HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — The Bellarmine University men's soccer team rallied from a 1-0 deficit with two second-half goals in defeating Northern Kentucky 2-1 on Sunday night at NKU Soccer Stadium.

Sophomore defender Jeffrey Cox and senior forward Chris Shust netted the goals for Bellarmine (1-1), which notched its first win of 2024. Senior defender Austin Yowell assisted on both of the Knights' scores against Northern Kentucky (0-1-1).

The defenses limited the shots in the first half, but NKU did manage to find the net late, as Tyler Murphy scored in the 43rd minute.

The second half started promising for Bellarmine when an NKU player was issued a red card less than five minutes into the stanza. It took some time, but the Knights equalized the contest in the 73rd minute as Cox banged in a header off a Yowell corner kick.

Both teams set up several dangerous set pieces for the other with fouls in the final third. However, it was the Knights who capitalized down the stretch, as Shust blasted in a header from near the 6 off a free kick from Yowell in the 82nd minute.

Bellarmine made Shust's go-ahead goal stand as the game-winner. The Knights did a solid job milking the clock in the final minutes, but NKU did have an unnerving opportunity with about 20 seconds left, as senior goalkeeper Peter Van Euwen made a leaping save on a well-struck Norse header from 8 yards to preserve the win.

Van Euwen, in his first start at Bellarmine, reeled in five saves while posting his first win in goal as a Knight.

Bellarmine attempted only one shot in the first half, but the Knights racked up 11 after the intermission to finish with a 12-10 edge over NKU. The Norse had a 6-5 advantage on frame.

Bellarmine will play at 7 p.m. (ET) Sept. 2 at Louisville.

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