Strong Offensive Output, Beall Lead Michigan Past Nebraska

Sunday, October 6

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

9-3-1, 4-1-1

Nebraska

3-8-2, 2-4-0

Nebraska

Michigan

Meredith Haakenson

Strong Offensive Output, Beall Lead Michigan Past Nebraska

10/6/2019 5:11:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore Photo Gallery

By: Megan McIntosh

» Seven Wolverines contributed points in Michigan's 4-1 victory.
» Michigan moved to 4-1-1 in conference action.
» Meredith Haakenson scored her sixth goal of the season.
» Sura Yekka and Kierra Krawec scored their first career goals.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Stadium)
Score: #24 Michigan 4, Nebraska 1
Records: U-M (9-3-1, 4-1-1 B1G), Nebraska (3-8-2, 2-4-0 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Oct. 11 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 7 p.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Seven different players contributed points to help lift the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan women's soccer team past visiting Nebraska, 4-1, Sunday afternoon (Oct. 6) at U-M Soccer Stadium.

Senior Sura Yekka and sophomore Kierra Krawec netted their first career goals late in the game. Junior Nicki Hernandez's second goal of the season proved the game-winner, the sixth of her career, and Meredith Haakenson notched her sixth goal of the season.

Junior Sarah Stratigakis collected two assists to bring her season total to 16, which leads the team, and puts her one shy of tying her season-best total of 17 from 2018. Also adding assists were Samantha DeVecchi and Skylar Anderson.

Junior Hillary Beall made five saves in goal, which included two early diving saves to keep Nebraska off the scoreboard.

Nebraska outshot Michigan, 14-12, but the Wolverines put 11 shots on frame while the Cornhuskers took six shots on goal.

The Wolverines had back-to-back chances early that they were unable to capitalize on as a Hernandez breakaway was stopped by Nebraska goalkeeper Aubrei Corder, and a Haakenson cross was kicked out by the Cornhusker defense and led to a Michigan corner kick.

Raleigh Loughman sent the corner into the 18-yard box where the ball bounced around to the top of the box for DeVecchi, who sent a pass into Haakenson. She spun left with a defender on her back and buried a ball into the bottom-right corner of the goal to put Michigan up, 1-0.

In the 34th minute Hernandez continued to make herself an offensive threat in the upper third of the field. She broke down the left side of the pitch and Stratigakis made a sliding one touch pass to the junior midfielder. Hernandez took two touches with her feet before she fired a shot past Corder into the upper-right corner of the goal and extended Michiagn's advantage to 2-0 advantage in the first half.

Nebraska threatened late in the half but Beall showed off her range and made a diving save to her left with five minutes left in the half to preserve U-M's two-goal advantage as the teams headed for the the break.

Beall made another highlight-reel save to open the second half but the ball bounced off her gloves and onto the foot of Theresa Pujado, who brought Nebraska within one, 2-1, with her goal in the 51st minute.

Michigan continued to seek an insurance goal but struggled to stay onside with lead passes toward the goal. The attempts kept coming for the striking Wolverines and proved to be successful when Stratigakis pushed a pass up the middle of the field for Yekka. She took the ball two steps to her right and struck it from 18 yards out into the bottom half of the goal, to push Michigan's lead to 3-1.

In the 78th minute, Anderson worked the ball away from a Nebraska defender in the corner and sent a cross into the box for Krawec, who one-touch tapped it out of the air into the bottom-right corner of the goal to give Michigan a 4-1 advantage.

The Cornhuskers made a slew of substitutions in hopes that fresh legs would help cut the deficit, but the Michigan defense held Nebraska without a shot over the final six minutes to seal its victory.

U-M will hit the road for a pair of Big Ten contests starting Friday (Oct. 11) at Illinois. Michigan and Illinois will take the pitch at 7 p.m. CDT and the match will be streamed live on BTN Plus.