HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The top-ranked Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team will host its first Great Lakes Valley Conference games of the season this weekend when Quincy and Missouri S&T travel east to Wilder, Ky.
Friday's game against Quincy is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Town & Country Sports Complex immediately following the women's contest between the two schools.
The Norse (5-0, 1-0 GLVC) enter Friday night's contest a game short. After defeating Wisconsin-Parkside, 2-0, to open GLVC play, Sunday's game against Lewis was postponed due to inclement weather in the Chicago area. No makeup date for the Lewis game has been announced.
The weekend concludes this Sunday against Missouri S&T. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
A WORD ABOUT QUINCY: The Hawks own the all-time series against the Norse, 7-4-3, however, NKU has won the last two meetings between the squads after going winless in their previous six. Like NKU, Quincy is also 5-0 overall and 1-0 in GLVC play fresh off a 5-1 win over Culver-Stockton in the Great River Cup. Jack Wedemeier leads the Hawks with four goals and 11 points, while nine other players have registered goals for the team this season. Kyle Dillman is one of the GLVC's top goalkeepers, and his 0.60 goals allowed average is third in the league behind Lewis's Anthony Szymel (0.00) and NKU's
Michael Lavric (0.20). Entering the weekend, the Hawks were among others receiving votes in the NCAA Division II national poll.
A WORD ABOUT MISSOURI S&T: The history between the Miners and Norse is very even, with S&T holding a 6-5 edge in the all-time series, with the Miners outscoring the Norse 18-15 in those games. S&T holds the distinction of giving NKU it's most recent loss during the regular season, a 2-1 decision on Sept. 15, 2006, in Wilder. The Miners enter the weekend with a 3-3 record, but a 2-0 mark in GLVC play after sweeping a weekend against Southern Indiana (1-0) and Kentucky Wesleyan (3-0). Nick Landon and Mario Calderon lead the scoring for S&T with three goals each, while Pat McNamee's 0.67 goals against average guide the Miners in net.
NATIONAL NOTICE: NKU's success is predicated on its defense, though there are standouts on all parts of the pitch for the Norse. Goalkeeper
Michael Lavric, the 2007 national statistical champion in goals allowed average, stands seventh in the nation in GAA (0.205) and save percentage (0.917) while the team is fifth in GAA (0.19) and shutout percentage (0.80). Offensively,
Steven Beattie is fifth nationally in points per game (3.0) and goals per game (1.4), while
Tony Ray is third in the country in assists per game (1.0).
HOME SECURITY: While NKU has built up an impressive resume of success in the last several years, it is at home where the Norse have faltered in the recent past. Since the beginning of the 2006 season, NKU has amassed a record of 43-5-3 entering this weekend, but all five losses, and one of the ties, have occurred in home matches.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSE: The Norse have seen their scoring come from unexpected places, as senior defender
Eric Ashworth has used set plays to score a pair of game-winning goals in the team's last two games.
RAY'S RISE TO THE TOP: Tony Ray, returning to his defensive position after two years as an outside attacker, is second on the team with five points, all assists, bringing his career total to 22, good for sixth all-time at NKU. At his current pace, Ray would shatter the single-season record of 14, set by Shawn Neace in 1993 and equaled in 1994 by Chad Scott.
