VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team struggled to find the back of the net on Saturday night, falling to Valparaiso, 5-0, at Brown Field. The Crusaders struck three times in the first half before tacking on two more tallies in the second period for the win.

BETWEEN THE POSTS

• Freshman goalkeeper Owen Betz posted five saves including four in the first half after seeing 60:02 minutes of action.
• Sophomore Christian Carey stepped in goal for the final 20 minutes of play, picking up one save and conceding one goal to an aggressive Valparaiso offense.

FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• NKU's Jacob Cunningham fired the first shot of the game, but the Valparaiso offense maintained consistent possession throughout the match.
• Betz made two saves in the early going, but Valparaiso found its momentum and struck twice within a two minute span, netting goals in the 14th and 16th minutes.
• The Crusaders' leading goal scorer Isaiah Madrid deposited the first tally from 30 yards out, followed by Kendan Anderson's marker who received a cross from the left wing and fired his shot from the center of the box.
• Madrid scored his League-leading ninth goal of the season just before the conclusion of the first half, coming on a penalty kick.

SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• Cunningham and Johannes Jansen looked to spoil the shutout bid early in the second half, firing back-to-back shots in the 49th and 50th minutes, but their shots would land just off target.
• Valpo's second-half goals came in the 55th and 71st minutes to ice the game, with the latter coming off a set piece.

NORSE NOTES

• Betz, a freshman goalkeeper, has made 15 saves across the last two matches and has posted five or more saves in four of his eight matches this season. Carey joined Betz in making his eighth appearance of the year.
• The match marked the first time in six matches that the Norse were held to less than 10 shots.

UP NEXT

• The Norse conclude the 2016 season on Friday, Nov. 4 at Green Bay. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET