HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University men's soccer team will celebrate senior day on Friday afternoon in a matchup against Oakland at NKU Soccer Stadium.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY vs. OAKLAND
Friday, Nov. 8 – 1:00 p.m. – NKU Soccer Stadium – ESPN+
SERIES HISTORY
Oakland leads the series 9-0-1. The Norse fell to the Golden Grizzlies, 3-1, in their last matchup on October 6, 2018.
LAST TIME OUT
The Norse scored in a hurry during the second half to take down Bradley, 5-0, last Friday. Alex Greive and Alex Willis each picked up braces in the contest, while Gianni Bouzoukis had his second goal of the season in the 85th minute. Baj Maan earned his second shutout of the year while also making three saves on the night.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Oakland is second in the Horizon League standings at 4-1-2. Their scoring is as diverse as a team could hope for, with six players having three or more goals this season. Charlie Braithwaite leads the way with five goals for the squad and Sullivan Lauderdale is the primary keeper, compiling a 1.24 GAA and a .725 save percentage.
PLAYOFFS?
NKU still has a chance to reach the Horizon League playoffs if they win against Oakland. The Norse will need UIC to beat Milwaukee, a Detroit Mercy win over Cleveland State and an IUPUI victory against Wright State.
MAKING THE OTHER TEAMS GREIVE
Greive is on a roll as the Norse close out the 2019 slate. The junior currently leads the team with 15 goals, eight of which came in a three-match span against arguably the best two teams in the Horizon League and Berea. His hat-trick effort against UIC garnered him Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week honors on October 7. He has scored a goal in eight of the last 10 matches.
BRINGING DOWN LAST YEAR'S GOLIATHS
A season ago, Wright State won the Horizon League regular-season title and UIC won the Tournament. In back-to-back games, NKU defeated both teams by results of 2-1 and 3-2, respectively.
PRESEASON POLLING
Northern Kentucky was selected to finish sixth in this year's Horizon League preseason poll, receiving 46 points. Wright State, last year's regular season champion, topped the poll with 74 points and four first-place votes. UIC, which won the Horizon League Tournament a year ago, was the clear second choice, garnering 69 points and the remaining five first-place votes.
A YEAR AGO
NKU finished its 2018 campaign with a 10-7 overall and 3-5 record in the Horizon League. The Norse showed off a capable offense, scoring 2.18 goals a game thanks much in part to returning leading scorer Willis, who finished the year with 16 goals. reive and Probert, who also return, put up five goals apiece. Jim Barkei led NKU between the posts for much of the season, playing in 12 games, accumulating 45 saves and donning an 8-4 record.
TAKING A LOOK AT THE SQUAD
The Norse return 13 players from last year's team and add 11 newcomers to the fold for 2019. Brendan Auguste, Daniel Bermingham, Bouzoukis, Gino Geiser, Ryan Godding, Maan, Samuel Nwosu, Mahamud Osman, Josiah Pokopac, Sallows and Ali Zohar are all in their first season at NKU.
RIDDLE ME THIS
Head coach Stu Riddle is in his third season leading the program, and it is his 11th season as a head coach. He has an overall record of 84-91-26. Since his hiring, NKU has seen steady improvement, with last year's 10-7 campaign being the most wins in the program's Division I era.
