Conference Play Begins for @WSU_Mens_Soccer Saturday

Saturday, September 8

Highland Heights, KY

7:00 PM

Wright State University

Northern Kentucky

Raiders are clicking at the right time, heading into Horizon League play Saturday

9/4/2018 2:35:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Communications

The Wright State men's soccer team will begin Horizon League play this Saturday, when it visits Northern Kentucky. Saturday's match against the Norse is scheduled for a 7:00 pm kick-off. "Everything we have done to this point has prepared us for conference play," said head coach Jake Slemker. "While we are excited it is finally here, we are just ready to get down to business."

Raider Round Up
Wright State (3-0-1) comes into Saturday's match after a hard-fought road win over Cincinnati on Monday. The Raiders took an early lead on a 20th minute goal from Stefan Rokvic, only to see the Bearcats tie the match 15 minutes later, where it would remain heading into halftime. Deri Corfe wasted no time getting the Raiders back on top in the match in the second half, as his strike from 20 yards out in the 53rd minute gave Wright State the lead. Alec Philippe would add a necessary insurance goal on a header in the 57th minute, as the Raiders would go on to win the match, 3-2. Defense has been a cornerstone for coach Slemker's team thus far, limiting its opponents to just an average of 9.5 shots per match. On the contrary, the Raiders average almost 14 shots per match, and have netted an average of 2.25 goals per match. Junior keeper Joel Sundell has accrued 12 saves on the young season, and boasts a .667 save percentage.

Scouting Northern Kentucky
The beginning of conference play comes with a steep challenge for the Raiders, as the Norse (4-0-0) will enter Saturday's match with the best non-conference record in the Horizon League to this point. Northern Kentucky is coming off of a 3-2 road victory at Robert Morris on Sunday, and looking to keep their unbeaten record intact. The Norse have already played two of the same opponents as the Raiders; Bowling Green and UNC-Asheville. NKU beat UNC-Asheville 3-0 in an exhibition contest on August 11th, and beat Bowling Green 3-2 on August 25th. The Norse average almost three goals per match, and are lead offensively by reigning Horizon League Player of the Week, freshman Alex Willis. Willis was also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week after contributing on all eight of NKU's goals last week, and scoring six of his own on the young season. Redshirt senior Jim Barkei has played all four matches in net for NKU, registering 18 saves and posting a .720 save percentage.

All-Time Series
The Raiders and Norse have met in men's soccer a total of 14 times, with the Raiders dominating the career series, 11-3-0.

Last Meeting
The Raiders hosted NKU late in conference play last season, and Wright State came out on top 1-0 on October 21.

Coverage
Saturday's match at the NKU Soccer Stadium will be broadcast on ESPN 3, and live stats will be available. Links to the broadcast and live stats can be found on the schedule page for men's soccer.