KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Steven Beattie scored a pair of goals to help lead the Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team to a 3-2 victory over Bellarmine in the semifinal round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament on Friday night.
Beattie's two tallies give him 20 on the season to set a new NKU single-season record, previously held by Todd Gruenwald, who netted 19 goals during the 1992 season.
NKU (15-1-2) struck first in the 25th minute when Beattie took a pass from Seth Eckerlin and delivered a low shot from 10 yards out to beat Bellarmine goalkeeper Justin Welply and give the Norse the early advantage.
The Norse would take advantage of an own goal by the Knights (9-7-4) in the 39th minute to build a two-goal edge before Grant Wheeler struck from 15 yards out to the left post to net his third of the season and cut the NKU lead in half before intermission.
Beattie scored his record-setting goal in the 56th minute, ripping a blast from the edge of the penalty area just inside the left post to bring the score to 3-1. Brad Barraclough then scored his team-leading 18th goal of the year from 10 yards out to maintain the one-goal deficit with seven minutes remaining.
The Knights got a final opportunity in the 89th minute when Ross Hopkins got free for a shot, but NKU goalkeeper Michael Lavric was up to the task, making his fourth save of the night to salvage the victory.
Welply made five saves for Bellarmine in the loss.
NKU advances to the GLVC championship game for the second consecutive year, where the Norse will take on the winner between Drury and the tournament host, Rockhurst. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern.
NKU is seeking its fourth GLVC title, and its first since 1995. Last season, NKU fell to Lewis by a 1-0 score in the tournament final.
