Cassie Lingenhoel made a career-high 11 saves in NKU's 0-0 draw against Quincy in the GLVC Tournament semifinals.
Tournament Central
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky women's soccer team opens up NCAA Tournament play on Friday, hosting first and second round action in the Midwest Region at the NKU Soccer Stadium.
Bellarmine and Rockhurst will do battle in a first-round contest on Friday evening at 7 p.m. NKU received a bye into the second round and will face the Friday's winner on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Complete tournament information can be found at nkunorse.com.
The Norse (15-1-2) were eliminated from the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on penalty kicks by Quincy last Friday. Bellarmine defeated Quincy on penalty kicks on Sunday to take the GLVC Tournament title.
LAST TIME AGAINST BELLARMINE: NKU finished the regular season on Oct. 26 with a 1-1 draw at Bellarmine.
Allison Ponzer got the Norse on the board in the 51st minute after cleaning up a
Kristi Hofmeyer shot that struck the frame. Alex Kowalski headed home the equalizer in the 67th minute to send the teams home with a draw. NKU leads the all-time series, 14-1-2.
LAST TIME AGAINST ROCKHURST: Hofmeyer and
Amanda Mason each netted goals for NKU in a 2-0 win over the Hawks on Sept. 18. The Norse held a 17-5 advantage in shooting on the day while the defense helped
Rachael Wood keep the clean sheet without facing a shot on goal. The NKU win pushed the all-time series lead to 9-1.
REGULAR POSTSEASON: NKU is making its 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, tied for the fourth-most all-time with five other schools (Adelphi, UC San Diego, Mercyhurst, Merrimack, Metro State). NKU is 13-8-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with two semifinalist finishes (1999, 2001) and one national runner-up (2000). Franklin Pierce has appeared in 19 of the 24 NCAA Tournaments played since the Division II championship began in 1988.
A LOOK BACK: In 2010, Northern Kentucky won their first round matchup against Northern Michigan 4-0 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. They then fell to the host, Wisconsin-Parkside, in penalty kicks. The Norse have won five regional championships, the latest coming in 2003.
HOW OFFENSIVE!: Senior midfielder
Amanda Mason was named the GLVC's offensive player of the year. Mason led the conference in all three major offensive categories. Her 15 goals and 12 assists accounted for 42 points in 17 games She has three game winning goals this season, and has a .543 shooting percentage in shots on goal.
GLVC AWARDS: In addition to Mason,
Allison Ponzer and
Laura Painter were selected to the All-GLVC first team. Ponzer, a sophomore from Covington, Ky. scored 10 goals and added eight assists to help lead the most prolific offense in the country.
Painter, a senior from Fort Thomas, Ky., played right back for the Norse and was part of a defense that has allowed just 12 goals this season. Painter is also a set piece specialist, taking most of NKU's corners. She has eight assists to her credit this season.
Kristi Hofmeyer and
Stephanie Wengert were selected to the All-GLVC second team. Hofmeyer, a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, netted seven goals this season in 18 starts. Wengert, a junior from Cincinnati, started 17 games as a center back and the anchor of the Norse defense.
Freshman
Kelsey Laumann was named to the All-GLVC third team. Laumann started 18 games this season, scoring seven goals and adding seven assists for a points total of 21.
