Katie Hanck

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team will play Wheeling Jesuit at 5 p.m. Friday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament at the Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Ky.

Top-seeded NKU is 18-2-0 overall and owns a 14-game winning streak going into Friday’s first-round contest against No. 4 seed Wheeling Jesuit (20-3-0). The NKU/Wheeling Jesuit contest will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. game between No. 2 seed Grand Valley State (17-2-0) and No. 3 seed Southern Illinois at Edwardsville (17-5-0).

The championship game is set for noon Sunday. The winner of the Great Lakes Region will advance to the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals and play a road game against the winner of the Central Region Nov. 19 or 20.

A year ago, NKU and Wheeling Jesuit played to a 1-1 tie at Wheeling, W. Va., in a game that was shortened due to inclement weather. The game, which was delayed for an hour due to lightning, was called at the 71:25 mark.

Two years ago at Wilder, Ky., NKU posted a 6-0 win over Wheeling Jesuit. In that game, Bobbi Meister and Sam Riley each scored two goals for the Norse.

Katie Hanck and Amy Martini also scored goals for the Norse, who allowed just one shot the entire game.

NKU holds a 5-0-1 advantage in the all-time series against Wheeling Jesuit. The Cardinals won the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship last week.

Grand Valley State, the No. 2 seed, won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. NKU captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship with a 2-0 win over SIUE.

NKU and Grand Valley State met twice in 2003, with each team winning on the road. The Lakers took a 1-0 victory at Wilder, Ky., on Sept. 19, 2003, on Mirela Tutundzic’s goal with five minutes remaining in the game.

NKU, however, eliminated Grand Valley State from the NCAA Division II Tournament later that fall on Nov. 16 at Allendale, Mich., by winning a 4-3 decision over the Lakers. Kendra Zinser scored three goals to lead the Norse.

NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament (at Wilder, Ky.)

Friday, Nov. 11

#1 Northern Kentucky (18-2-0) vs. #4 Wheeling Jesuit (20-3-0), 5 p.m.

#2 Grand Valley State (17-2-0) vs. #3 S. Illinois at Edwardsville (17-5-0), 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 13

Championship game, noon

Click here for directions to Town & Country Sports Complex at Wilder, Ky.