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WILDER, Ky. - A second-half scoring outburst lifted Northern Kentucky University past Drury, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon in a crucial Great Lakes Valley Conference men's soccer game. Braden Bishop, Seth Eckerlin and Chris Thompson each tallied goals in the second half to lift NKU. The 16th-ranked Norse improved to 10-2-2 overall, 7-2-2 in the GLVC. Drury dropped to 8-4-4 overall, 5-4-2 in the GLVC. Bishop began the scoring at the 48:59 mark by knocking in a rebound shot. Tony Ray started the play by firing a shot that Drury goalie Michael Lassen stopped, but Bishop chased down the loose ball and scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Eckerlin made it 2-0 at the 68:03 mark by finding the back of the net in the right post. Thompson - who was named GLVC Player of the Week on Monday - capped the scoring in the 86th minute with his fifth goal of the season by sending a rebound shot past Lassen. NKU goalie Andy Ortman notched his seventh shutout of the season and had three saves. The Norse, who finished with a 20-10 advantage in shots, are 6-0-1 in their past seven games. The win against Drury kept NKU in the hunt for both a first-round home game and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming GLVC Tournament. The Norse, looking for their first-ever berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament, are currently in third place in the GLVC standings. NKU can clinch a first-round home game in the GLVC Tournament by winning its final two league contests. The GLVC Tournament begins Oct. 22, and the top four teams in the league standings will host first-round games. The semifinals and championship game will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed Oct. 27 and Oct. 29. NKU will hit the road next weekend for GLVC games at Southern Indiana (Friday at 6 p.m.) and Kentucky Wesleyan (Sunday at 1 p.m.). The Norse return home Oct. 18 to meet Findlay at the Town & Country Sports Complex. |
