Andrew Montgomey (center) is mobbed after scoring in the first half Friday night.
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WILDER, Ky. –
Andrew Montgomery,
Steven Beattie and
Seth Eckerlin each netted first-half goals as the Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team opened the season Friday with a 3-1 victory against West Virginia Wesleyan in the seventh annual John Toebben Classic.
Braden Bishop,
Anthony Meyer and
Paul Andrews all collected assists for NKU (1-0), which is ranked No. 4 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll. The Norse dominated play the entire evening and extended their regular-season home winning streak to 24 consecutive games.
Montgomery, a sophomore from Clonalvy, Ireland, began the scoring for NKU nine minutes into the contest by netting his first career goal off an assist from Bishop. Three minutes later, Beattie found the back of the net by finishing off a shot that was assisted by Meyer.
Eckerlin closed the scoring for NKU by knocking in a rebound shot. Andrews played the ball off a throw-in from
Andrew Huang, and Eckerlin finished the play by blasting a shot into the net.
West Virginia Wesleyan avoided a shutout when Joe Johns sent a free kick past NKU goalie
Michael Lavric in the 87th minute. NKU finished with a 16-9 advantage in shot atte
mpts and an 8-3 edge in corner kicks.
A year ago, NKU needed two overtimes to down West Virginia Wesleyan, 2-1, at Buckhannon, W.Va. Beattie netted the winning goal in that contest in the 105th minute.
NKU concludes the John Toebben Classic on Sunday by facing Lake Erie at 4 p.m. Lake Erie (0-1) dropped a 2-0 decision to Ohio Dominican in the opening contest Friday.
