In the driving snow, in front of hundreds of faithful fans, the Northern Kentucky University men’s soccer team accomplished a feat that no men’s team at NKU ever has, winning the NCAA Division II national championship with a 3-2 victory over Rollins College.
NKU finishes the season with a 20-2-3 record.
Jack Little got the crowd roaring a little over nine minutes into the contest, just flicking a free-kick opportunity from Paul Andrews past the outstretched hands of Tar goalkeeper Keneil Baker for his third goal of the season.
NKU senior Steven Beattie was held in check for the better part of the game. One of his best chances of the game came early on a ball played back to Baker. Beattie looked to slide in and steal a goal, but the Rollins goalkeeper was able to lift the ball with his boot and prevent the Irishman from sliding in for the marker.
Michael Holder directs the game-winning goal on net.
“I couldn’t seem to find my touch,” said Beattie, who was named the Ron Lenz National Player of the Year earlier this week. “As an Irishman, I’m not used to the snow, so that’s my excuse.
“[Rollins] said in the paper that they’ve never seen the snow, so we tried to use that in our favor.”
It appeared to be a deciding factor in NKU’s second goal, this time from sophomore Jordan Grant, who extended the Norse lead in the 33rd minute.
Michael Bartlett came crashing into the penalty area with a chance just six yards out, but his shot was deflected wide. Grant came in with a desperation touch to sneak the ball inside the right post for his third goal of the season, but none more important.
The Norse appeared to be in good shape, entering the halftime intermission with a 2-0 lead. But the Tars were not down yet.
“The first 15 minutes of the second half we knew [Rollins] was going to come out strong,” said NKU head coach John Basalyga of the tenacious opponents.
Disaster appeared to strike for the Norse in the second half as Adam New headed down a corner kick from Kevin Boone and beat NKU goalkeeper Michael Lavric on a bounce.
Three minutes later, off another set piece opportunity for the Tars, an attempted clearance by Andrews in the box came off the head of Rollins’ Jack Clifford and into the twine for the equalizer.
“You have a two-goal lead and with the snap of a finger, in two minutes, it’s all wiped away,” said the senior Lavric, who made nine saves in the victory. “It feels like the game is starting to slip away from you.”
Two of those saves came just five minutes later, as Bradley Welch came in with a long shot from the right side that Lavric turned away, but sent the rebound toward the top of the 18-yard-box. Rollins midfielder Andreas Mayer came hard with a low shot back in, but Lavric also turned the rebound away and kept the Norse level.
NKU turned it around in the 65th minute, starting on an offensive flurry that saw Beattie take his only shot of the game, which was blocked eight yards out by the Rollins back line. However, NKU continued to press the attack, with Anthony Meyer picking up the loose ball and dribbling forward.
Meyer sent a seeking cross into the box, and found the head of freshman Michael Holder, who gave his best effort.
“I was just trying to make contact and get it on goal,” said Holder of the quick shot.
Michael Lavric makes one of his nine saves.
The result just popped off the hands of the Rollins goalkeeper and into the back of the net to give Holder his 15th goal of the season and the Norse the lead.
“It was a typical Northern Kentucky game,” said Basalyga. “Give up a couple of goals and figure out a way to score a game-winner. We’ve been doing that all year long.”
Rollins continued to pour in shots in the final 25 minutes of the contest, but Lavric stood tall with four big saves late in the game.
“Everything just happened so fast, it’s just reaction,” said Lavric. “[Coach] reminded me, just keep your body behind the ball and keep it out of the back of the net. It may not be pretty, but as long as it stayed out I guess I did my job.”
“It was absolutely amazing coming here and having a 12th man,” added Beattie, who credited the NKU faithful in the stands for the lift the defense needed late. “The last 15 minutes, with our backs against the wall, that noise from the fans really pulled us through.”
Another turning point for the Norse came in the 85th minute when Nicholas Chiarot took a hard foul from Jack Clifford while going after a ball down the sideline. Clifford, who was already shown a yellow card earlier in the half, saw his second booking and was sent off, forcing the Tars to try and catch up while playing a man down.
NKU was able to control play from there, keeping the ball in the offensive half for the remainder of the contest and taking the hard-fought victory.
“We’re not the prettiest team in the world,” added Basalyga. “(Rollins) were very technical, very big, in some cases more skilled that we are. But the way we train and what we do and how we do it, it’s that ‘gut’ thing we have.
“I’d rather win ugly than lose good.”
Basalyga was the first coach to get NKU into the NCAA Tournament, qualifying for the first time in 2006. The Norse proceeded to win the next three Midwest Regional championships, advancing to the national semifinals in 2008.
However, it was the following season, in which NKU was eliminated in the first round of the postseason, that Basalyga feels motivated this team above all.
“How many people get upset after going 15-6? These kids were upset,” said Basalyga, “They practiced on their own for two weeks before the season started to get them ready for me. It’s a tribute to these kids and what they’ve done.”
Beattie, who’s storied career at NKU ended in the most magnificent way, sees this as just the beginning for a young and talented team that will return with the same fire next year.
“I was the first international player brought in, and back then Coach told me that this program was on the rise,” said Beattie. “And I leave with a semifinal and a national championship. It’s a credit to everyone associated with the program. We worked hard, we’ve got our new facility, and we’re still on the rise.”
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