Northern Kentucky University Athletics

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky men's soccer team begins its defense of the Division II national title on Friday in the first round of the Midwest Regional against Northwood. The game will be played at Rockhurst, and kickoff on Friday is scheduled for 5 p.m. (Eastern)

The other game will feature the regional top seed Rockhurst facing off against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Saginaw Valley State.

The Norse (13-4) were idle last week after being eliminated from the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament by Drury. Drury reached the tournament's championship game before falling to Quincy in overtime, 2-1

A WORD ABOUT NORTHWOOD: The Timberwolves, members of the GLIAC, enter Friday's match with a record of 9-4-4. Northwood defeated GLVC member Lewis 3-0 on Sept. 4, and defeated Saginaw Valley State twice this season.

SEASONED FOR THE “SECOND SEASON”: NKU is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive season after making its first ever appearance in 2006.  The Norse have claimed four regional championships and last season claimed the programs' first NCAA Division II national title.  NKU is 10-4-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.

SMART GUY: Senior defender Kevin Donnelly was named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team. It is the second consecutive season Donnelly has been selected. Donnelly maintains a 3.89 grand point average as a double major in political science and international studies.

ALL-GLVC TEAMS: NKU center back Tommy Barrick was named to the All-GLVC first team. Barrick, a senior from Gahanna, Ohio, has been an anchor in the NKU back four. As a team, the Norse defense has allowed just 11 goals this season.

Seniors Kevin Donnelly, Anthony Meyer, and junior Michael Bartlett were named to the All-GLVC second team. Donnelly has performed well in his right back role this season, and has scored three goals and two assists to his credit.

Meyer, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been NKU's left back for the past three seasons. He also handles long throws on offense for the Norse, and has caused two own goals to go along with three assists this season.

Bartlett, a junior from Alexandria, Ky., is making his second consecutive All-GLVC selection after being selected to the third team last year. Bartlett is a possession midfielder, and routinely creates turnovers when marking opponents. He has four goals in his account, good for second on the team.

Sophomore Mohammad Salhieh and freshman Ian O'Reilly were named to the All-GLVC third team. Salhieh leads the Norse with five goals and has five assists this season. In a 12-0 win over Kentucky Wesleyan, Salhieh tied the school record with four assists in one game.

O'Reilly, a native of Dublin, Ireland, stepped into his starting center back role as a freshman. In addition to scoring two goals, he is an integral part of a defense that has only conceded 11 goals this season.