Week 1 Game NotesHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team opens its 2014 season against Eastern Illinois University and Morehead State University this weekend at the NKU Soccer Stadium.
NKU takes the field against Eastern Illinois at 7 p.m. on Friday before meeting Morehead State Sunday at noon. Links to live stats and the ASun.TV broadcast will be available at NKUNorse.com.
The Norse look to pick up where they left off last year as they won the final two games of the 2013 season, defeating South Carolina Upstate, 6-1, and East Tennessee State, 3-2, in overtime. NKU posted a 6-10-2 overall mark last season, and the team earned their eighth-consecutive National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Team Academic Award after posting a 3.26 cumulative grade point average during the 2012-13 academic year. NKU also received its third-straight NSCAA Team Ethics Award at the conclusion of the season.
"Right now, we are just focusing on ourselves and maximizing the time we have had together in order to put forth a solid team performance this weekend," NKU head coach
Bob Sheehan said. "We are really looking forward to officially getting the season started this weekend."
ABOUT EASTERN ILLINOIS: The Panthers return a strong core of players from its 2013 squad, which finished 6-14 overall and 6-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Eastern Illinois lost just six players from last season, including two starters. The Panthers played Loyola (Chicago) to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 12 in their only exhibition game.
"We have never played Eastern Illinois, so this will be a new experience for us," Sheehan said. "They had a nice effort in the OVC tournament last season, so it should be a good challenge for us."
Meagan Radloff returns for her senior season after earning All-OVC honors last year. She led the team with 15 points on seven goals and one assist, while Hannah Miller and Madison Carter each added five points for the Panthers. Carter recorded a team-high three assists, and Lauren Hoppenstedt earned All-OVC accolades for her defensive performance in 2013.
Cortney Jerzy looks to return to the goal this season for Eastern Illinois. She started each of the 14 games she played in last season and recorded a 1.78 goals against average. Jerzy posted three shutouts en route to a 6-8 record in goal while making 98 saves on the year.
ABOUT MOREHEAD STATE: The Eagles won three of their last four games of the 2013 season to finish with a 10-11-1 overall record. Morehead State earned a berth to the NCAA tournament after defeating Tennessee Martin, 1-0, in the OVC tournament championship game a year ago.
Returning to the Eagles' offense is defending OVC Offensive Player of the Year Jade Flory, who ranked second in the OVC last season in points with 33. She scored 14 goals, which also ranked second in the conference, and assisted on five others. Angela Black finished 2013 with 16 points on six goals and four assists, while Macy Cobb returns after recording 11 points with five goals and one assist.
Expected to be in goal against the Norse on Sunday will be Elizabeth Floyd. Last season, Floyd recorded the second-lowest GAA in program history at 1.05, which ranked fourth in the OVC. She collected 41 saves and five shutouts and recorded a 10-5 record.
"Morehead State has been a top OVC team for several years and was an NCAA participant last season, so that will be a tough one for us as well," Sheehan said. "They are a very physical and well coached team, and they present a dangerous force on the field. This weekend will be a good test for us."
Morehead State faces Bowling Green State on Friday to open its season before making the trip to Highland Heights on Sunday.
TOUGHING UP: As NKU prepares for its first season of being eligible for the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, the Norse face three opponents who advanced to the national tournament last year, including hosting two at the NKU Soccer Stadium.
The first national tournament participant NKU faces will be Morehead State on Sunday. On Oct. 3, last season's Atlantic Sun tournament champion Jacksonville, which advanced to the NCAA tournament and posted a 12-8-1 overall record, will visit the Norse. The final 2013 tournament team on the NKU schedule this year is Louisville on Oct. 15.
"Our goal this season is to get better by seeing high-level teams like Morehead State, Xavier, Butler and Louisville," Sheehan said. "We will be challenged this season, but it will help make us better in the long run and prepare us for conference games."
OLD AND NEW MIX: Twenty-one players from NKU's 2013 roster return this season after losing just three players to graduation. In addition, the Norse are welcoming eight newcomers this season. The mix of the returning players and newcomers paid off for NKU during the preseason, as the Norse earned a 4-0 victory against Wright State on just the third day of practice and played Mid-American Conference power Miami (Ohio) to a 1-1 draw last Sunday.
Freshman
Macy Hamblin recorded an impressive debut against Wright State, scoring two goals on the night and just missing on several additional chances. She also led the team in shot attempts against Miami, and redshirt junior
Kelsey Laumann, who missed last season due to an injury, scored the lone Norse goal on Sunday against the RedHawks.
"We have a good mix of newcomers and returning players this season, which is very positive for us," Sheehan said. "
Katelyn Newton and
Sami Rutowski played a lot of minutes last year as freshman, and they earned those minutes through their hard work and enthusiasm.
Maria Silbersack is continuing to develop, and
Ariel Fischer has been a steady force on defense for us.
Macy Hamblin has the opportunity to have a strong freshman season, and
Aubrey Muench and
Kelsey Laumann return for us and showed they could be a threat during the preseason."
OPENING GAME SUCCESS: NKU enters Friday's contest with a 13-3-1 record in season-opening games. The Norse dropped a hard fought 1-0 decision to Robert Morris last season. The Colonials make the return trip to the NKU Soccer Stadium on Sept. 14.
Two years ago, the first women's soccer victory at the NCAA Division I level came on the strength of a 2-0 win over Canisius on the road. It also marked the first D-I victory for any program at NKU.
Martha Staab put the Norse on the scoreboard first in the 24th minute, and
Kelsey Laumann added a goal at the 71:22 mark to ensure the win.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH: Bob Sheehan is entering his 18th season as the only women's soccer head coach in NKU history. Sheehan built the program from scratch prior to the 1997 season, and he led the Norse to immediate success as NKU captured its first conference championship the following season.
In July, Sheehan was named as the No. 37 coach in the nation according to the AllWhiteKit.com NCAA 2014 CoachRank Adjusted Rankings list. His teams have been honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America 11 times for their performance in the classroom since 2011, and NKU has won three straight NSCAA Team Ethics Awards for its conduct on the field as well.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS: Friday night's game against Eastern Illinois is part of #VictorFest activities, and the first 100 students in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. Schedule key tags will be handed out as fans enter the NKU Soccer Stadium, and all faculty and staff will receive free admission when they show their All Card as part of Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night.
#SundayFunday Soccer Bingo will be back this season. Fans are encouraged to pick up a bingo on their way into the Morehead State game and play along for the chance to win prizes. It will also be Shoot Around Sunday, where kids have the opportunity to play on the field after the game and receive player autographs.
