 |
|
---Steven Beattie's 20th
goal of the season served as the game-winner in NKU's 3-2 victory over Bellarmine
on Friday night. |
By
Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information
Box
score
KANSAS CITY,
Mo. – Steven Beattie scored a pair of goals
to help lead the Northern Kentucky University men’s soccer
team to a 3-2 victory over Bellarmine in the semifinal round of
the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament on Friday night.
Beattie’s
two tallies give him 20 on the season to set a new NKU single-season
record, previously held by Todd Gruenwald,
who netted 19 goals during the 1992 season.
NKU (15-1-2) struck
first in the 25th minute when Beattie took a pass from Seth Eckerlin
and delivered a low shot from 10 yards
out to beat Bellarmine goalkeeper Justin Welply and give the
Norse the early advantage.
The Norse would take advantage of an
own goal by the Knights (9-7-4) in the 39th minute to build a
two-goal edge before Grant
Wheeler
struck from 15 yards out to the left post to net his third
of the season and cut the NKU lead in half before intermission.
Beattie
scored his record-setting goal in the 56th minute, ripping a
blast from the edge of the penalty area just inside
the left
post to bring the score to 3-1. Brad Barraclough then scored
his team-leading 18th goal of the year from 10 yards out
to maintain the one-goal deficit with seven minutes remaining.
The
Knights got a final opportunity in the 89th minute when Ross
Hopkins got free for a shot, but NKU goalkeeper Michael
Lavric
was up to the task, making his fourth save of the night
to salvage the victory.
Welply made five saves for Bellarmine in
the loss.
NKU advances to the GLVC championship game for the second
consecutive year, where the Norse will take on the
winner between Drury
and the tournament host, Rockhurst. Kickoff is scheduled
for 1 p.m.
Eastern.
NKU is seeking its fourth GLVC title, and its
first since 1995. Last season, NKU fell to Lewis by a 1-0
score in
the tournament
final. |