HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky women's soccer team will be on the road this weekend, as the Norse face Detroit Mercy in Horizon League action on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

Northern Kentucky Norse (6-4-0, 3-0-0) at Detroit Mercy Titans (3-8-1, 0-3-0)
Saturday, Sept. 30 – 4 p.m.
Detroit, Mich. – Titan Field
 
LAST TIME OUT:  NKU earned a 1-0 win over Wright State on Wednesday evening. Jessica Frey scored the lone goal of the match in the 75^th minute. Kailey Ivins passed the ball from the right side to Frey, and she was able to shield a defender, turn, and fire a shot to the lower left corner to give the Norse the advantage. Emily Lohmann and the Norse defense recorded their second shutout of the season in the victory.

SCOUTING DETROIT MERCY:  The Titans enter the contest at 3-8-1 overall and 0-3-0 in the Horizon League. Most recently, the team has suffered setbacks to IUPUI and Oakland in League play. Offensively, Detroit Mercy is led by Rachel DeLuca and Rachel Russo. DeLuca has four goals and five assists on the year, and Russo has also added four goals. Marina Manzo has played every match in the net for Detroit Mercy. She has made 63 saves for a 0.818 save percentage. Manzo also has a 1.15 goals against average.

TAKING A LOOK AT THE STATS: The Norse are 6-4-0 on the season and 3-0-0 in League play. NKU has won three straight matches, and the team has recorded two shutouts this year. The Norse are averaging 2.00 goals per contest, while allowing them at a 1.20 mark. Jessica Frey leads NKU with eight goals and 16 points. She is tied for 11^th in NCAA Division I with eight goals. Macy Hamblin has also been a key factor on offense, as she has five goals on the season. Emily Lohmann has started nine matches in goal for the Norse. She has made 35 saves on the year for a 0.795 save percentage and has a goals against average of 1.01. 

SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Jessica Frey was selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
 
As a nursing major, Frey maintains a 3.746 GPA. Upon graduation in the spring, Frey plans to work in a critical care unit at a children's hospital. She also hopes to advance in her field by becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Because of her excellence in the classroom, she has been named to the 2015 and 2016 Horizon League All-Academic Teams, as well as the 2015 COSIDA Academic All-District.
 
Frey is also very active in the community. She has volunteered at the Liberty Matrix Nursing Home and the St. Lawrence Catholic Church after school program. She has also participated in the Price Hill Summer Clean-Up, Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, and the "Pause for Parents, Play for Kids" program through the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
 
HORIZON LEAGUE: The Horizon League announced its women's soccer preseason poll for the 2017 campaign. NKU tied for first place in the poll with Milwaukee, as each team received 86 points and five first-place votes.
 
Detroit Mercy, Oakland, Wright State, UIC, IUPUI, Youngstown State, Cleveland State, and Green Bay rounded out the rest of the Horizon League preseason poll.
 
HEAD COACH BOB SHEEHAN: Sheehan is in his 21^st season as the head coach of the program. He is the only coach in the team's history and sports a 303-98-26 overall record. In Division I play, his teams are 51-45-8. Coach Sheehan picked up his 300^th career win in a 2-1 overtime victory against Appalachian State on Aug. 29.
 
Sheehan ranks in the top 40 all-time in winning percentage for women's soccer coaches in NCAA history across all divisions. He is also in the top 60 all-time in total victories for women's soccer coaches across all NCAA divisions. 
 
A SUCCESSFUL YEAR: NKU finished the 2016 campaign with a 13-7-1 overall record and a 6-2-1 mark in Horizon League play. The Norse captured the Horizon League Tournament crown and advanced to play in the Division I NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in program history. NKU fell to No. 1 West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament by a score of 3-0.
 
Macy Hamblin earned Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second season in a row. Jessica Frey joined Hamblin on the first team, Katelyn Newton received Second Team All-Horizon League honors, and Ally Perkins was named to the All-Freshman Team. Hamblin, Frey and Perkins all return to the team this season.
                                                   
UP NEXT: The Norse head to Milwaukee on Saturday, Oct. 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.