Two Katrina Frost goals against Northern Kentucky on Sunday afternoon led KSU’s soccer team to its 150th victory in the program’s 12-season history.
Despite saying he doesn’t pay attention to statistics like that, head coach Rob King enjoyed the occasion—even if he did have the water cooler poured on him after the Owls’ 2-0 win. King has been around for all 150 matches as the only head coach KSU soccer has ever had.
“I’m delighted with reaching that milestone, and that’s come from having a lot of really good players and good people in our program,” King said.
Reaching 150 wins punctuated a weekend that was archetypical of what a good performance for the Owls generally is. Nicole Calder headers, Jewelia Strickland assists, goals from Frost—the ingredients to a weekend of KSU victories were all present.
The Owls’ current three-game winning streak moves the team to 5-5 on the season. The 2-0 start in conference play—which began with a 2-1 triumph over Lipscomb on Friday night— matches KSU’s best since the 2010 season, assuring the Owls at least a share of first place in the conference after opening weekend.
Frost’s performance on Sunday marked the steady progress she has shown since being sidelined early in the season with nagging injuries. The redshirt junior forward played a season-high 68 minutes as a substitute and started the second half, the first time she’s been on the field at the beginning of a half this season.
“I’ve been kind of plagued with injuries at the start of the season,” Frost said. “But it’s really nice to get back out there.”
Frost came into the match in the 23rd minute and got the Owls on the scoreboard just 12 minutes later. Freshman Suzanne Arafa lofted the ball over the NKU defense and into the path of Frost, whose cool finish gave the Owls a lead they never looked close to relinquishing. She would double the score in the 68th minute when she took advantage of a defensive miscue from NKU to chip the ball over Norse goalkeeper Tanner Ruberg.
KSU dominated from the kickoff, defying the traditional slow-down that comes when playing the second match of the weekend. NKU struggled to maintain possession and were often overwhelmed by KSU in the center of midfield, with Arafa, Nicole Calder, and Hannah Churchill giving one of their most cohesive performances as a unit.
Defensively, Alma Gardarsdottir and Kelsey Barr partnered effectively and only allowed three shots, none of which troubled Olivia Sturdivant’s goal. The freshman keeper was not forced to make any saves but handled every threat confidently. The steady play centrally allowed the fullbacks, Strickland and Brittney Reed, to join in the attack and provide even more passing options.
King’s appreciation of his team’s performance is especially magnified because it means the Owls took advantage of starting conference play in the comfort of their home stadium.
“If you start off and you have a couple of home games, you need to make the most of them,” King said. “If you don’t, it becomes an uphill battle.”
With its five-match stretch of playing at home complete, KSU hits the road for the next two weekends. The Owls will go to Spartanburg, SC, on Friday for a meeting with USC Upstate before traveling to Johnson City, TN, for a Sunday afternoon match with East Tennessee State.
