HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky embarks on a brief two-game road swing beginning with Horizon League foe Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Sept. 18, and wrapping up on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Louisville. The Cardinals are receiving votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Poll.
 
Match Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (2-3-0 Overall, 0-1-0 Horizon League)
Purdue University Fort Wayne Mastodons (2-3-1 Overall, 0-1-0 Horizon League)
Saturday, Sept. 18 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Stadium Field 1
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
(RV) University of Louisville Cardinals (3-2-0 Overall, 1-0-0 Horizon League)
Tuesday, Sept. 21 – 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Louisville, Ky. | Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium (5,300)
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra
Stats: Live Stats
 
Scoring Points
• NKU dropped its Horizon League opener to Robert Morris, 1-0.
• NKU's eight goals against VMI are the most scored this year by a DI team against another DI opponent. The team's 25 total points are also the highest single-match totals in the nation and nine assists are the second most.
• Thanks to the outburst, NKU now ranks in the top-11 nationally in seven different categories: total goals (11th,14), total assists (11th, 14), assists per game (7th, 2.80), shots on goal per game (7th, 8.00), total points (11th, 42), scoring offense (6th, 2.80) and points per game (4th, 8.00).
• NKU continues league play at Purdue Fort Wayne and holds an 18-3-4 all-time record versus the Mastodons. Last season's contest was canceled, but NKU won 3-1 in 2019.
• NKU then heads to Louisville. The Norse are 6-4 all-time against the Cards.
• NKU is the reigning Horizon League regular-season champion, winning the league with a 7-1 record versus conference opposition and going 7-2 overall. The title marked the first DI-era championship for the Norse.
• The Norse were picked to finish fourth in this year's #HLMSOC Preseason Poll.
• NKU was also the Horizon League Championship runner-up.
• NKU sported one of the stingiest defenses in the country last year, ranking 13th in save percent (.837) and 23rd in goals against average (.748).
• The Norse received their first ever national ranking as a DI program 2020, checking in at No. 24 in Top Drawer Soccer's April 6 ranking. They moved up to No. 23 on April 13 in the TDS poll, but jumped into the United Soccer Coaches rankings at No. 22 that same week, setting the new DI highwater mark for ranking.
• GK Daniel Bermingham is the reigning #HLMSOC Goalkeeper of the Year.
• Bermingham ranked 16th in the country in save percentage (.837) and 33rd in goals against average (0.748) in 2020. He already has 17 saves this year, which ranks 69th.
• F Jesse Randall and F Dylan Bufton, a 2020 all-Horizon League First Team honoree, both scored hat tricks against VMI. The duo ranks 6th in the country in total goals (5) and 10th in total points (11).
• Bufton also ranks 2nd in the nation in goals per game (1.25) and 4th in points per game (2.75), while Randall ranks 7th (1.00) and 10th (2.20), respectively.
• Near the end of the 2020 campaign, Top Drawer Soccer named Bufton No. 91 on its National Top-100 list. D/M Roberto Burlew checked in at No. 97 on the publication's Freshman Top 100.
• Burlew added a goal and an assist against the Keydets, marking the first goal and assist of his Norse career.
• M Ryan Godding, who as an all-league second team honoree in 2020, has been setting the table with three assists already. His 0.60 assists per game ranks 38th in the nation.
• F Sam Robinson has a goal and assist to his credit so far this year. He was second on the team in scoring with eight points and second with two goals while also distributing a team-high four assists last year. He has one goal and one assist so far this season.
• Newcomer M Craig Wellens scored the first goal of his Norse career against Centre and followed with a pair of assists in the win against VMI.
• F Brodie Sallows scored the final Norse goal against VMI.