HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team is preparing for its first appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference semifinals, taking on top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast on Friday.
 
Kickoff from the FGCU Soccer Complex is set for 7 p.m., following the matchup between No. 2 Lipscomb and No. 6 Kennesaw State.  The winner of the FGCU-NKU game will face the Lipscomb-Kennesaw State winner on Sunday at 1 p.m. Links to live stats and the ASun.TV broadcast for Friday night are available at NKUNorse.com.  Be sure to follow @NKUNorseGameDay for live updates on Twitter as well.
 
The Norse enter Friday's action 9-7-3 overall and advanced to the second round of the conference championship with a 2-0 win against North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, a week ago.  Aubrey Muench led the NKU offense with one goal and one assist, putting the first goal on the scoreboard in the fourth minute of the game.  Jessica Frey added the insurance goal at the 51:49 mark when she found the back of the net after Muench's shot deflected off Ospreys goalkeeper Megan Dorsey.  NKU finished Atlantic Sun play 3-3-1 to earn the No. 5 seed in the tournament.
 
ABOUT FLORIDA GULF COAST: The Eagles are 15-3 on the year after posting a perfect 7-0 mark in Atlantic Sun action.  FGCU closed out its 2014 regular-season schedule with a 1-0 overtime victory against Stetson on Oct. 25.  Tabby Tindell, who leads the conference in several categories, took a pass from Shannen Whacker inside the box and found the back of the net to ensure the first-round bye for the Eagles.
 
Tindell leads the FGCU offence with 41 points, which ranks fifth nationally, on a conference-leading 17 goals and seven assists.  She lands among the nation's best in total goals (sixth), points per game (fourth) and goals per game (seventh).  Whacker has assisted on 13 goals entering postseason play to lead the Atlantic Sun and rank seventh in the nation.
 
Brittany Brown has started each of FGCU's 18 games in goal this season.  She holds a goals against average of 0.62 to lead the conference, and she is also tops the save percentage category at .849.  Brown has allowed just 11 goals and made 62 saves for the Eagles.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST FLORIDA GULF COAST: Ally Kasun scored a pair of goals to give FGCU a 2-0 victory over NKU on Oct. 10 at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
 
Kasun opened the scoring for FGCU late in the first half, connecting on a 25-yard shot for a 1-0 Eagles lead after 36 minutes of play.  She then added to the FGCU advantage in the second half when she headed a Melissa Arnold corner kick across the goal line. 
 
Sami Rutowski had the chance to put NKU on the board in the fourth minute of the game.  Following an Eagles foul, she was awarded a penalty kick, but FGCU goalkeeper Brittany Brown made the stop to keep the game scoreless.  Norse goalkeeper Brooke Schocker recorded three saves over the final 33 minutes of the contest.
 
ENDING STRONG: NKU has posted a 5-1 record over its last six games, including four consecutive shutouts.  The strong end to the second half of the Norse season started with a 4-3 victory at Stetson on Oct. 12 in DeLand, Florida.  After dropping a 1-0 decision to Atlantic Coast Conference power Louisville three days later, NKU has rattled off four straight wins.
 
Jessica Frey scored the lone Norse goal in a 1-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Oct. 18 at the NKU Soccer Stadium before closing conference play with a 2-0 win at Lipscomb.  NKU ended the regular season by defeating Detroit, 1-0, on the road on a Macy Hamblin goal in the 79th minute.
 
The Norse advanced to the Atlantic Sun semifinals with a 2-0 victory at North Florida last Saturday on goals by Aubrey Muench and Jessica Frey.
 
AMONG THE TOP: Several NKU players rank among the top players within the Atlantic Sun.  Macy Hamblin lands tied for second in goals at seven along with FGCU's Paulina Speckmaier.  They both sit behind FGCU's Tabby Tindell's 17.  Hamblin's 61 shots in her first season with the Norse places her tied with Tindell for second among Atlantic Sun players, and she also ranks fourth with 18 points.
 
Kelsey Laumann has served up seven assists to lead NKU and rank second in the Atlantic Sun behind FGCU's Shannen Whacker's 13.  Brooke Schocker also lands in the top five in three important categories: saves (63 – fifth), save percentage (.797 – fourth) and goals against average (1.29 – fourth).
 
As a team, the Norse rank second in the conference with 31 goals, just behind the Eagles' 37, and NKU is also second with 29 assists.  NKU has taken 92 corner kicks this season to sit second in that category as well, and the team's 99 saves are also second in the Atlantic Sun.
 
STEPPING UP: Over NKU's last five games, Aubrey Muench and Jessica Frey have been a key to the Norse success.  Both have recorded three goals and one assist to close the season with seven points.  Macy Hamblin added two goals and two assists to her season total as well to help NKU earn its first conference tournament berth.
 
Hamblin leads the NKU offense this season with 18 points on seven goals and four assists to earn the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year honor.  Muench (five goals, three assists) and Kelsey Laumann (three goals and seven assists) are tied for second with 13 points apiece, while Frey has added 11 points on five goals and one assist.  Sami Rutowski rounds out the double-digit point earners with 10 (three goals and four assists)
 
Since the 4-3 victory at Stetson, Brooke Schocker has also stepped up her play in goal as well.  She has only allowed four goals for a 0.67 goals against average, improving her season GAA to 1.29.  Schocker has stopped 34 shots for a .895 saves percentage.