BGSU/IPFW Game NotesHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team is preparing for a double-slate this weekend consisting of a road game at Bowling Green State on Friday, Sept. 12 and a home match on Sunday, Sept. 14 against the IPFW Mastodons. The Norse faced the BGSU and IPFW last season and played both teams to a draw.
Bowling Green came to Highland Heights last year and neither side was able to break through in the 110-minute contest and the match ended in a scoreless draw. The Falcons went 6-7-6 (2-2-2 MAC) overall last season competing in a tough Mid-American Conference. They are off to a 3-1 start this year with their only loss coming in double-overtime against Duquesne in Pittsburgh.
"BGSU has gotten off to a good start and they will be coming off of a tough loss from last week," said head coach
John Basalyga. "Both of us are just trying to get our teams put together to get ready for conference play. Every game is important and every game is geared towards getting us ready for that first conference game."
There are a few connections between BGSU and NKU. Basalyga's daughter Lindsay Basalyga is the head coach of the Bowling Green women's soccer team and goalkeeper
A.J. Fleak's sister, Skylar, plays as a striker for the Falcons.
John Basalyga is a BGSU alum, having spent two seasons with the Falcons playing baseball and club hockey.
"My only claim to fame at Bowling Green was that I bled all over the ice while playing club hockey," said Basalyga. "I got kicked in the face once during a game and had to get about one-hundred stitches."
On Sunday the Norse will return to the NKU Soccer Stadium to take on IPFW. The Mastodons are 1-2-1 this season and will be facing Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky. on Friday before making the trip to Highland Heights. The Norse are 14-2-3 all-time against IPFW. They trailed the Mastodons 0-2 after the first half in last year's contest but NKU rallied, scoring two goals in the second half and forcing the 2-2 draw.
"We got behind last year when we played them and had to pick it up in that second half," said Basalyga "The biggest thing for us will be making sure we come out of this week healthy and ready for the next match. The fall season is about survival. You do the teaching and coaching in spring but the fall is about keeping your team healthy and in the right mindset to compete."
The Norse named their team captains for the 2104 season earlier this week.
Gavin Colton and
Alwin Komolong will lead the Norse on the pitch and they will join
Ian O'Reilly, who captained the team last year as a junior.
"We have representation in three classes with a senior, junior, and sophomore," said Basalyga. "Luckily, we have guys in each class that are dedicated soccer players. They are the backbone of what we are trying to accomplish over the next few years. I hope they take advantage of this opportunity to lead by example both on and off the field. They are responsible for keeping everyone focused when the coaches aren't around. It's ultimately the individual players' responsibility to get physically and mentally prepared for each game but it is the captains that help facilitate that process."
Live stats for the Bowling Green game are available on nkunorse.com and be sure to follow @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter for live updates throughout the contest.
The match against IPFW on Sunday will immediately follow the women's match against Robert Morris. The #SundayFunday soccer bingo will be going on throughout both games and kids are encourage to come on to the field after each game to meet the Norse athletes in Shoot Around Sunday.
If you are on social media, be sure to follow NKUNorseMSOC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Each medium will provide a behind the scenes look at the NKU men's soccer team throughout the season.
