classroom. Strand was named a WGCA Scholastic All-American in 2023, while Takahashi and Vavrova both claimed Academic All-Big Ten accolades a year ago.

Nebraska opens its fall season at the Sam Golden Invitational at the Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas (Sept. 11-12). 

HUSKERS OPEN SEASON AT AUGUSTANA TWILIGHT

The Nebraska cross country team kicks off the 2023 season at the Augustana Twilight on Friday, Sept. 1 at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. The women’s 5K is set  for 8:40 p.m., followed by the men’s four-mile race at 9:10 p.m.

The Husker women have finished second at the Augustana Twilight the past two seasons and placed in the top-three for nine consecutive years. The men have won six of the last nine times out at Yankton Trail Park and are coming off a fifth-place finish in 2021.

On the women’s side, the 2023 team features 16 returners and three newcomers. Alea Hardie is the top returner for the women after placing 39th at the Big Ten Championships last season. The rising sophomore was the first Husker to capture three individual victories in a season since 1991. Brynna McQuillen and Hannah Godwin were the next finishers for NU at the conference meet, placing 47th and 64th.

The men have 10 returners and four newcomers this fall. Jerry Jorgenson returns for the Big Red after finishing 73rd at the 2022 Big Ten Championships, followed by Colby Erdkamp in 81st and Cal Puskar in 82nd.

Meet Information
Host: Augustana
Date: Friday, Sept. 1
Course: Yankton Trail Park (3901 S Minnesota Ave)
Course Map: 5K and Four-Mile Map
Starting Times: Women – 8:40 p.m. (5K) | Men – 9:10 p.m. (Four-Mile)
Timing & Results: Results will be posted at https://results.dakotatiming.com/

TOMINAGA HELPS JAPAN MOVE CLOSER TO OLYMPICS

Tominaga Helps Japan Move Closer to Olympics
Keisei Tominaga and Japan moved one win away from qualifying for the 2024 Olympics with an 86-77 win over Venezuela Thursday morning at the FIBA World Cup.

Tominaga had five points, one rebound and an assist in 14 minutes for Japan, which won its second game in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. It marked the first time since 1967 that the nation has won multiple games at the event.  

Japan, which trailed by 13 with 7:30 left, outscored Venezuela 18-3 over the final 3:30 to erase a 74-68 deficit and earn the victory.

Tominaga is averaging 8.8 points per game over five games along with 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest.

Japan can clinch a berth in the Paris Olympics on Saturday when it takes on Cape Verde. Tipoff is at 6:10 a.m. and the game can be watched on ESPN+