Game NotesHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team is preparing to hit the road for the first time in 2014 to take on Detroit Mercy and High Point. Both matches will be played at Baujan Field at the University of Dayton as part of the Dayton Flyer Classic.
The Norse will begin their weekend with a matchup against Detroit Mercy on Friday Sept. 5 at 5pm. NKU has never squared off against the Titans in a competitive fixture. Detroit Mercy competes in the Horizon League and finished as the regular season league champion just two seasons ago.
"We've played a couple of Horizon teams in the past and we know the teams in that conference are big, strong, and athletic," said head coach
John Basalyga. "They play a little differently than the A-Sun schools but it will be a good challenge for us."
NKU will return to Baujan Field on Sunday morning to take on High Point. The Norse most recently faced High Point in 2012 and suffered their worst defeat in
John Basalyga's NKU career with a 6-0 loss. It was NKU's first season competing at the Division I level.
"High Point is a very athletic, technical team," said Basalyga. "We have two games this weekend that will challenge us in every aspect of the game. Two years ago. when we faced High Point, we were still trying to figure out how Division I works. The 6-0 loss really punched us in the face but it did more good for us because it improved our mentality for the rest of the year."
One of the biggest tests heading into this weekend for the Norse is how the team will react to playing two games over a weekend. The team has had roughly a week in between matches so far this year but they will only get one day of rest between the Detroit Mercy and High Point matches.
"Last year we had a five game week so this isn't new," said Basalyga. "We aren't as fit as we were last year but we will have to find a way to grind it out come Sunday. Playing Friday and Sunday is all in between your ears. If you use playing Friday as a reason to not play well come Sunday, it's just an excuse."
There were sixteen players that saw action in the Cincinnati game on Aug. 29 but with a short recovery period, Basalyga may be forced to go to his bench more often in both games this weekend. Beyond testing the fitness of the team, this weekend will also test the depth of the roster.
"We are going to do what we have to do to win one game at a time," said Basalyga. "We will do what we have to do to win the first game and then look at what we have to do on Sunday. It's one game at a time."
The Detroit Mercy game will kickoff at 5pm on Friday Sept. 5 and the High Point match will begin at 11am on Sunday Sept. 7. A link to live stats for both games is available on nkunorse.com.
The games with also be live tweeted at @NKUNorseGameDay. While on social media, be sure to follow NKUNorseMSOC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a behind the scenes look at the team during the year.
