HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team stays on the road this weekend and travels to South Carolina as the Norse begin Atlantic Sun Conference play.
 
NKU opens the weekend with its final nonconference tune up at Francis Marion at the Hartzler Soccer Field in Florence, South Carolina, on Friday at 7 p.m.  The Norse will then head west for their Atlantic Sun opener against USC Upstate.  Kickoff from the Country University Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is set for 1 p.m.  Links to live stats and the video broadcasts for both contests are available at NKUNorse.com.
 
The Norse enter their trip with a 3-3-2 overall record after falling at Murray State, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon.  After the Racers took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute, Macy Hamblin took advantage of a Murray State defensive miscue.    She cut off a back pass, and goalkeeper Shelby Haworth slid to disrupt Hamblin's attack, leaving the goal wide open.  Hamblin dribbled the ball to her right and found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.  The Racers, however, responded with three-unanswered goals for the final margin of the game.
 
ABOUT FRANCIS MARION:  The Patriots are still looking for their first victory of the season, holding an 0-7 record on the season.  Francis Marion participated in South Alabama's Jaguar Classic last weekend and dropped a 3-1 decision against Elon on Friday night before facing the host Jaguars on Sunday.  South Alabama scored two first-half goals to cruise to a 5-0 win over the Patriots.
 
Elizabeth Asare and Chanel Harris lead the Francis Marion offense with three points on one goal and one assist apiece.  Kelly Anthony is the only other goal scorer for the Patriots, who have netted three goals on the year.  Asare and Anthony have each taken a team-high 10 shots on the year, with Asare placing seven of her attempts on goal.
 
Taylor O'Berry has started each of Francis Marion's games in goal.  She holds a 4.24 goals against average, making 40 saves while allowing 23 goals on the year.
 
ABOUT USC UPSTATE:  The Spartans are 2-7 this season after posting a 1-0 victory over VMI in Lexington, Virginia, on Sunday.  Kenzie Major scored her fifth goal of the season in the 25th minute when she gained control of a through ball from Samantha Seelinger.  Major's goal was the only one the Spartans needed as goalkeeper Ellen Bright made four saves and posted her first shutout of the season.
 
Major tops the USC Upstate offense, boasting 10 points on five goals, which puts her in a tie for second place in the Atlantic Sun in both points and goals.  She has scored every goal this season for the Spartans, and her team-high 23 shot attempts ranks third in the conference.  Seelinger, Nicki Krejci and Maddie Little have each recorded assists this season.
 
Bright has played every minute in goal for USC Upstate.  She has allowed 14 goals for a 1.53 goals against average, while she has stopped 39 of the 94 shots faced.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST USC UPSTATE:  Seniors Allison Ponzer and Megan Frye led the way on Senior Night, as NKU earned a 6-1 win over USC Upstate on Oct. 25, 2013, at the NKU Soccer Stadium.
 
Less than four minutes into the game, Sami Rutowski won the ball from the USC Upstate defense and sent a long pass to Ponzer. The NKU senior beat the defenders and Spartan goalkeeper Sarah Plantz came out to meet her, but Ponzer placed the ball into the lower right corner of the net for a 1-0 Norse lead.
 
At the 24:05 mark, Frye extended the NKU advantage to 2-0 by finding the back of the net for her second goal of the season. On that play, Sam Davis acted as though she was going to shoot the ball but tapped it to Ponzer.  Ponzer sent a back-heel pass to Frye, whose shot went past Plantz into the lower right corner again.
 
The Norse offense added four more goals in the second half, building a 6-0 lead before the visiting Spartans added a score late. Katelyn Newton, Casey McMillan and CG Bryant netted goals for the Norse as well. NKU also benefitted from a USC Upstate own goal.
 
The win gave the Norse a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series against the Spartans.  A year earlier, Jaclyn Elmore and Frye each netted second-half goals to give NKU a 2-0 road victory.
 
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES:  The NKU offense lands first in the Atlantic Sun by averaging 13.4 shots per game, and the Norse share the lead with Florida Gulf Coast in goals per game at 1.9.  NKU has scored 15 goals this season from its 107 shot opportunities, and the team has taken five more shots than their opponents this season.
 
STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION:  Macy Hamblin has made her presence in the Norse offense known during the first half of the season.  She leads the team in several categories, including four goals in her five appearances.  She is tied with Kelsey Laumann in points with nine, having also recorded one assist this season.  She tops the Norse in shots (22) and shots on goal (14) as well.
 
Hamblin, a freshman forward from Fairfield, Ohio, is also in the top among Atlantic Sun players.  Her four goals earn her a share of fourth place, along with Lipscomb's Ellen Lundy and Florida Gulf Coast's Paulina Speckmaier.  Hamblin and Laumann's nine points put them in a tie for sixth place in the conference, and she shares fourth place in shot attempts (22) with Jacksonville's Kaitlyn Bassett.
 
UP NEXT:  NKU returns to the NKU Soccer Stadium on Friday, Oct. 3 against Jacksonville in Atlantic Sun action for Kick for a Cure at 7 p.m.  Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support the fight against cancer.  Pink Thunder Stix will be handed out to those in attendance, and the contest will also be a feature during NKU's Family Weekend.