WSOC Shawna Zaken plug Morehead State
Doug Cochran (Sport Focus Media)
1
Detroit DETROIT (9-6-2, 5-1-2)
1
Northern Kentucky NKU (9-5-1, 5-1-1)
Detroit DETROIT
(9-6-2, 5-1-2)
1
Final
1
Northern Kentucky NKU
(9-5-1, 5-1-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Detroit DETROIT 1 0 0 0 1
Northern Kentucky NKU 1 0 0 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Melissa Powell, NKU Athletic Communications

WSOC clinches HL Tournament berth in 1-1 draw

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team battled Detroit Mercy to a 1-1 draw in double-overtime on Saturday evening at NKU Soccer Stadium. NKU earned one point toward the Horizon League standings, enough to clinch its third-straight berth to a postseason conference tournament.

"Our goal is to win the Horizon League championship and to do that, you have to earn a bid so obviously we're pleased with that. It's a tough League and only six teams make it out of 10 so it's a tribute to the players and how hard they've worked," said head coach Bob Sheehan. "Our team responded well in the second half of tonight's game, momentum definitely shifted our way. We didn't start off as strong so we need to work on that."

The draw was NKU's first of the season as the squad moves to 9-5-1 overall and 5-1-1 in the Horizon League. Detroit Mercy's record moved to 9-6-2 overall and 5-1-2 in the League.

NKU SCORING SUMMARY
  • In the 29th minute, freshman Shawna Zaken posted her second career goal in as many games. Macy Hamblin was credited with the assist after sending a long cross from the far left wing. Zaken gathered the ball and scored from 10 yards out near the right corner of the 18-yard box.

BETWEEN THE POSTS
  • Sophomore Emily Lohmann saw all 110 minutes in goal, picking up six total saves including five in the opening period.
  • Detroit Mercy goalkeeper Marina Manzo notched four saves, including one in overtime. Manzo anchored the Titan defense as it held NKU scoreless off of its 11 corner kicks.

FIRST HALF SUMMARY
  • Detroit maintained strong strings of possession throughout the first half, out-shooting the Norse, 10-4, and forcing Lohmann to make five saves in the period.
  • Zaken struck first with her tally in the 29th minute. NKU enjoyed a brief seven-minute lead before Detroit Mercy's Suzie Redick netted the match equalizer.
  • The Titans scored when Kristen Tobin dished an assist across the five-yard box, as it was chipped in by Redick for the goal in the 35th minute.

SECOND HALF SUMMARY
  • NKU emerged aggressive in the second period, earning four corner kicks within the first seven minutes of the half.
  • The Norse defense held Detroit without a shot for the first 23 minutes of the period.
  • NKU doubled its first-half shot total, firing eight in the second half after managing four in the first period. Meanwhile, Detroit managed three shots in the second period after posting 10 in the opening half.
  • Northern Kentucky ended the game with a 16-15 edge in shots.

OVERTIME SUMMARY
  • In the first OT period, Zaken found the back of the net for what would have been her second goal of the match, but the Norse were called offside.
  • NKU out-shot the Titans, 4-2, across the pair of overtime periods and fired the only shot on goal in the final 20 minutes.

NORSE NOTES
  • In the lasts two games, Zaken, a freshman, has posted a pair of goals including her first career goal. Hamblin has six points across the last two games on two goals and two assists in that span.
  • Lohmann's six saves are the most for the goalkeeper since an Aug. 25 contest against Eastern Kentucky where she picked up seven saves.
  • NKU is headed to its second-straight Horizon League Championship since transitioning to the HL last season. It will be NKU's third-straight conference postseason after the squad reached the Atlantic Sun Semifinals in 2014, its first season eligible for Division I conference postseason play. This year is the first year the Norse are eligible for NCAA Tournament action, should they advance.

UP NEXT
  • The Norse travel to Dayton, Ohio to take on Wright State on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The match was originally scheduled to be played on Oct. 19 but was postponed due to inclement weather.
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