HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The newly-crowned No. 1 team in the nation won't get a chance to rest on its laurels for very long as Northern Kentucky University takes to the road to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play this weekend against Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis. The Norse face Parkside on Friday at 2:15 p.m. in Kenosha, Wis.
NKU (4-0) is coming off an exciting non-conference weekend that landed them the top spot in this week's NCAA Division II national poll. The Norse knocked off Carson-Newman by a 1-0 score in double overtime on Friday night before defeating Findlay by a 2-0 tally in Sunday's action.
Traditionally the Parkside-Lewis trip has been one of the toughest that GLVC teams have had to face, with seven of the last 14 GLVC championships going to one of the two schools.
The weekend will conclude with a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee at Lewis.
A WORD ABOUT UW-PARKSIDE: The Rangers enter the weekend with a 3-0 record, having defeated Upper Iowa by a 3-1 score last Sunday. They are led offensively by Cyril Simmons, who has scored four of Parkside's eight goals on the season. The Rangers hold the edge in the all-time series, 13-9-3, but the Norse are unbeaten in the last six meetings between the teams (5-0-1) dating back to a shocking 2-1 upset in the 2005 GLVC Tournament. The Norse have outscored the Rangers by a 11-1 margin in those six games.
A WORD ABOUT LEWIS: The Flyers are the defending GLVC Tournament champions, having defeated NKU by a 1-0 score in last year's final. It marked the first win by the Flyers in their last five tries against the Norse, dating back to 2004. Lewis leads the all-time series, 16-13-1. This season the Flyers are 3-0 after a 7-0 pasting of Oakland City. Lewis goalkeeper Anthony Szymel has yet to allow a shot past him in eight attempts this season, while four different players lead the Flyers in scoring with two goals each.
AND THE WINNER IS: Steven Beattie, who leads the team with six goals on the young season, also tops the Norse with three game-winning tallies. His six goals, 13 points and 23 shots on the season are all high-water marks among GLVC players. The Skerries, Ireland, native's 1.5 goals per game ranks him ninth in the nation when it comes to finishing attacks.
WHAT DID YOU DO, RAY?: Tony Ray, returning to a defensive role this season, is also among the national rolls for his offensive production. The senior claims four assists on the year to share the GLVC lead, and his average of one per game puts him seventh among all Division II players.
IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL WE SAY IT'S OVER: Through four games this season the Norse have already played two contests which reached into extra time. This is not without precedent, however, as in 2004 both of NKU's first two games reached overtime, with the Norse playing Saginaw Valley State to a scoreless draw before defeating Findlay 1-0. The record for overtime games in a season for NKU is seven, set in the 1997 season. The Norse were 2-3-2 in overtime games that year. The two extra-time wins match a team record, set several times, most recently last season.
