Sophomore forward Jessica Frey paced the Norse offense with a goal and an assist as the Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team registered a 3-0 shutout victory over Wright State on Wednesday night to tie Milwaukee atop the Horizon League standings.
The Norse remain undefeated in the League at 5-0 while their overall record improves to 9-3. Wright State falls to 4-7-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the League. The shutout was NKU’s fifth of the season and third clean sheet for goalkeeper Brooke Schocker.
Despite being shut out, Wright State was the aggressors out of the gate, totaling 14 total shots in the first half and forcing Schocker to make three saves in addition to one team save.
Meanwhile, the Norse struggled to work around the Raider defense in the opening frame until the 41st minute when freshman Payton Naylor broke through for her first collegiate goal.
Frey dished an assist to Naylor who cut across traffic and fired a shot off Wright State goalkeeper Halle Pyle’s hands for a 1-0 Norse lead.
NKU took its 1-0 advantage into the locker room before returning to the pitch to dominate the second half.
Just eight minutes into the second half, Frey scored her team-high sixth goal of the season after taking an up-field pass from senior Kelsey Zwergel. Frey darted downfield to score from 10 yards out and hand the Norse a 2-0 edge.
Sophomore Macy Hamblin scored the game’s final marker and tied Frey with a team-high six goals this season after using a double assist from Sami Rutowski and Rachel Conaway to set up a one-touch goal.
Wright State edged NKU in shot attempts 20-19 while the Norse won the shot on goal battle, 8-6.
The Norse return to action on Saturday when they host Cleveland State (7-5-1, 3-1 Horizon) at 7 p.m. at NKU Soccer Stadium. The match is set to be played at the back end of a doubleheader, following the men’s soccer match versus Valparaiso at 4 p.m. Both matches will air on ESPN3.
NORSE NOTES:
· With the victory, NKU has tied its Division I single season win record with nine overall victories.
· The Norse scored three goals against a Horizon League opponent for the fourth time in five matches.
· Frey has totaled 17 total points this season, just three shy of NKU’s Division I record for single season points of 20 set by Hamblin last season. Frey is averaging 1.42 points per game this season.
Frey named to CS360 National Primetime Performers Honor Roll
Sophomore forward Jessica Frey was named to the CollegeSoccer360.com National Primetime Performers Honor Roll for her strong performance in Northern Kentucky University’s 3-2 double overtime victory over defending Horizon League champion Valparaiso.
In addition to posting a game-high five shots and four shots on goal, Frey netted a go-ahead goal for the Norse when she dribbled 40 yards up-field to score and give NKU a 2-1 edge.
Her goal provided the Norse enough insurance to survive a second Valparaiso goal that sent the back-and-forth battle into overtime, locked in a 2-2 tie. Horizon League co-Offensive Player of the Week Kelsey Laumann netted NKU’s golden goal in the second overtime period to seal the victory.
Frey helped the Norse to a season-high .750 shot on goal percentage as the squad fired 12 shots, nine of which were on target.
The CS360 Primetime Performers Honor Roll highlights players from around the nation who perform at a high level – both consistently and in timely fashion – during games that carry potential significance to postseason qualification and positioning.
The win over the defending League champion put NKU in second place in the League standings with a 4-0 record and 12 points in League play. Milwaukee sits atop the table at 5-0 with 15 points.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native leads the Norse with five goals on the season and is tied with fellow sophomore Macy Hamblin with a team-best 14 total points.
In addition to her team-leading marks, Frey ranks in the top five in the Horizon League in six offensive categories including shots per game (3.27), points (14), points per game (1.27), goals (five), goals per game (0.45) and assists per game (0.36).
From NKU Athletics