HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. –  Northern Kentucky women's soccer (1-1-1, 1-0-1 Horizon League) takes a road trip to battle Green Bay (0-0) on Wednesday, March 3.   
   
NORTHERN KENTUCKY at GREEN BAY  
Wednesday, March 3 – 2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT – Green Bay, Wis. – ESPN+  
   
SERIES HISTORY   
NKU remains undefeated in the series with a 5-0 record. In the last matchup, NKU routed the Phoenix in Highland Heights, 5-1, on Oct. 27, 2019.  
  
LAST TIME OUT  
Two overtimes weren't enough to decide a winner in NKU's match with Oakland last week, with each side scoring a goal apiece in regulation. The Golden Grizzlies controlled possession early on and struck for the opening goal in the ninth minute. NKU recovered in the 64th minute when Lindsey Meyer played the ball from midfield to an open Sofia Wilmes at the edge of the penalty area. Wilmes' shot from that point was misjudged by the keeper and equalized the game. Between the posts, Mimi Stines faced eight shots, four of which were on goal. 
  
SCOUTING GREEN BAY 
Due to COVID-19 complications in Green Bay's women's soccer program, this will be Green Bay's first match of the season. The Phoenix went 7-10-1 a season ago, but with just a 1-7-1 mark in Horizon League play. Luckily for Green Bay, two of its top goal-scorers return alongside its best assist generator. Grace Taylor and Jordyn Cook each had a trio of goals last season, McKayla Kertscher had a goal and six assists.  
 
SOFIA WIL-MESS YOU UP 
Wilmes, a freshman and Cincinnati native, has been the welcome surprise to the 2020-21 edition of the Norse. She began the season as the double-overtime hero in a matchup at Robert Morris, netting the golden goal off a pass from Meyer to win the game, 1-0. Meyer found Wilmes again a week ago, knotting up a contest with Oakland after trailing for much of the match. She is the first freshman since both Macy Hamblin and Brianna Frondorf in 2015 to have two goals in the first three matches of her career.  
 
SCINTILLATING STINES   
Despite the loss of some major players, one of the biggest storylines from a year ago was the debut of Dayton transfer, Stines, as goalkeeper. With a mostly underclassman back line, Stines picked up the slack and kept the Norse in several matches despite facing 15 or more shots a game in 10 different contests. She is currently fourth all-time in save percentage (.807) and in 2019, she broke the Norse single-season record for both saves (97) and saves per game (5.39). Stines broke the 100-career save threshold on Feb. 10 at Robert Morris, making her the fastest in NKU's Division I era to reach that mark. It took her just 19 games to Emily Lohmann's 26 to achieve that feat.   
   
IVINS UP FRONT   
After spending time in more of a midfielder capacity, Ivins will step up to a forward role in 2020-21 to make up for the lost scoring due to graduation. A year ago, Ivins finished with two goals, one of which came against Lipscomb, and seven assists. She already has one goal this season against Dayton on Feb. 17.  
   
A FRESHMAN NO MORE   
Another rising player the Norse will heavily rely on is Meyer, a sophomore forward. Meyer finished her freshman season out strong with three goals in the final five games of the year. She also had an assist apiece in NKU's victories over Youngstown State and Green Bay on Oct. 6, 2019 and Oct. 27, 2019, respectively. She opened the 2020-21 campaign with an assist at Robert Morris on Feb. 10 and had another on Feb. 24 versus Oakland.  
  
A NEW ERA   
Big shoes are left to be filled as the last group of players from NKU's 2016 Horizon League Tournament Championship team graduated last season. The biggest loss of the offseason is Shawna Zaken, who was named Horizon League Player of the Year after a stellar 13-goal, three-assist campaign. NKU also lost forward Ally Perkins (five goals, three assists) and defender Hannah Fischer to graduation, as well as Emily Soltes to a career-ending injury.    
  
STAR FACTORY   
It has been a seamless transition into the Horizon League for NKU as four of the last five Horizon League Player of the Year awards have gone to a Norse athlete. The now-graduated Zaken was the latest to receive the award in 2019, while Macy Hamblin pulled off a three-peat of the award from 2015-17.    
 
NEW YEAR, NEW NORSE   
Nine freshmen join the Norse for the 2020-21 season: Katie Brock, Lauren Deckert, Kamryn Keehan, Allison King, Mickayla Kowalski, Emily Tirey, Alexis Trammel, Kaya Vogt and Wilmes.    
  
HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL   
Northern Kentucky was selected to finish fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll with 108 points. Five-time defending regular-season champion Milwaukee was picked first (132 points, 10 first-place votes), IUPUI came in second (118 points), and UIC (112 points, one first-place vote) rounded out the top three. Oakland (fifth, 105 points) was the only other team to garner a first-place vote.   
   
A YEAR AGO   
NKU finished last year with a 9-9, 5-4 Horizon League record. The Norse knocked off Lipscomb, the eventual Atlantic Sun champions, to start the season and finished tied for fourth in the Horizon League standings. The Norse defeated No. 4-seeded Wright State, 3-1, in the Horizon League quarterfinal before falling to No. 2 seeded UIC, 1-0, in the league semifinal.     
     
HEAD COACH BOB SHEEHAN   
Bob Sheehan is in his 24th season with the Norse, where he has accumulated a 326-116-29 overall record, 30-11-5 record in Horizon League action. He is joined by assistants Steve Bornhoffer (10th season), Payton Naylor (second season) and volunteer assistant, Terry Gruelle (21st season).