DAYTON, Ohio – Northern Kentucky University Norse Men's Soccer took a short road trip on Saturday, going up to Dayton for a match with Horizon League rival Wright State. It was a big opportunity for both teams to pick up points, who entered the match in the bottom two spots of the league table. After Wright State grabbed a second-half goal, things looked dire for NKU, but the Norse rallied back with goals from a pair of veterans to push themselves into the conference tournament picture.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky – 2, Wright State - 1
LOCATION: Alumni Field - Dayton, Ohio
RECORDS: NKU: 3-6-3 (1-2-2 HL), Wright State: 1-10-1 (1-4-0 HL)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– After an uneventful first half, a Wright State player was sent off with a red card in the 51st minute – a similar outcome to last Saturday's match at Detroit.
– Despite playing with ten men, Wright State opened the scoring late in the second half, netting a goal in the 73rd minute.
–
Steven Boaghe Braniste leveled the scoring in the 80th minute with a picturesque header, off the foot of a
Bennett Gerak free kick. It marked the junior's third goal of the season.
– With time ticking down on the clock, the Norse made one final push in the 90th minute.
Bennett Gerak put in a great ball from the left wing, where Taleb got just enough of it to get it past the keeper and into the back of the net. It marked the fourth goal of the season for Taleb, and Gerak's first game with multiple assists over his Norse career.
– The Raiders won the shot battle 15-12 and the shot-on-goal battle 8-5. Keeper
Alex Kron was remarkable with seven saves in the match.
NEXT UP
Northern Kentucky Men's Soccer takes on IU Indy at home next Saturday, October 18, with kickoff set for 4 PM.
FOLLOW NKU NORSE MEN'S SOCCER
Get in the game and follow Northern Kentucky's NCAA Division I women's soccer team through @NKUNorseSOC on Twitter, @NKUNorseMSOC on Instagram, nkunorseMsoc on Facebook and subscribe to the NKU Norse YouTube channel.
