The Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team opens 2015 exhibition action on Wednesday, Aug. 12, when it plays host to Louisville at 7 p.m. at the NKU Soccer Stadium.
The match is the first of two exhibition games on the 2015 slate, as the squad looks to prepare for its inaugural season as a member of the Horizon League. Links to live stats are available at NKUNorse.com.
Louisville wrapped up the 2014 season with a 7-9-2 overall record after going 3-5-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Isabella Habuda returns for her sophomore season with the Cardinals after leading the Louisville offense with seven points including three goals and one assist last season. Junior goalkeeper Paige Brown was the only Louisville goalkeeper to see action last season, logging 1664:52 total minutes, a .648 save percentage, and a 1.35 goals against average.
NKU owns a 0-1 record against the Cardinals after suffering a 1-0 loss at Louisville last season in the first meeting between the two teams. Junior forward Kari Weinland scored the match’s lone goal, which she slipped past Norse goalkeeper Brooke Schocker in the 17th minute.
The Norse are coming off their most successful Division I season with a 9-8-3 overall record and 3-3-1 mark in the Atlantic Sun in 2014. Northern Kentucky’s 2014 campaign ended with a 3-1 loss against FGCU in the A-Sun semifinals after earning its first A-Sun Championship berth. NKU looks to pick up where it left off, winning five of the final seven matches of last season.
Head coach Bob Sheehan returns for his 19th year at the helm of the program to continue his reign as the only women’s soccer coach in NKU history. Sheehan enters the season boasting a 273-82-23 record throughout his 18 seasons with the Norse, including a 21-29-5 record in three seasons at the Division I level.
NKU returns a strong core of players from its 2014 squad with 23 returning players including nine seniors and eight juniors. The team also welcomes seven newcomers, all freshmen.
Joining the veteran squad is the sophomore duo of Macy Hamblin and Jessica Frey who each saw success in their rookie seasons at NKU last year. Hamblin raked in numerous post-season conference honors including 2014 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year accolades and Atlantic Sun All-Tournament team, All-Atlantic Sun First Team and All-Freshman team nods. Frey joined Hamblin on the All-Freshman team. The two were responsible for 31 of the team’s total 93 points last season while the freshman class alone registered 42.
Last season, Hamblin set a new NCAA Division I-program benchmark in both points (20) and goals scored (eight), while dishing out four assists. Hamblin ranked eighth in goals in the A-Sun and fourth in points, while redshirt senior Kelsey Laumann ranked third in the conference in assists with seven.
Schocker, a redshirt junior goalkeeper, logged a team-high 1204:15 minutes between the posts last season. Schocker registered four shutouts in the final five games of the 2014 campaign. She also notched a 1.42 goals against average to go with a team-best .779 save percentage, the fourth-best clip in the A-Sun.
Redshirt junior Aubrey Muench will be taking on her former teammates, as she spent her freshman season at Louisville where she redshirted. The Cold Spring, Kentucky, native, was tied for second on the team with 13 points last season after five goals and three assists. Laumann matched Muench with 13 points (three goals, seven assists) after firing 29 shots, 15 of which were on goal for a .517 shot on goal percentage.
Returning defenders Maria Silbersack and Chrissy Spears led the 2014 squad to six shutouts and were staples in the starting lineup. Silbersack, a senior, started and appeared in 19 games, while Spears, a junior, made 19 appearances including 15 starts.
From NKU Athletics