HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team will play its final home match of the 2014 season this Saturday, Nov. 1, against Atlantic Sun Conference rivals Stetson.
 
The Norse are 2-0 all-time against Stetson but the Hatters are having a very successful run during the 2014 campaign. First-year head coach Ernie Yarborough has the Hatters at 7-5-2 overall this year and 4-1 in the Atlantic Sun. Yarborough was appointed as the head coach of Stetson in August, replacing T. Logan Fleck who tragically passed away in July at the age of 54. Yarborough came to Stetson after serving as an assistant coach at national powerhouse Indiana.
 
Scoring goals has not been a problem for the Hatters this season. They have amassed 30 goals this season, being led by senior J.J. Bostic with seven. The Hatters are on a four-game winning streak and their only A-Sun loss came in a 1-0 overtime defeat at FGCU.
 
This match will have major postseason implications for both sides. The Norse currently sit seventh in the A-Sun standings and they will need to get the result in order to keep their hopes alive for qualifying for the conference tournament. USC Upstate and Jacksonville sit tied for sixth in the conference standings and the two sides face each other in Spartanburg, S.C. this weekend. Both sides have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Norse since Jacksonville defeated NKU, 2-0, and Upstate bested the Norse, 2-1. NKU could benefit from the Upstate/Jacksonville match if it ends in anything other than a draw.
 
Stetson has already qualified for the A-Sun tournament but they will be striving to secure the No. 1 seed and the rights to host the tournament. They are currently first in the A-Sun standings with Florida Gulf Coast not far behind them. The match against NKU will be Stetson's final A-Sun fixture of the season but even a win over the Norse wouldn't clinch the No. 1 seed. Stetson needs FGCU to draw or lose one of their two remaining A-Sun fixtures at Lipscomb or against USC Upstate.
 
Before kickoff on Saturday, the Norse will honor their seven seniors on the team. Cian McDonald, Nathan Sexton, Caleb Eastham, Austin Pierce, Nick McGregor, Christian Johnson and team captain Ian O'Reilly will be honored in a pregame ceremony, as this will be the last home match the group will play. O'Reilly, McDonald and Sexton came to NKU in 2011, spending their entire playing careers with the Norse. McGregor, Pierce and Johnson came to NKU in 2012, spending three years with the black and gold. Eastham transferred to NKU from Cleveland State in 2013 and he has scored eight times for the Norse, setting an all-time career record in NKU's Division I era.
 
Norse fans who attend the NKU volleyball vs. Stetson match at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1 will receive $1 admission into the soccer match and all kids who show up in their club uniforms will receive FREE admission into the contest. Residence of Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties will receive $3 admission with proof of residency.
 
A link for live stats will be available on nkunorse.com and live updates will be sent out via Twitter under @NKUNorseGameDay. While on social media, follow @NKUNorseMSOC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.