(GREEN BAY ATHLETICS) GREEN BAY – The Green Bay men’s soccer team opened Horizon League play with a 3-1 win over Northern Kentucky led by a hat trick from Noah Lechelt on Wednesday at Aldo Santaga Stadium.
The win moved Green Bay’s record to 2-4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The win over the Norse gave the Phoenix three points to start HL play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Phoenix found the net first when Rayme Nyembwe intercepted possession and found a streaking Lechelt, who rounded the keeper and calmly put the ball in the back of the net to put Green Bay ahead 1-0 in the 27th minute.
It took until after halftime for the Norse to even the score when an NKU throw-in led to three straight shots, resulting in an unassisted goal from Steven Braniste Boaghe to tie the game at 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
The game remained tied for just over two minutes, as Justin Arias forced another Northern Kentucky turnover. Arias intercepted a loose Norse pass and drove down the field before finding an open Lechelt on the far post for his second goal of the game to move the Phoenix in front to 2-1 in the 56th minute.
40 seconds after his second goal, it was a header by NKU that fell to the ground at the feet of Lechelt, and the senior from Edmonton, Canada, fired the ball into the net to complete the hat trick and deliver the dagger as the 3-1 score would hold for the rest of the game.
GAME NOTES
- Each team received six total yellow cards; NKU’s Oliver Eckhardt received a red card after a second yellow in the 79th minute
- Drew Swancutt collected four saves for the Phoenix out of six Norse shots on goal.
- Noah Lechelt is the 22nd player in Green Bay history to record a hat trick, and the first hat trick for GB since Chris Album on Sep. 1, 2023.
- Lechelt’s three goals were his first of the season.
- Green Bay and Northern Kentucky each had 6 shots on goal.
- The Phoenix outshot the Norse 16 shots to 13.
- Green Bay’s 3 goals are tied for the most the Phoenix have scored against the Norse all-time.
- GB is now 7-4-1 versus NKU all-time.
COMING UP
Green Bay will continue Horizon League play when they travel to Dayton, Ohio, to take on the Wright State Raiders on Saturday, Sep. 12 at 3 p.m.
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