HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University women's soccer team welcomes Xavier to NKU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The match was originally scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start at XU Soccer Complex, but due to recent flooding, it was moved to the NKU campus.
The match is set to air on ESPN3 while live stats will also be available at NKUNorse.com.
Northern Kentucky Norse (2-3-0) vs. Xavier Musketeers (3-1-1)
Tuesday, Sept. 6 – 7 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. – NKU Soccer Stadium
Live stats |
ESPN3
LAST TIME OUT: Northern Kentucky cruised to its second-straight shutout on Friday, defeating the Toledo Rockets, 2-0, on the road.
Ally Perkins scored her first collegiate goal directly off a corner kick in the 28th minute for the game-winner. Later in the first half
Sami Rutowski found
Samantha Duwel for the second and final goal.
Emily Lohmann posted two saves en route to earning her second consecutive clean sheet. The Norse also shut out Morehead State on Aug. 29 at home.
SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS: Xavier sits at 3-1-1 and is coming off a 3-1 win over Dayton on Friday. The Musketeers' only loss of the season came at the hands of Pittsburgh, 2-1. XU opened the season with a pair of 2-0 shutouts against Evansville and Eastern Kentucky before playing Ball State to a 1-1 draw.
Xavier has nine goals across its first five games for a 1.80 goals per game average. The squad has held its opponents to four goals this season, at a mark of 0.80 per game. Samantha Dewey has three goals and two assists to start the season with eight points while four other Musketeers have at least three points. Rachel Piccus has seen all 470:00 minutes in goal and has 28 saves and owns a .875 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY: The Norse are looking for their first victory over Xavier, NKU head coach
Bob Sheehan's alma mater. Northern Kentucky is 0-2-1 all-time against the Musketeers with the last meeting falling on Sept. 9, 2014 when the teams played to a 1-1 draw. The teams were set to meet last season at NKU in a match that was cancelled due to severe storms.
In the teams' first meeting in 2012, the Norse fell, 1-0, in overtime in front of 1,104 fans, the sixth-largest crowd in NKU Soccer Stadium history.
201 MINUTES: The Norse defense, anchored by goalkeeper
Emily Lohmann, has not allowed a goal in 201 minutes of play. The last time the Norse allowed a goal was in the 69th minute of a 2-0 loss to Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 25. Since then, NKU has shut out both Morehead State and Toledo.
ON PACE: Lohmann's season is off to a strong start, as the sophomore earned her first collegiate start in the season opener and has seen every minute in goal for NKU. She has logged 450:00 minutes between the posts and has 26 saves just five games into the season. Lohmann needs 53 to break into the program's top-10, a feat senior
Brooke Schocker accomplished in 2014 (67 saves) and 2015 (64 saves).
LEADING THE PACK: While NKU's four goals this season have been distributed among four different players this season, freshman
Ally Perkins leads the squad with three points on one goal and one assist. The Amherst, Ohio native is the team leader in points despite playing 279 minutes, the 10th most on the team. Perkins has fired five shots, three of which were on goal for a .600 shot on goal percentage.
UP NEXT: Following the Xavier match, NKU hits the road for a pair of big matches beginning with Vanderbilt on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. ET. The match will be the first against an SEC program in NKU history. The Norse then turn around to open Horizon League play at Green Bay on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. ET.
