HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Title defense begins for the Northern Kentucky women's soccer team when it hosts Detroit Mercy on Thursday, Sept. 16, at NKU Soccer Stadium. The reigning Horizon League regular-season champion Norse play the Titans at 7 p.m. They will then head on the road for a contest in Chicago against UIC on Sunday, Sept. 19, for the first two league games of the season.
 
Match Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (2-3-2 Overall, 0-0-0 Horizon League)
University of Detroit Mercy Titans (1-6-0 Overall, 0-0-0 Horizon League)
Thursday, Sept. 16 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | NKU Soccer Field (1,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
University of Illinois Chicago "UIC" Flames (0-5-1 Overall, 0-0-0 Horizon League)
Sunda, Sept. 19 – 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Chicago | Flames Field (1,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
Scoring Points
• NKU is 2-3-2 on the season, and 1-0-2 in its last three matches, after pulling out a 1-0 win at Ohio to close out the nonconference schedule.
• NKU's nonconference schedule was brutally tough. All seven of its nonconference opponents have a .500 record or better and are a combined 24-13-12 (.612) through Sept. 14.
• NKU is unbeaten in its last three matches with a 1-0-2 record. Opponents have scored just once in those games as the Norse have posted two shutouts.
• NKU opens defense of its #HLWSOC regular-season championship with a home match versus Detroit Mercy before going on the road to UIC.
• This marks the first time since the 2019 campaign NKU will play either Detroit Mercy or UIC as the teams did not meet up in the COVID-impacted 2020 season.
• NKU was picked to finish second in the Horizon League Preseason Poll.
• The Norse won the 2020 Horizon League regular-season at 7-0-1 and went 8-1-2 overall.
• NKU reached the #HLWSOC Tournament championship match, tying Milwaukee 0-0 through 110 minutes of action before succumbing in penalty kicks.
• D Lydia Self was named the Horizon League's Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after leading the Norse and their backline defense in a shutout win at Ohio.
• GK Mimi Stines is the reigning #HLWSOC Defensive Player and Goalkeeper of the Year after finishing third nationally in goals against (.264) and save percent (.929), plus 14th in shutouts (7).
• Stines earned recognition as a United Soccer Coaches All-Region honoree and, the standout on both the field and in the classroom, also collected United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America and Horizon League All-Academic accolades.
• NKU also returns its entire back line that was one of the nation's best defenses, D Chloe Mills, D Morgan Jewell, D Lily Menssen and D Taylor Abbott, plus regains the services of D Megan Sullivan.
• F Sofia Wilmes leads NKU with two goals scored, including the game-winner against Ohio. She also scored in the Norse's match against EKU.
• The Norse have scored six goals so far this year, with five Norse combining for the six goals.
• Mills delivered the overtime match winner against EKU, heading home a corner kick played by Jewell.
• F/M Lindsey Meyer provided a goal against Evansville and delivered the assist on Wilmes' game-winner at Ohio. She ranked 10th in the country last year in assists per game (0.73). She also scored once and finished second on the team in points with 10.
• M Kayla Wypasek scored versus EKU and is tied with Meyer for second on the team with three points after assisting on Meyer's goal against Evansville.
• F Annie Greene converted a penalty kick in the 73rd-minute for NKU's lone goal versus UC.
• M Kaya Vogt also delivered an assist on Meyer's goal versus the Purple Aces.