The Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team played league-leading Milwaukee to a scoreless draw at Engelmann Stadium on Saturday night and clinched a Horizon League Tournament bid in its first year as a member of the League.
“Our players have worked very hard to achieve at the highest level possible. We continue to be proud of their efforts and for earning a berth in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament,” head coach Bob Sheehan said.
The draw is NKU’s first this season as the Norse own a 5-2-1 League record and are 9-5-1 overall. Milwaukee moves to 7-0-1 in the Horizon League and 10-3-3 overall.
Norse goalkeeper Brooke Schocker posted a pair of early saves in the 14th and 26th minute before the Norse defense held Milwaukee without a shot on target for the remainder of the 110 minute match.
NKU and Milwaukee were tied with four shots each after the first period with Maria Silbersack and Macy Hamblin chipping in one shot on goal apiece.
The Northern Kentucky offense began to pull away in the second half, firing seven shots and maintaining more offensive possession. However, the Norse and Panthers, who entered the contest with the League’s two best goals against averages, continued to fight through a defensive battle.
Senior midfielder Hanna Pateryn shined for NKU in the overtime periods. Pateryn took a pair of corner kicks in the first overtime and managed NKU’s only two shots in the extra minutes.
NKU forced Milwaukee goalkeeper Paige Lincicum to make six saves in her 110 minutes between the posts.
The Norse out-shot the Panthers 13-11 overall and 6-2 in shots on goal. Hamblin and Silbersack led Northern Kentucky with two shots on goal apiece while Jessica Frey added a game-high four shots.
The draw puts NKU in third place in the Horizon League with 16 points, trailing Oakland by one point. The Norse are one game ahead of Wright State who sits in fourth while Milwaukee remains atop the table with 22 points and the regular season title.
NKU returns to action on Friday, Oct. 30 when it wraps up the regular season at home against Green Bay in a match set to air on ESPN3. NKU’s seniors will be recognized on the field prior to the 7 p.m. kickoff as part of Senior Night.
NORSE NOTES:
— The match was NKU’s third to extend into double overtime this season, with all three of the Norse’s OT matches coming in Horizon League play. NKU is 1-1-1 in overtime contests this year.
— The Norse are headed to their second Division I postseason conference tournament after advancing to the semifinal round of last year’s Atlantic Sun Tournament where NKU fell to Florida Gulf Coast, 3-1.
— Schocker, a junior goalkeeper, now ranks ninth in NKU program history for single season saves with 54. She has faced 175 shots in 1,240 minutes this season.
Lankheit sets Division I record for blocks
A 16-block performance by Keyaira Lankheit keyed a monumental win by the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team on Saturday afternoon as the Norse took a five-set win from Horizon League foe Valparaiso.
Lankheit added 11 kills to her 16 blocks to mark her first-career double-double and set a Division I record for the Norse in the blocks department. The 16 blocks was also the most by any Division I player up to this point in the 2015 season.
The freshman was one of three Norse to notch double-doubles on the day, as Haley Libs picked up 14 kills and 12 digs, while Taylor Snyder dished out 41 assists to go with 20 digs. The win was the fourth in NKU’s last five matches, and pushed the Norse to 10-12 overall and level in Horizon League play at 5-5.
Lankheit was alslo named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week for volleyball Monday.
Lankheit, a freshman from Newport, Kentucky, had the most dominant blocking performances in the nation this weekend, posting a 16-block effort against Valparaiso, a Division I season-high for a single match, to help the Norse to a 3-2 victory. Lankheit picked up the 16 blocks in just four of the five sets, as she finished the opening stanza without a block. The Newport Central Catholic product also added 11 kills to mark her first career double-double.
The Valpo effort came after a similarly strong match against UIC, in which Lankheit posted six blocks while matched up against one of the League’s most powerful hitters in Stephanee Yancy. Lankheit added seven kills on a .583 hitting percentage to help lead NKU to a 3-1 win on the road.
Lankheit is now averaging 1.09 blocks per set on the season, good for second among League middles this year. Her 1.38 blocks per set in League matches leads all players, while Lankheit also has a .352 hitting percentage in League matches, ranking third.
Valpo (20-6, 6-4 Horizon) opened the match on a 4-1 run and extended its lead as high as 12-6 as Emily Campbell went for nine kills in the frame. NKU would pull as close as three points at 22-19, claiming four blocks in the process, including three from Creamer, but Valpo picked up three of the final four points to take a 25-20 win in Set 1.
A 7-1 run for the Norse in Set 2, bookended by blocks from Lankheit, turned a 10-9 deficit to a 15-11 lead. NKU continued to apply pressure, pushing the lead with rally points to a 25-17 victory in the set.
Set 3 was one of big runs, as NKU’s 4-0 run early in the set was answered by a 5-0 Valpo rally, giving the Crusaders an 11-8 lead. NKU used a 6-1 run to retake the lead, 16-14, but again the Crusaders rallied to tie things back up at 19-19. Both teams came up big on the blocks late, as the teams managed five blocks over an eight-point stretch with the Norse coming out ahead, closing out a 25-21 win.
Both teams battled to a 17-17 tie in Set 4 before Valpo rallied for five of the next six points to take a 22-18 lead, holding on to force a fifth set with a 25-20 win.
Allison Ketcham picked up the first three kills to open Set 5 for Valpo as the Crusaders raced out to a 6-3 lead that eventually extended to 10-6. The Norse never said die, however, as they used a 4-1 rally to tie the set back up at 12-12. Libs and Lankheit took over from there, as the duo paired up for two kills and a block to close out the 15-13 win.
Emily Campbell posted a career-high 26 kills for Valpo and added 21 digs, as the Crusaders also had three reach double-doubles on the night. Allison Ketcham had 14 kills and 14 digs, while Kelsey Berrington had 55 assists and 11 digs.
NKU returns to Highland Heights for the final home stand of the 2015 season. The action begins Tuesday at Regents Hall, as the Norse host Wright State. First serve is set for 7 p.m., with the match broadcast on ESPN3.
Senior Day a success for Norse men
The Northern Kentucky University men’s soccer team (8-4-3, 4-1-3 Horizon League) downed Green Bay (4-8-3, 2-3-2 Horizon League) 2-1 in overtime on Senior Day, Saturday. Kobie Qualah netted two goals, including the Golden Goal 14 seconds into overtime.
“We had three overtime games in one week tying one and winning the other two,” NKU head coach John Basalyga said. “These players have done a good job maintaining what they have and they’ve had a positive attitude. It’s a credit to them to battle as much as they have battled, especially being as young as we are. I’m really proud of what they’ve done so far this year.”
The Norse struck first in the opening frame when Qualah found the net in the 13th minute with an assist by Jacob Cunningham and Alwin Komolong. Cunningham played the ball to Komolong who found Qualah in the box to the right, Qualah then finished to the back left corner to give the Norse the 1-0 advantage.
Green Bay got the equalizer in the second half on a goal by William Nordenstrom with an assist by Sidney McClain. In the 52nd minute, McClain crossed the ball in front of the goal from the left, Nordenstrom then finished from five yards out to knot the game at one-all.
Moving to overtime, it was Qualah again for Northern Kentucky getting the game-winner just 14 seconds into extra time with help from Johannes Jansen. Jansen served the ball from the far right wing, with Qualah heading it home for the finish and Norse win.
NKU finished the match taking 11 shots with four on goal and four corner kicks. Norse goalkeeper A.J. Fleak (7-4-2) registered three saves on 11 shots faced. Green Bay finished with 11 shots with one on goal and six corner kicks. Phoenix goalkeeper Kyle Ihn notched two saves on 11 shots faced.
The Norse return to action at home Wed. taking on IUPUI in a nonconference tilt set for 7 p.m.
From NKU Athletics