LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Steven Beattie scored two goals Sunday afternoon to lead the Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team to its 300th all-time victory, a 3-1 win at Bellarmine.
Braden Bishop added a goal and an assist as NKU improved to 12-1-2 overall, 8-1-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The 13th-ranked Norse built a 2-0 halftime lead on goals by Bishop and Beattie.
Bellarmine cut the NKU lead to 2-1 with a goal in the 56th minute, but Beattie sealed the victory in the 82nd minute by finding the net off a pass from Bishop. Beattie, a sophomore striker from Skerries, Ireland, now has a GLVC-leading 16 goals this season.
Sophomore goalie Michael Lavric recorded eight saves and the win for the Norse, who clinched a first-round home game in the upcoming GLVC Tournament on Nov. 2.
NKU is now 300-232-38 in 28 seasons of competition in men's soccer. Norse head coach John Basalyga has won 77 of those contests since taking over in 2003.
NKU plays its regular-season home finale next Sunday at 2:30 p.m. when Indianapolis visits the Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Ky. The Norse will then host a first-round GLVC Tournament game Nov. 2.
NKU MILESTONES
No. 1: It took four games for Northern Kentucky to notch its first-ever victory, a 2-1 decision over Kentucky Christian in the 1980 season. It remains the only time the Norse and Knights have met in men's soccer. The Norse tied Union (Ky.), 5-5, and dropped decisions to Bellarmine and Marshall prior to the win.
No. 50: West Virginia Wesleyan was the victim in NKU's 50th victory as the Norse won a 4-0 game at home on Sept. 7, 1985. The win avenged a 7-0 loss in the first ever meeting between the teams in 1984. After a 2-1, double-overtime victory this season, the Norse finally drew the all-time series against the Bobcats level at 5-5.
No. 75: A 4-0 victory over Bellarmine on Nov. 8, 1987, gave NKU its first GLVC championship, just three seasons after beginning league competition.
No. 100: John Toebben brought NKU to the century mark in the win column in 1991 with a 3-1 overtime victory over then-GLVC opponent Indiana-Purdue at Ft. Wayne, the second of five overtime games all-time between the teams. NKU is 13-2-2 all-time against IPFW, including a 3-0-2 mark when going extra time.
No. 120: NKU's 8-1 victory over now-defunct Sue Bennett on Sept. 9, 1993, put the Norse at an all-time record of 120-120-14. Since that day the Norse have not dipped below .500 all-time. After today's victory, the Norse are 68 games above 500. The Norse would have to lose every game for the next four seasons to fall back to a .500 record.
No. 200: Halloween of 1999 brought the Norse a treat in the form of a 7-0 victory over Lincoln (Mo.) to close out the season with 200 all-time wins.
No. 263: The Norse qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time during the 2006 season, winning their first ever regional game, 4-0, against Wisconsin-Parkside. The Norse would make history once again two days later, defeating Southern Illinois at Edwardsville in overtime, 3-2, to capture the Great Lakes Region title.
No. 300: NKU locked up a berth in the GLVC Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Bellarmine on Oct. 19, 2008. While it took NKU 113 games to get from 200 wins to 250, it only took 61 to push the Norse to 300.
