NKU will look to continue its winning ways against William Jewell and Rockhurst this weekend.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky men's soccer team returns to action at home this weekend, hosting Great Lakes Valley Conference newcomer William Jewell on Friday evening. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Norse conclude the weekend homestand on Sunday, hosting Rockhurst for a 2:30 p.m. start. Live stats and audio for both games are available on nkunorse.com.
NKU (4-0, 2-0 GLVC) picked up two conference wins this past weekend. The Norse scored 10 second-half goals in a 12-0 win over Kentucky Wesleyan at home on Friday. Michael Barlett,
Ben Rascona, and
Ruffin Lumbala each scored two goals in Friday's win.
Mohammad Salhieh tied a school record with four assists, and also added a goal.
Sanjit Kang and
Ben Dorn combined for the shutout.
On Sunday the Norse escaped Evansville, Ind. with a 3-2 win over Southern Indiana.
Brodie Steigerwald opened the scoring in the 11th minute with his first goal at NKU. USI tied the game in the 26th minute to leave things level at half.
Michael Holder put the Norse back ahead early in the second half, converting a penalty kick for his second of the season, but USI's Brock Gourley quickly answered to bring the game back square at 2-2. The Norse maintained pressure and forced an own goal from the Screaming Eagles in the 79th minute, while the “Norse Wall” kept the opposition at bay to secure the road win.
A WORD ABOUT THE CARDINALS: William Jewell (2-1, 1-1 GLVC) faces NKU for the first time in program history on Friday after a weekend which saw the Cardinals take a double-overtime win over Drury, 2-1, before falling to then No. 11 Missouri S&T, 2-0. Forrest McCurren leads the offense with two of the Cardinals' four goals on the season, while Justin Schmidt claims a 1.20 goals against average.
A WORD ABOUT THE HAWKS: Rockhurst (2-1, 1-1 GLVC), ever a thorn in NKU's side, visits Bellarmine on Friday prior to heading into Highland Heights. The Hawks hold a slim 6-5-3 record in the all-time series between the teams. Tony Tocco's men have yet to see much in the way of scoring, as the Hawks and their opponents have combined for just three goals in three games this year. Last season, the Norse and Hawks played to a 2-2 draw in the regular season and met again in the GLVC Tournament, with NKU taking the 2-1 result at home.
VIEW FROM THE TOP: The Norse remained as the No. 1 ranked team in the NCAA Division II national poll. This is the fourth-straight poll NKU has found themselves in the top spot dating back to last year's national championship victory. The Norse are followed in the top five by Rollins (Fla.), Midwestern State (Texas), Southern New Hampshire, and Mercyhurst (Pa.).
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore Mohammed Salhieh was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week for men's soccer. Salhieh tied a school record with four assists in the win over Kentucky Wesleyan. On the season Salhieh has a team-high 10 points. He has three goals, and has added four assists.
GLVC LEADERS: Salhieh is tied for second in the GLVC with 10 points on the year, a rate of 2.5 per game.
Ben Rascona is tied for eighth with seven.
Ruffin Lumbala and
Michael Bartlett round out the top ten with six points apiece.
GOALS GALORE: Michael Bartlett,
Mohammad Salhieh, and
Ben Rascona, each have three goals, which rank first on the team, and third in the GLVC. As a team, the Norse lead all Division II teams with 21 goals on the year, an average of 5.25 per game.
ON A ROLL: The Norse have now won 14 consecutive matches, a streak that dates back to Oct. 24th of last season at Maryville, when the Norse beat the Saints, 7-1.
PUT A RING ON IT: The 2010 NKU men's soccer national championship team will be honored on Sunday in a special ceremony between games of the doubleheader in which the players and staff will receive their national championship rings.
