HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team has a busy week ahead of it, opening a span of three games in five days with a Great Lakes Valley Conference showdown against Missouri-St. Louis.
The Norse (8-1-1, 4-1-1 GLVC) and Tritons will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Ky. On Sunday, the Norse will play host to Southern Indiana at 2:30 p.m. before taking to the road to face Ashland at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
NKU is fresh off a 3-0 win over Saint Joseph's in which
Steven Beattie had a hand in all three goals, scoring two and assisting on
Mike Jonca's insurance tally in the first half. Despite the victory, strong performances around the nation forced NKU down one spot to No. 11 in the latest NCAA Division II national poll.
The Norse will look to wrap up a spot in the GLVC Tournament as they currently sit third in the conference standings. It will be no easy task, however, as both of this weekend's opponents hope to claw their way back into GLVC Tournament contention.
A WORD ABOUT MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS: The Tritons come to Wilder with an overall record of 5-5-1, though their GLVC record sits at just 1-5 after a loss at home to Missouri S&T last weekend. Blair Spencer leads the charge offensively for the Tritons with five goals and two assists on the season, while Mike Bober will handle the duties in net, claiming a 0.96 goals allowed average on the season. The Norse are unbeaten in the last four meetings between the two teams, though Missouri-St. Louis holds the edge in the all-time series, 8-6-3.
A WORD ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA: One of NKU's most storied rivalries, Sunday will mark the 27th meeting between the Norse and the Screaming Eagles dating back to 1983. While USI is 14-10-2 all-time against NKU, it is the Norse who have won the last four meetings, and eight of the last 10, between the two schools. In 2008, USI stands 2-4 in the GLVC and 5-6 overall, within striking distance of the league's top-eight positions. USI will send a balanced attack, as five different players have scored multiple goals this season.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: NKU stands third in the Midwest Region after first NCAA Division II regional rankings were released this week. Tuesday's opponent, Ashland, stands atop the region with a perfect 11-0 record, while GLVC leader Rockhurst ranks second. The top four teams will be invited to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament.
I AM SPEED: Steven Beattie put his name in the record book on Sunday with his opening volley just 10 seconds into the game against Saint Joseph's. According to NCAA records it is the fifth-fastest goal ever scored to open a Division II contest. His 11 goals give him a 1.1 goals per game average, placing eighth in the country.
RAISING THE BAR: Goalkeeper
Michael Lavric continues to set the bar high for NKU goalkeeping. Entering the weekend, the sophomore has 32 saves on the season, just five off his season mark of 37 in split duty last season, while his goals against average (0.565) is good for 10th in Division II. Two weeks ago against Rockhurst, Lavric set a career mark with seven saves in a scoreless draw.
