Box score
NASHVILLE –
Cian McDonald and
Brendan Murphy netted goals in the opening 13 minutes Saturday night as the Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team posted a 2-1 victory over Lipscomb in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
McDonald put Northern Kentucky on the board less than four minutes into the contest by sending a free kick from the top of the box area toward the net, where the ball went off Lipscomb goalie Micah Bledsoe over the line for a 1-0 Norse lead.
Eight minutes later, Murphy found an opening from the left side of the box and converted to give Northern Kentucky a 2-0 advantage. The Norse held that two-goal edge until the 77:25 mark, when Luke Gearin found the back of the net off an assist from Omar Djabi to slice the deficit to 2-1.
Norse goalie
A.J. Fleak later made two straight saves to stop Lipscomb scoring threats. In the 87th minute, Lipscomb's Reece Holcombe sent a shot toward the net that hit the right post and bounced out, and Northern Kentucky held on to even the all-time series with the Bisons at 1-1.
Fleak made seven saves for the Norse in 90 minutes of play. Northern Kentucky is now 5-3-5 overall, 2-1-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Lipscomb is 7-6-1, 3-2 in the A-Sun.
Northern Kentucky plays host to IUPUI at 7 p.m. Monday night. The Norse also meet East Tennessee State at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the NKU Soccer Stadium. Northern Kentucky also welcomes Jacksonville next Saturday at 7 p.m. for Senior Night.
