HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team hosts Cleveland State on Saturday for the first of just two remaining regular-season home matches. The Norse take on the Vikings at 7:30 p.m., after the NKU women's team hosts Youngstown State at 4:30 at NKU Soccer Stadium.



Northern Kentucky Norse (0-10-2, 0-4-0) vs. Cleveland State Vikings (4-6-1, 2-1-1)
Saturday, Oct. 8 -- 7:30 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. -- NKU Soccer Stadium
Live stats | ESPN3

PARKING ADVISORY: Due to an 8 p.m. event at BB&T Arena, located adjacent to the NKU Soccer Stadium, parking fees on Saturday have been increased to $10 (cash only). In anticipation of a high volume of campus traffic, fans are encouraged to arrive to the match early for the best available parking. Parking close to the venue is available at the Welcome Center Garage and Lot "O" on a first-come, first-serve basis.

LAST TIME OUT: The Norse fell to Bowling Green, 2-1, on Tuesday after the Falcons found the game-winner with just three minutes left in regulation. NKU's lone goal came from Campbell Morris on an assist from Kobie Qualah in the first half. The Norse were strong in the opening stanza, limiting BGSU to two total shots while the NKU offense fired nine shots to hold a 1-0 halftime lead.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State enters the weekend ranked sixth in the Horizon League with a 4-6-1 overall record and 2-1-1 mark in the League. The Vikings fell to Xavier, 1-0, on Tuesday and are 0-3-1 across their last four games, which included a 1-1 draw against League foe Green Bay and a 2-1 loss to Valpo. CSU averages 1.27 goals per game as 12 of their 14 goals this season have come in the second half.

Lawrence Karpeh is in the top-10 in the League in points (eight) and goals (four). Hesham Hammouda follows with three goals and one assist for seven points, while Jake Lagania has a team-high four assists. Goalkeeper Aleksandar Drobac has a League-leading .800 save percentage and is second in goals-against average at 0.97. Drobac has started the last six matches after sitting out the first portion of the season.

SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's match will be the second-ever meeting between the two squads. Last season, Northern Kentucky claimed a 2-1 victory over Cleveland State in Cleveland on Oct. 7. Current sophomore Nick Perez netted the game-winner in the 78th minute on an assist from Jacob Cunningham.

TEAM LEADERS: The junior duo of Kobie Qualah and Campbell Morris are tied with a team-high two goals on the season. After notching an assist on Morris' goal on Tuesday against BGSU, Qualah brought his team-high point total to five. Meanwhile, freshman Anders Mathiesen has a pair of assists, both coming in League play, to tie Calvin Murphy with two points this season.

Defensively, Dylan Carss has played in all but 24 minutes of action while freshman Owen Betz and sophomore Christian Carey share team-best marks in goalkeeper stats. Betz has made a big impact in just three games played, racking up 17 saves, while Carey has seven appearances and 19 saves.

NSCAA TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD: The Norse were recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as a 2015-16 College Team Academic Award winner on Thursday after posting a 3.26 team GPA in the 2015-16 academic year. NKU has now won the award in back-to-back seasons and is one of 222 schools spanning all levels of collegiate play to have both its men's and women's programs recognized.

UP NEXT: The Norse hit the road for a Horizon League matchup against Belmont on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Nashville.