The Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team’s strong offensive effort against Cleveland State fell short as the Vikings defeated the Norse 2-1 on a Golden Goal with 21 seconds left in the final overtime period at NKU Soccer Stadium on Saturday.
The loss was NKU’s first in Horizon League play as the squad moves to 9-4 overall and 5-1 in the league. CSU’s record improves to 8-6-1 and 4-2 in the Horizon League.
Viking forward Kaila Sargema scored both of CSU’s goals, including the Golden Goal in the 110th minute when Sargema broke away for a one-on-one situation with Norse goalkeeper Brooke Schocker. The game-winner found the far left corner of the net to seal the Viking victory.
Northern Kentucky forwards Macy Hamblin and Jessica Frey each posted a career-high 11 shots apiece for 22 combined shot attempts. Hamblin was responsible for five of the Norse’s 10 shots on goal to tie her career high set at Eastern Illinois earlier this season.
NKU’s 36 total shot attempts is good for new a Division I era single game record. Three of the Norse’s attempts were deflected off the crossbar, two coming from Hamblin and one from Morgan Shafer.
The Norse were five minutes from victory in regulation, leading 1-0, until Sargema struck with the equalizer at the 85 minute mark to force the match into overtime.
Northern Kentucky’s lone goal came in the 62nd minute when Hamblin netted NKU’s first penalty kick of the season. Cleveland State goalkeeper Jamie Daniels dove left to open up the right side for Hamblin to deposit the goal.
NKU held CSU to just two shots between the pair of overtime periods before the Vikings found the golden goal.
The Norse return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 21 when they travel to Oakland for a 4 p.m. match-up set to air on ESPN3. The match is one of three remaining contests on the 2015 slate.
NKU men battle Valpo to scoreless tie
The Northern Kentucky University men’ soccer team (6-4-3, 3-1-3 Horizon League) battled Valparaiso (6-3-4, 2-1-1 Horizon League) to a 0-0 draw in a League tilt on Saturday.
“We had a full week to regroup and put more conviction into our play,” NKU head coach John Basalyga said. “Valpo had their chances and we had our chances. A.J. Fleak came up really big for us in goal. Overall, we did a much better job than in our previous game.”
In the opening frame, Northern Kentucky took eight shots to Valparaiso’s five, with each team posting a shot on goal. Both teams each took three corner kicks in the half.
In the second half, Valparaiso picked up the pace on offense, but A.J. Fleak and the Norse defense held tight.
Fleak faced nine shots by the Crusaders, with the senior recording five saves. Two of those saves came in dramatic fashion with Fleak diving to save a shot by Valpo’s Ramone Howell in the 73rd minute. Five seconds later Fleak made another circus save off a shot by Okama Thompson.
Moving to overtime, it was Fleak again making a save in the early going off a shot by Howell to keep the Norse alive. In double-overtime, Diego Martinez took Nothern Kentucky’s lone shot, missing wide right with Valpo taking two shots, both missing the mark.
NKU finished the match taking 14 shots with three on goal and seven corner kicks while Fleak (5-4-2) recorded his fifth clean sheet of the season, hauling in seven saves in 110 minutes of work. Valpo finished the match taking 18 shots with seven on goal while Nico Campbell (6-3-4) recorded one save.
Northern Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday hitting the road at Eastern Illinois for a nonconference match set for 4 p.m.
Norse Notes
– Senior goalkeeper A.J. Fleak now has 15 shutouts for his career as a Norse.
– This was Northern Kentucky’s sixth overtime match of the season. The Norse are 1-2-3 in those matches.
From NKU Athletics