The Northern Kentucky women’s soccer team fell to Cincinnati 1-0 in the inaugural Riverboat Rivalry match at Nippert Stadium on Monday despite a game-high five shot attempts from Macy Hamblin and nine saves from Norse goalkeeper Emily Lohmann.
The match was played in front of a crowd of 4,722, a new women’s college soccer attendance record for the state of Ohio.
“We always want to place our players in competitive and intense environments, which this game proved to be,” said head coach Bob Sheehan. “This turned out to be an outstanding event for the Greater Cincinnati area and was a great opportunity for our players to continue to learn and grow as we move forward this season.”
Lohmann recorded the most saves since Sept. 20 last season when Brooke Schocker posted nine against Toledo. The sophomore faced 18 total shots as she held an aggressive UC offense to one goal.
The lone goal of the game came in the 18th minute when Cincinnati’s Julie Cin Gavorski found the back of the net on an assist from Holyn Alf.
NKU fired four shot attempts in the first half, including a pair of shots on goal from Ally Perkins and Samantha Duwel. Hamblin launched a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that sailed just left of the goal for NKU’s best look of the opening half.
Lohmann made five saves, including back-to-back stops in the eighth minute to hold the Bearcats to one goal on nine shot attempts.
In the 56th minute, Lohmann made a diving save out of the goal when defender Taylor Spaulding stepped in for a team save on a shot off the deflection to help keep UC scoreless in the second half.
Hamblin again came close to netting a goal for the Norse in the 68th minute on a shot that was punched over the goal by UC goalkeeper Natalie Smith.
Hamblin posted five of NKU’s nine total shot attempts and was responsible for two of the squad’s five shots on goal. Rachel Conaway, Duwel and Perkins added one shot on goal apiece.
Norse Notes
· Lohmann has posted 16 saves and has faced 38 shots in two starts this season.
· The attendance of 4,722 broke the women’s college soccer attendance record for the state of Ohio set by Ohio State with 3,186 in 2008.
Up Next
The Norse travel to Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, Aug. 25 for a 5 p.m. match before hosting Morehead State in the home opener on Aug. 29.
From NKU Athletics