-
0
Bellarmine BU (0-2-1, 0-0-0)
2
Winner Northern Ky. NKU (4-0-0, 0-0-0)
Bellarmine BU
(0-2-1, 0-0-0)
0
Final
2
Northern Ky. NKU
(4-0-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bellarmine BU 0 0 0
Northern Ky. NKU 0 2 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Norse Women’s Soccer rattles off fourth straight win to open 2026 campaign

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University Norse women's soccer entered a Thursday night showdown with in-state rival Bellarmine on a perfect 3-0 start to the season. For 45 minutes, the Norse were dominant in the shot battle, outshooting the Knights 11-1, but the scoreless tie held through halftime. NKU finally broke through in the second off Sophia Kapszukiewicz's long throw-in to Kylie Anderson, who headed on a perfect ball to senior forward Natalie Newman, who put the Norse in front. Newman added a second late in the match, capitalizing on a rebound to secure Northern Kentucky's fourth-straight victory. 

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky – 2, Bellarmine – 0 
LOCATION: NKU Soccer Stadium – Highland Heights, Ky.
RECORDS: NKU: 4-0-0 (0-0-0 HL), BU: 0-2-1 (0-0-0 ASUN)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Natalie Newman put in her third and fourth goals of the season in the match, totaling her second brace of the season after netting one on August 20 against Mount St. Joseph. Newman now ranks second on the team in goals with four and points with nine. Her four goals in the 2026 campaign are a new career-high, as she scored three in both her freshman and junior seasons. 
– Kylie Anderson earned her second assist of the season with her headed pass to Newman. Long-throw specialist and center-half Sophia Kapszukiewicz earned her first assist of the season. 
– NKU won the shot battle 16-5 and 5-3 on goal. The Norse recorded ten corner kick attempts to BU's two. 
– Norse keeper Donna Bundy notched her first 90-minute clean sheet of the season, marking her first career shutout. She's now 4-0 on the year. 
– Newman led the Norse in total shot attempts with four and shots on goal with three. 

NORSE NOTES
– The victory marked NKU's first win over Bellarmine since 2024, and the Norse are undefeated all-time since both schools joined Division I with a 2-0-4 record against the Knights. The Norse drew Bellarmine in last year's matchup in Louisville. 
– Northern Kentucky is now outscoring its opponents 17-3 on the season, averaging 4.25 goals per game. 
– Northern Kentucky now boasts the two top-scoring players in the Horizon League, as Megan Molner leads the league with five while Newman sits alone in second with four. 

NEXT UP
– Northern Kentucky heads down to Morehead State for a Sunday afternoon clash, set for 1 PM on August 30 on ESPN+. 
  
FOLLOW NKU NORSE WOMEN'S SOCCER
Get in the game and follow Northern Kentucky's NCAA Division I women's soccer team through @NKUNorseWSOC on Twitter, @NKUNorseWSOC on Instagram, nkunorsewsoc on Facebook and subscribe to the NKU Norse YouTube channel.
 
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