Kristen Votapek

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team begins play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at noon Sunday, and the top-seeded Norse will host Saint Joseph’s at the Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Ky.

NKU enters the GLVC Tournament with a 15-2 overall record, and the Norse won the regular-season league title with a 12-1 mark. NKU has won 11 consecutive games going into Sunday’s contest with eighth-seeded Saint Joseph’s (7-10-1).

The Norse posted a 9-0 road victory against Saint Joseph’s last week. NKU senior forward Kristen Votapek tied a school record with four assists in that win.

Votapek leads the GLVC in goals (14) and assists (16) for a total of 44 points. As a team, NKU leads the GLVC in scoring (3.82 goals per game) and defense (0.65 gpg).

During its current 11-game winning streak, NKU has outscored the opposition by a 44-5 margin with six shutouts.

If the Norse win their first-round game Sunday, they will also play host to the GLVC Tournament semifinals and finals Nov. 4-6 at the Town & Country Sports Complex.

NKU owns a 45-1-4 record against GLVC opponents at the Town & Country Sports Complex since moving its home games to the Wilder facility in 1998. One of the ties came two years ago against Wisconsin-Parkside in the GLVC Tournament championship game. The Rangers then edged NKU in a penalty-kick shootout to claim the GLVC title.

The Norse are ranked seventh nationally in this week’s NCAA Division II poll. The Norse are also No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region rankings. If NKU remains No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region, the Norse will play host to the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament Nov. 11-13.