HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team will venture across the Ohio River on Wednesday to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats for the sixth time in the program's history. The Bearcats currently hold a 3-2 lead in the series.
The Norse are making the short trip as part of their recent five-game stretch over a 10-day period. Over the weekend, the Norse went 1-1, winning against Loyola-Chicago and falling to Western Michigan, 2-1, in overtime. This five-game stretch will really test the endurance of the Norse.
"Coach Basalyga spends a lot of time getting the team ready to play and he creates the mindset to never quit," said assistant coach
Jeff Chaney. "With so many games in so few days it is a true test of that mindset. It is about not quitting. You have to play hard for 90 minutes because you never know which moment will win the game for you."
The Bearcats are 2-3 this season and are coming off a 2-1 overtime win over SIU-Edwardsville. They are on a two-game winning streak and are currently 1-1 when playing on their home field this season.
"They have some very good players," said Chaney. "Every team that Hylton Dayes coaches is going to be organized, well-prepared, and disciplined. That is going to make it very hard for us to break them down during the game."
One of the more recent bright spots for the Norse this season is junior
Caleb Eastham. Eastham scored in both games last weekend and has netted three goals so far this season. The physical forward has established his role in the current starting XI for Basalyga's side.
"We started him based off of his play coming off the bench," said Chaney. "He brings in a great work rate and winning attitude."
"The question isn't what he has done, it's what the other guys have done," said head coach
John Basalyga. "He doesn't have to be that one guy to score but he has fed off the other 4-5 guys around him. We need to start having other guys step up too."
The game will have some regional importance since the schools are a mere 10-minute drive away. One of the current NKU forwards that is likely to start in the game, is
Justin Wolstenholme. Wolstenholme transferred from Cincinnati and is currently entering his second season with the Norse.
"The importance of this game is that fact that it is a local game," said Basalyga. "Everybody knows everybody since some of guys on both rosters are from the same region."
The game is scheduled to kick-off at 7 p.m. Live stats will be available at nkunorse.com and be sure to follow @NKUNorse on Twitter for game updates as well as all other updates concerning NKU athletics.
