The NKU women's soccer team looks to improve on its two-game winning streak this weekend at Drury and Missouri S&T.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team hits the road for Great Lakes Valley Conference action this weekend, beginning with Friday's clash at Drury. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (Eastern time)
Live stats and audio links are available at nkunorse.com.
The Norse picked up two GLVC wins this past weekend at home to improve to 5-1 on the year, and 3-1 in the GLVC. The Norse defeated GLVC newcomer William Jewell on Friday, 7-0, before taking a 2-0 decision from Rockhurst.
NKU got two goals each from
Amanda Mason and
Kathryn Hale in Friday's win.
Allison Ponzer led the team with three assists.
Stacie Volker and
Laura Painter each followed with two assists. On Sunday, the Norse used goals from
Kristi Hofmeyer and
Amanda Mason to take down the Hawks. Goalkeeper
Rachael Wood played the entire 90 minutes and was credited with the shutout.
A WORD ABOUT DRURY: NKU travels to Drury for the fourth time in the last five seasons this weekend. The Panthers enter this weekend with a 4-2-1 record overall, and a 1-2-1 record in the GLVC. Senior forward Nicole Williams leads the team with seven goals. Last season the Norse defeated the Panthers 2-0 each time they faced them. Their first meeting was on Oct. 17 in the regular season and finally in the GLVC tournament on Oct. 31. NKU holds the edge in the all-time series, 5-2.
A WORD ABOUT MISSOURI S&T: The Lady Miners currently own a record of 2-2-1 overall, and an even 2-2 in GLVC play. Leah Williams leads the team with five goals. Last season, the Norse got a hat trick from
Amanda Mason and defeated S&T 5-1 on Oct. 15. The Norse lead the all-time series, 7-1, and have won all six matches against the Lady Miners since Missouri S&T joined the GLVC in 2005.
GLVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior
Amanda Mason was named the GLVC Player of the Week for women's soccer for her efforts against William Jewell and Rockhurst. On the weekend, Mason tallied a total of seven points. Mason scored two goals against William Jewell, and added another in the win over Rockhurst.
MOVING UP THE BOARD: After last weekend's victories, the Norse now find themselves in a tie for second in the GLVC. With a record of 3-1, NKU trails the GLVC's co-leaders, Quincy and Bellarmine, which each have conference records of 4-0.
GOALS GALORE: Northern Kentucky has scored 35 goals on the season, an astounding 20 more than any other GLVC team. They currently average 5.83 goals per game to lead all of Division II.
GLVC LEADERBOARD: Senior
Amanda Mason leads the conference with 20 points (six goals, eight assists). She is followed by
Allison Ponzer and
Stacie Volker, who each rank second with 16 points. Mason and Volker are both tied for second in the GLVC with six goals each.
NATIONAL NOTICE: Mason is starting to find a groove that is getting some notice around all of Division II. The team's leading scorer and a second-team All-American in 2010, Mason currently leads all of Division II with eight assists and 20 points. Her 1.33 assists per game also rank atop the national leaderboard, while her 3.33 points per game rank third nationally.
NO GOALS ALLOWED: The Norse defense has not allowed a goal in the last 209 minutes. The Norse have posted shutouts in four of their six games this season, ranking ninth nationally with a .667 shutout percentage.
VOTE THEM UP: After dropping out of the NCAA Division II national poll following a 3-1 loss to Southern Indiana two weeks ago, NKU has continued to impress on the field. The team's performance this past weekend has earned the Norse some votes in the latest NCAA Division II national poll.
REACHING FOR 250: Head Coach
Bob Sheehan needs just nine wins this season to reach the 250-win mark at NKU. The only head coach in NKU program history; he enters this weekend with a coaching record of 241-52-16. Sheehan entered the season ranked eighth all-time among Division II coaches for wins, with each of the top eight being active coaches.
