Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Week 10 Game Notes | Atlantic Sun Weekly Release

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team concludes the season at the NKU Soccer Stadium this weekend as the Norse welcome South Carolina Upstate and East Tennessee State in Atlantic Sun Conference action.

NKU faces USC Upstate on Friday for senior night with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.  The Norse return to the field on Sunday for the final time in their second season of NCAA Division I action against East Tennessee State at noon.

NKU enters the weekend 4-10-2 overall and 0-6-2 in the A-Sun after playing Lipscomb to a scoreless draw on Saturday night.  Sophomore goalkeeper Tanner Ruberg collected five saves on the night, including a pair in the second half to keep the game scoreless.  The Norse finished with a 23-14 edge in total shot attempts.

Live stats will be available for the weekend's action at NKUNorse.com, and video for Sunday's match will be available on ASun.TV.

ABOUT USC UPSTATE:  USC Upstate is 4-9-3 overall and 1-5-1 in the A-Sun after splitting a pair of conference games last weekend.  The Spartans picked up their first conference win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Jacksonville on Friday before falling to North Florida on Sunday.

Sophomore Kenzie Major leads the USC Upstate offense with six points on two goals and two assists, while sophomore Haley Gethin follows with five points.  Gethin has recorded two goals on the year as well and one assist.

Senior Sarah Plantz, the preseason A-Sun goalkeeper of the year, leads the conference with 96 saves on the season.  She has allowed just 27 goals this year and holds a 1.92 goals against average with five shutouts.

LAST TIME AGAINST USC UPSTATE:  Jaclyn Elmore and Megan Frye each scored second-half goals to lead NKU to a 2-0 victory over the Spartans on Oct. 14, 2012 in Spartanburg, S.C.

NKU's control of the match was rewarded in the 57th minute when Maria Silbersack poured in a shot inside the 18-yard box.  It deflected off Plantz to Elmore, who then deposited the ball into the side netting, giving the Norse a 1-0 lead.  Just over five minutes later, Frye gathered a loose ball and finished the chance for the final margin of the game.

The Norse finished with a 16-2 advantage in shots on the day, including nine in the second half, to earn a win in the first meeting between the two programs.

ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE STATE:  ETSU holds a 6-8-2 overall record and a 2-4-1 mark in the A-Sun before beginning the weekend on the road against Lipscomb, with both teams battling for one of the final spots in the upcoming conference tournament.

Sophomore Sarah Zadrazil leads the Buccaneer offense and enters the weekend ranked sixth in the nation with 11 assists, which tops the A-Sun, and second in the conference in points with 25.  She has recorded seven goals on the year as well.

Freshmen Jasmine Elliott and Anna Yancey have shared time in goal this season for ETSU.  Elliott holds a 1.85 GAA and has collected 45 saves over 10 games, while Yancey boasts a 0.89 GAA and has recorded three shutouts in seven appearances this year.

LAST TIME AGAINST EAST TENNESSEE STATE:  A year ago, ESTU's Samantha Kron and Megan Wynne led the Buccaneers to a 2-1 victory over NKU on Oct. 12 in Johnson City, Tenn.  Kron scored the first Lady Bucs goal in the 14th minute, but Megan Frye evened the game eight minutes later.  Wynne's game-winning goal came at the 27:47 mark, as ETSU took a 1-0 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.

The Buccaneers finished the day with a 22-7 advantage in shot attempts, but all seven of the Norse attempts were on goal.  NKU goalkeepers Stephanie Glass and Cassie Lingenhoel each collected four saves, while ETSU's Kara Krajenta recorded six.

HONORING SENIORS:  NKU will honor its three seniors prior to Friday's match against USC Upstate: forward Megan Frye, forward/midfielder Allison Ponzer and midfielder Kara Yeaste.  These three have led the Norse to a 43-25-6 record entering the final weekend of the 2013 season.  They helped NKU advance to the NCAA Division II national tournament twice and have been important leaders during NKU's transition to the Division I level.  These three also have been a part of teams who have earned the national team academic award all four of their years at NKU.

SUNDAY'S PROMOTION:  During the season finale on Sunday against ETSU, the Sunday Funday Soccer Bingo game will be played for the final time during the 2013 NKU soccer seasons.  The winner of Sunday Funday Soccer Bingo will receive an NKU t-shirt and a Toppers Pizza coupon.