Perkins UC plug
Chloe Smith
3
Winner Northern Kentucky NKU (12-6-1)
2
Detroit DETROIT (10-7-2)
Winner
Northern Kentucky NKU
(12-6-1)
3
Final
2
Detroit DETROIT
(10-7-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northern Kentucky NKU 0 3 3
Detroit DETROIT 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Melissa Powell, NKU Athletic Communications

WSOC storms back for 3-2 #HLWSOC semifinal win

MILWAUKEE – The No. 3 seed Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team erased a 2-0 deficit in the Horizon League semifinals with a pair of goals in a span of two minutes, followed by a game-winner in the 83rd minute from freshman Ally Perkins to defeat No. 2 seed Detroit Mercy, 3-2, and advanced to the Horizon League Championship match on Saturday at Engelmann Stadium.

On Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, the Norse will play the winner of the match between No. 1 seed Milwaukee and No. 4 seed Oakland.

The Norse have advanced to their first conference championship match since the 2011 season when they last won a championship at the Division II level in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

"I'm really proud of our team and think it was a well-deserved victory. When we went down 2-0 in the 55th minute, our team obviously responded really well," said head coach Bob Sheehan. "Scoring three goals in the last 30 minutes is a testament to their character and how hard they work. I'm really proud of Macy [Hamblin] and Jessica [Frey] up front who have scored big goals for us all year and have been a big part of the attack, but in addition, it was also great to have two freshmen, Shawna [Zaken] and Ally [Perkins] score key goals."

NKU Scoring Summary
  • The Norse found their first goal of the match in the 60th minute when they were down, 2-0. Jessica Frey scored from the close left wing on an assist from Macy Hamblin. The goal was Frey's team-leading ninth of the season while Hamblin picked up her team-best ninth assist.
  • The second goal came just over a minute and a half later following a corner kick. Frey took a shot that deflected off the post and spun in front of the goal line. Freshman Shawna Zaken followed up on the deflection to head it in for the equalizer.
  • Frey posted her second assist of the night on the game-winner. Perkins dished the ball over on a give-and-go and finished with a close-range, left-footed attempt past the goalkeeper with just seven minutes left in regulation to ice the game.

Between the Posts
  • Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Lohmann picked up four saves in her full 90 minutes of action. She and the Norse defense held the Titans scoreless on their eight corner kick attempts.
  • Three of Lohmann's four saves came in the second half.
  • Detroit Mercy goalkeeper Marina Manzo posted three saves and three goals allowed.

First Half Summary
  • In the 12th minute, Detroit Mercy claimed an early 1-0 lead on a header goal from Anna Mindling off a free kick from midfield.
  • After the Titans' first goal, the Norse held Detroit Mercy without a shot for the next 28 minutes and took over offensively.
  • The Norse generated multiple scoring opportunities, including a shot from Perkins that grazed the cross bar and sailed high in the 21st minute.
  • NKU ended the opening half with eight shots to the Titans' four. Detroit Mercy led in shots on goal, 2-1, and held a 1-0 lead.

Second Half Summary
  • The second half saw three goals in the first 16 minutes starting with a Detroit Mercy goal in the 55th minute. Mindling served it in from the top of the 18-yard box for Suzie Redick who tapped it in from the left post for the Titans' 2-0 lead.
  • The Norse then struck for their first goal five minutes later, closely followed by the equalizer in the 62nd minute.
  • Five of NKU's seven second-half shot attempts came on target as NKU took control of the game and held off the Titan offense.

Norse Notes
  • NKU has scored four goals across its two postseason matches thus far. Frey has played a part in each of those goals as the junior forward and First Team All-League selection has two goals and two assists in the last two games. Defensively, Lohmann has made nine saves and owns an .818 save percentage in the postseason.
  • Frey posted a team-high four shots and led all players with four points on her goal and pair of assists.
  • The 2016 season is the first year the Norse are eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament since making the transition to Division I. NKU was granted active Division I status in August.
  • The Norse have been eligible to compete for a Division I conference championship for the last three seasons and have advanced to the semifinals or beyond in each of those seasons.

Up Next
  • The Norse will play the winner of the No. 1 seed Milwaukee and No. 4 seed Oakland match on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET at Milwaukee's Engelmann Stadium. The winner will be crowned the Horizon League champion and will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 
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