Nov. 8, 2004

NKU SOCCER RECEIVES NCAA BERTH

Norse to meet Ashland this Friday

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University women’s soccer team received a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament on Monday, and the Norse will meet Ashland University in the first round of the Great Lakes Regional on Friday at Kenosha, Wis. NKU enters the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 15-4-1 record and is the No. 3 seed in the Great Lakes Region. The Norse are making their sixth straight trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Ashland, a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, owns a 17-1-1 record and is the No. 2 seed. The Eagles enter the NCAA Tournament with a 13-game winning streak. NKU has eliminated Ashland from the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons. A year ago, the two teams played to a 1-1 tie, but NKU advanced by winning a penalty-kick shootout. Two years ago, NKU posted a 2-1 overtime win over Ashland, and the Norse rolled to a 4-0 victory against the Eagles in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Top-seeded University of Wisconsin-Parkside (17-1) will face fourth-seeded Grand Valley State University (15-4) in the other first-round game. The Great Lakes Region championship match is scheduled for Sunday. The winner of the Great Lakes Region will meet the winner of the Central Region in the national quarterfinals either Nov. 20 or Nov. 21.