Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Box score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team got its offense from the usual suspects on Sunday, fighting to a 2-1 victory over Rockhurst in the quarterfinal round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

NKU, ranked No. 8 in the latest NCAA Division II national poll, improved to 13-2-3 on the season and advanced to the GLVC semifinals, where the Norse will take on Missouri S&T. The Miners defeated Bellarmine, 3-0, in Sunday's quarterfinal round.

Thanks to an Indianapolis upset of top-seeded Lewis, the remaining rounds of the GLVC Tournament will be held at NKU, as the No. 2 seeded Norse are the highest remaining seed in the tournament.

Rockhurst (9-6-2) opened the scoring in the contest after an NKU throw-in deep in the Hawks' defensive end was turned aside. The Hawks pushed the counter-attack, with Nick McDonald feeding Mark Magee for a shot from 10 yards out to take the early lead.

NKU answered just seconds before halftime when Steven Beattie lined up a free kick from 20 yards to sneak the ball just inside the left post past a screened Rockhurst goalkeeper. Beattie, a first-team All-GLVC selection and now three-time GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, has amassed 15 goals on the season.

The Norse took the lead in the 53rd minute after Paul Andrews made a stellar defensive move and brought the ball forward, sending a through-ball to Michael Holder, who took a left-footed shot from 12 yards and just past the goalkeeper's extended hand for his 10th marker of the season.

Play got very physical in the second half, with 24 of the combined 35 fouls being called during the second stanza. However, the NKU defense held strong, despite the Norse being outshot, 16-13.

Michael Lavric got the win in net for the Norse, making two saves in the victory.

NKU is seeking its first GLVC Tournament championship since 1995. The Norse have played in each of the last three GLVC Tournament finals.