University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, April 8
Champaign, IL
9:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Nebraska
Players Mentioned
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Midfielder/Forward
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Gophers Open B1G Regional Play Against Nebraska
4/7/2021 9:28:00 AM | Soccer
Thursday, April 8
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Champaign, Ill.
Watch: BTN+
Minnesota (5-3-3) opens up play in Big Ten Regional Weekend this Thursday in the form of an opening round matchup against Nebraska (2-5-3) in Champaign, Ill. The game will stream live on BTN+ beginning at 4 p.m. CT.
SEASON RECAP
The Gophers wrapped up Big Ten regular season play with a 5-3-3 record and tied for seventh place in the conference standings. As a result, Minnesota earned a No. 3 seed in the Big Ten West Regional. Included in the Maroon & Gold's current record is a 3-0-3 mark at home, while the team has gone 2-3-0 on the road. The Gophers enjoyed their most successful stretch of the campaign from March 1 to March 14, when the team went 3-0-1 over four games, securing victories against Michigan State (1-0), Northwestern (2-1, OT) and Iowa (1-0).
LAST TIME OUT
After going 2-0 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium against Purdue (W, 1-0) and Maryland (W, 1-0) to open a three-game home stand to close out the regular season, Minnesota played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw versus Wisconsin in the season finale on April 3. Following a scoreless first half, Wisconsin scored quickly in the 50th minute, but the Gophers responded in the 53rd minute as Abi Frandsen netted her first career goal to make it 1-1. That score held through double-overtime, thanks to a sliding goal line save by defender Katie Koker in the 107th minute.
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's matchup marks the second of the 2021 season between Nebraska and Minnesota, as the two teams previously played to a scoreless double-overtime draw in the Feb. 21 season opener hosted by the U. In that game, Maddie Nielsen and Megan Plaschko combined for 110 shutout minutes in goal, while the Gophers produced advantages in shots (12-6) and corners (9-1).
Overall, the two programs have faced off 16 total times, with the all-time history sitting even at 7-7-2. However, the Gophers are 7-2-2 across the last 11 meetings, including a 5-0-2 record in the previous seven matchups.
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
Nebraska enters the opening round of Big Ten Regional Weekend with a 2-5-3 record on the season, having gone 2-2-2 at home and 0-3-1 on the road. The Huskers are coming off a 1-0 home win over Iowa in their most recent game, which snapped a six-game winless streak during which the team went 0-4-2. Through 10 games, Nebraska ranks 12th in the Big Ten with six goals scored, while their 16 goals allowed stand as the third-most. The Huskers' 86 shots rank 13th in the conference, although their 39 shots on goal are good for 11th.
WEEKLY B1G HONORS
Just this past Tuesday, Koker was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against Wisconsin on April 3. Koker came off the bench to play 58 minutes while making a sliding team save on the goal line to clear a potential golden goal in the 107th minute. So far this season, four different Gophers have combined to haul in six total weekly Big Ten honors.
Katie Koker – Defensive Player of the Week (April 6)
Sophia Boman – Co-Freshman of the Week (March 30)
Delaney Stekr – Defensive Player of the Week (March 30)
Sophia Boman – Freshman of the Week (March 16)
Katie Koker – Defensive Player of the Week (March 9)
Megan Plaschko – Goalkeeper of the Week (March 9)
ON A ROLL
Minnesota has not lost to an unranked opponent in their last nine games, dating back to the second game of the season when the Gophers dropped a 2-0 decision to Michigan in Ann Arbor. Coming into Big Ten Regional Play, Minnesota has won two of their last three contests (2-0-1), with their most recent loss occurring on March 21 at No. 21 Rutgers.
RISING TO THE OCCASION
Although Big Ten Regional Weekend does not constitute as Big Ten Tournament play, the Gophers thrived the last time they faced elimination against a fellow conference opponent. As the No. 7 seed in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament, Minnesota surprised many by winning three consecutive games and upsetting two national top-25 teams, No. 21 Rutgers and No. 15 Penn State, to win the 2018 B1G Tournament Championship.
TEAM LEADERS
Through 11 games, Boman and Sadie Harper are tied for the team lead with two goals, while McKenna Buisman, Frandsen and Koker have scored one goal apiece as well. Katie Duong leads the squad with three assists. Meanwhile, Boman paces the team with five points and 30 shots, while Buisman follows closely behind with 26 shots of her own.
STRONG ON D
Minnesota's six shutouts this season represent the second most in the Big Ten, trailing only Wisconsin (seven). The Gophers have allowed just eight goals all season, which is tied for the second fewest in the conference. The team has surrendered a mere 65 shots all year long, while producing 157 shots of their own. Dating back to last season, Minnesota has registered shutouts in seven of their last 13 games.
AT THE TOP OF THE B1G
Minnesota currently ranks at or near the top of the Big Ten in a variety of categories: corner kicks (first; 74), shots (second; 157), shutouts (second; six), fewest goals allowed (tied second; eight), goals allowed on average (tied second fewest; 0.73), shots per game (third; 14.27) and shots on goal (fourth; 62).
GOING THE DISTANCE
Three Gophers have played all 1,057 minutes for Minnesota so far this season: Boman, Duong and Athena Kuehn.
GOLAN BECOMES LONGEST-TENURED GOPHER HEAD SOCCER COACH
With the 2020-21 campaign officially underway, head coach Stefanie Golan has now been at the helm of the program longer than any head coach in program history. Now in her ninth season with the Gophers, Golan has compiled a 91-61-24 (.586) record, won one B1G Regular Season Championship and two B1G Tournament Championships. Mikki Denney Wright (2004-11) is the only other Minnesota soccer coach to lead the program for at least eight seasons.
CAPTAINING THE SHIP
Seniors Kuehn, Makenzie Langdok and Celina Nummerdor will serve as captains for Minnesota throughout the season. These three Gophers will lead a six-player, team-elected Leadership Group that also consists of juniors Alana Dressely and Stekr, as well as sophomore Duong.
GLOBE TROTTERS
The 24 Gophers that make up the 2021 roster hail from 12 different states. The biggest constituency comes from Minnesota, as 10 current players are from The Land of 10,000 Lakes.
UP NEXT
The winner of Thursday's matchup will advance to play the winner of Iowa-Illinois on Sunday, March 11 in Champaign, Ill. Thereafter, the winner of that Sunday matchup will move on to a four-team Big Ten Tournament, which is scheduled to be played from April 15-18.
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Champaign, Ill.
Watch: BTN+
Minnesota (5-3-3) opens up play in Big Ten Regional Weekend this Thursday in the form of an opening round matchup against Nebraska (2-5-3) in Champaign, Ill. The game will stream live on BTN+ beginning at 4 p.m. CT.
SEASON RECAP
The Gophers wrapped up Big Ten regular season play with a 5-3-3 record and tied for seventh place in the conference standings. As a result, Minnesota earned a No. 3 seed in the Big Ten West Regional. Included in the Maroon & Gold's current record is a 3-0-3 mark at home, while the team has gone 2-3-0 on the road. The Gophers enjoyed their most successful stretch of the campaign from March 1 to March 14, when the team went 3-0-1 over four games, securing victories against Michigan State (1-0), Northwestern (2-1, OT) and Iowa (1-0).
LAST TIME OUT
After going 2-0 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium against Purdue (W, 1-0) and Maryland (W, 1-0) to open a three-game home stand to close out the regular season, Minnesota played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw versus Wisconsin in the season finale on April 3. Following a scoreless first half, Wisconsin scored quickly in the 50th minute, but the Gophers responded in the 53rd minute as Abi Frandsen netted her first career goal to make it 1-1. That score held through double-overtime, thanks to a sliding goal line save by defender Katie Koker in the 107th minute.
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's matchup marks the second of the 2021 season between Nebraska and Minnesota, as the two teams previously played to a scoreless double-overtime draw in the Feb. 21 season opener hosted by the U. In that game, Maddie Nielsen and Megan Plaschko combined for 110 shutout minutes in goal, while the Gophers produced advantages in shots (12-6) and corners (9-1).
Overall, the two programs have faced off 16 total times, with the all-time history sitting even at 7-7-2. However, the Gophers are 7-2-2 across the last 11 meetings, including a 5-0-2 record in the previous seven matchups.
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
Nebraska enters the opening round of Big Ten Regional Weekend with a 2-5-3 record on the season, having gone 2-2-2 at home and 0-3-1 on the road. The Huskers are coming off a 1-0 home win over Iowa in their most recent game, which snapped a six-game winless streak during which the team went 0-4-2. Through 10 games, Nebraska ranks 12th in the Big Ten with six goals scored, while their 16 goals allowed stand as the third-most. The Huskers' 86 shots rank 13th in the conference, although their 39 shots on goal are good for 11th.
WEEKLY B1G HONORS
Just this past Tuesday, Koker was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against Wisconsin on April 3. Koker came off the bench to play 58 minutes while making a sliding team save on the goal line to clear a potential golden goal in the 107th minute. So far this season, four different Gophers have combined to haul in six total weekly Big Ten honors.
Katie Koker – Defensive Player of the Week (April 6)
Sophia Boman – Co-Freshman of the Week (March 30)
Delaney Stekr – Defensive Player of the Week (March 30)
Sophia Boman – Freshman of the Week (March 16)
Katie Koker – Defensive Player of the Week (March 9)
Megan Plaschko – Goalkeeper of the Week (March 9)
ON A ROLL
Minnesota has not lost to an unranked opponent in their last nine games, dating back to the second game of the season when the Gophers dropped a 2-0 decision to Michigan in Ann Arbor. Coming into Big Ten Regional Play, Minnesota has won two of their last three contests (2-0-1), with their most recent loss occurring on March 21 at No. 21 Rutgers.
RISING TO THE OCCASION
Although Big Ten Regional Weekend does not constitute as Big Ten Tournament play, the Gophers thrived the last time they faced elimination against a fellow conference opponent. As the No. 7 seed in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament, Minnesota surprised many by winning three consecutive games and upsetting two national top-25 teams, No. 21 Rutgers and No. 15 Penn State, to win the 2018 B1G Tournament Championship.
TEAM LEADERS
Through 11 games, Boman and Sadie Harper are tied for the team lead with two goals, while McKenna Buisman, Frandsen and Koker have scored one goal apiece as well. Katie Duong leads the squad with three assists. Meanwhile, Boman paces the team with five points and 30 shots, while Buisman follows closely behind with 26 shots of her own.
STRONG ON D
Minnesota's six shutouts this season represent the second most in the Big Ten, trailing only Wisconsin (seven). The Gophers have allowed just eight goals all season, which is tied for the second fewest in the conference. The team has surrendered a mere 65 shots all year long, while producing 157 shots of their own. Dating back to last season, Minnesota has registered shutouts in seven of their last 13 games.
AT THE TOP OF THE B1G
Minnesota currently ranks at or near the top of the Big Ten in a variety of categories: corner kicks (first; 74), shots (second; 157), shutouts (second; six), fewest goals allowed (tied second; eight), goals allowed on average (tied second fewest; 0.73), shots per game (third; 14.27) and shots on goal (fourth; 62).
GOING THE DISTANCE
Three Gophers have played all 1,057 minutes for Minnesota so far this season: Boman, Duong and Athena Kuehn.
GOLAN BECOMES LONGEST-TENURED GOPHER HEAD SOCCER COACH
With the 2020-21 campaign officially underway, head coach Stefanie Golan has now been at the helm of the program longer than any head coach in program history. Now in her ninth season with the Gophers, Golan has compiled a 91-61-24 (.586) record, won one B1G Regular Season Championship and two B1G Tournament Championships. Mikki Denney Wright (2004-11) is the only other Minnesota soccer coach to lead the program for at least eight seasons.
CAPTAINING THE SHIP
Seniors Kuehn, Makenzie Langdok and Celina Nummerdor will serve as captains for Minnesota throughout the season. These three Gophers will lead a six-player, team-elected Leadership Group that also consists of juniors Alana Dressely and Stekr, as well as sophomore Duong.
GLOBE TROTTERS
The 24 Gophers that make up the 2021 roster hail from 12 different states. The biggest constituency comes from Minnesota, as 10 current players are from The Land of 10,000 Lakes.
UP NEXT
The winner of Thursday's matchup will advance to play the winner of Iowa-Illinois on Sunday, March 11 in Champaign, Ill. Thereafter, the winner of that Sunday matchup will move on to a four-team Big Ten Tournament, which is scheduled to be played from April 15-18.
Follow Women's Soccer
Support Women's Soccer
Support the University of Minnesota Women's Soccer program. Your support helps our student-athletes succeed athletically, academically, and socially. It takes just seconds to make a monthly or one-time donation. Thank you for your support! Give Now
2025 Season Highlights
Thursday, October 30
Play in Focus: Sarah Martin
Tuesday, October 21
Highlights: Gophers 0, Oregon 0
Sunday, October 19
Highlights: Gophers 2, Washington 3
Friday, October 17