LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's soccer team will host a pair of nonconference games this week, as the Knights will welcome Northern Kentucky to Owsley B. Frazier Stadium at 7 p.m. (ET) Thursday before squaring off with Indiana at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Bellarmine first-year head coach Steve Bornhoffer was previously an assistant coach at Northern Kentucky for 14 seasons, helping guide the Norse to the 2016 Horizon League Tournament title, the 2020 regular-season championship and nine Horizon League Tournament appearances in 10 seasons.

After one season at NKU, Bornhoffer helped the program traverse the school's reclassification to Division I from D2 and the move to the ASUN Conference from the Great Lakes Valley Conference. That's the exact same path Bellarmine took in its ascension to the NCAA's highest level in 2020. The Norse spent three years in the ASUN before a switch to the Horizon League.

ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Northern Kentucky (2-0-1) has continued its winning ways and is unbeaten over its first three games, following a 1-1 draw at Mercyhurst with 4-0 and 6-0 home wins over the ASUN's Austin Peay and Mount St. Joseph, respectively. Forward Megan Molner has already notched four goals, finding the net in each match including a brace against Austin Peay. Defender and 2024 first-team Horizon All-League recipient Lilly Yordy has piled up five assists, with three helpers coming against Mount St. Joseph. NKU was both the regular season and Horizon League Tournament runner-up in 2024, finishing the season 12-7-1 overall and 8-1-1 in league play. The Norse secured a 1-0 home win over Bellarmine last season.

ABOUT INDIANA
Indiana opened the season with a 6-0 home victory over Youngstown State before a 1-0 win over Ball State on its own turf. The Hoosiers will hit the road to face No. 23 Saint Louis on Thursday night. Forward Kennedy Neighbors, forward Aleyna Quinn and defender Haden Vlcek were named among the 2025 Big Ten Players to Watch. Quinn is among three Hoosiers with two goals apiece. IU finished last season 6-9-2, including a 5-0-1 start to the year. Five of the team's setbacks consisted of 1-0 losses.

KNIGHTS NOTES:
• Bellarmine is 2-0 to start the Bornhoffer era. After opening the season with a 2-0 home win over Miami (OH), the Knights defeated D3 Asbury 11-0 on the road. BU's 11 goals and eight assists both tied program records while the team's 30 points and 53 shots both set new program records.
• 10 Knights scored against Asbury, with several players recording their first collegiate goal, including redshirt junior midfielder Dakota Bramer, sophomore midfielder Brynn Severance, freshman forward Katie Paulakonis (two goals), redshirt junior forward/defender Sophie Roebel and sophomore midfielder/forward Sydney Elbert.
• Redshirt senior defender Sidney Rigsby and senior forward Lucy von Stefenelli, the duo who accounted for the goals against Miami, also located the net against Asbury, as did sophomore midfielder Campbell Tippey and sophomore forward McKenzie Carle.
• Recording their respective first collegiate points via assists against Asbury were junior forward Aly Gorman, redshirt sophomore defender Cameron Dye, freshman forward Makenzie Simpson and freshman midfielder Hope Broadwell.
• Redshirt junior Shelby Smith and redshirt sophomore Morgan Rose combined for the shutout against Asbury. It was Bellarmine's second straight clean sheet — redshirt freshman Anna Jenkins was named ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 18 after her eight-save shutout against Miami that included a stop of a penalty kick.

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