After closing out its non-conference slate with a scoreless draw against Kansas State, Nebraska (2-1-3) looks to hit the ground running in Big Ten competition when Indiana (2-2-1) comes to Lincoln on Sept. 10.
The Huskers began their 2026 campaign in Louisville with a dominant 3-1 win over a talented Cardinals team on Aug. 12. Nebraska opened with three unanswered goals, as senior forward and Oregon State transfer Nathalie Lewis netted a goal within the first three minutes.
Senior midfielder Ella Rudney and senior defender Jo Sees each added another, putting the Huskers ahead 3-0 before Louisville scored in the final two minutes. The Cardinals have since dominated the rest of their competition, winning four straight matches while scoring a staggering 19 goals.
Nebraska also faced two ranked opponents in non-conference action. It drew No. 8 Notre Dame 1-1 and fell to No. 18 Alabama 2-0. The Fighting Irish went scoreless against the Huskers for 71 minutes before Notre Dame junior forward Ellie Hodsden scored an unassisted goal. Alabama junior forward Ashley Roni scored two goals, and the Crimson Tide shut down the Huskers.
Nebraska then took down Omaha, 3-0, on Aug. 27. The Huskers outshot the Mavericks 26-2 and didn’t allow a single shot on goal in the first half.
Indiana
The Hoosiers have struggled mightily against Nebraska over their last 10 matchups. They stumble into Lincoln with a 0-9-1 record versus the Huskers. Indiana hasn’t beaten them in almost 15 years, with its last victory coming in Bloomington on Sept. 25, 2011. The Hoosiers have scored only eight goals against Nebraska since that win, while giving up 21.
In their most recent meetup on Oct. 27, 2024, Indiana fell to the Huskers, 3-1, finishing the season with six losses in seven games.
Indiana has had a mediocre non-conference slate this season. After a 2-0 start, defeating Hampton and Youngstown State, the Hoosiers tied 1-1 with Bellarmine, a small yet developing soccer program from the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).
Last season, the Knights registered a school-record 11 wins (including one against Indiana), more than doubling the second-highest win total in its Division I era. Indiana then fell to Xavier, 3-2, and 2-0 to Saint Louis, which received top-25 votes despite not being ranked.
Hoosiers junior midfielder Maggie Ledwith, senior midfielder Kennedy Neighbors and junior defender Bella Haggerty lead Indiana with two goals apiece.
The Hoosiers will clash with Nebraska on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Barbara Hibner Stadium.
Iowa
Iowa has been one of the premier Big Ten programs for the past three seasons, boasting a 40-13-12 record while finishing third in the conference twice. The Hawkeyes also won at least one NCAA tournament game in each of those seasons.
Iowa has a 6-3-1 record against the Huskers in its last 10 matches and has won the last two. However, from its first meeting in 2003 until 2018, the Hawkeyes were winless in their first 11 consecutive contests against Nebraska (0-10-1).
Besides falling to No. 11 Wake Forest, Iowa has had a phenomenal start to its season. The Hawkeyes have scored a Big Ten-leading 19 goals in five games, including 12 in their first two, which was a school record for most goals scored in two consecutive games. Milwaukee, Loyola Chicago and UNC Greensboro couldn’t get within four goals of Iowa. The Hawkeyes also defeated Iowa State 2-0 in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
Senior forward Reilly Heman, junior forward Berit Parten and sophomore midfielder Elle Wildman lead Iowa this season with three goals each. The Hawkeyes have put an astounding 114 shots on goal and have only allowed 22.
The Huskers will travel east to Iowa City to face Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 12, following their Big Ten opener against Indiana. Their match against the Hawkeyes will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.