NKU's Frey, YSU's Montgomery Earn Weekly Soccer Honors

INDIANAPOLIS – Northern Kentucky sophomore forward Jessica Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) has been named the Horizon League Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, while Youngstown State junior goalkeeper Katie Montgomery (Mariposa, Calif./Mariposa County) has been named the League Defensive Player of the Week, for the week of Aug. 17-23.

Northern Kentucky (2-0) opened the regular season with a 3-1 win against IPFW before steamrolling Eastern Illinois, 6-0, on Sunday. With a pair of 1-0 victories at VMI and Longwood, Youngstown State opened the season 2-0 for the first time since 2012.

Frey, a pre-nursing major with a 3.968 grade-point average, led a Norse attack that matched the program record for goals in a game on Sunday, as she netted the eventual game-winner in the 13th minute of the rout. NKU's 19 shots on goal were good for a new Division I benchmark.

In NKU’s season-opening match, Frey scored a brace to lead the Norse. In the third minute, Frey fired a shot past IPFW's Kiley Dunning into the far left corner of the net. NKU expanded its lead in the second half with a pair of one-touch goals, the first coming in the 48th minute when Frey and Macy Hamblin and paired up again. Frey took a cross from Hamblin in front of the net and headed the ball in for a 2-0 edge.

On the week, Frey notched 10 shots, five of which were on goal.

A political science major with a 3.62 GPA, Montgomery entered the Youngstown State record book over the weekend, becoming the first goalkeeper in program history to tally back-to-back shutouts to start a season.

Working with a stingy back line, Montgomery turned away the only shot she faced in 180 minutes, coming in the Penguins’ victory at Longwood.
Youngstown State will head to West Point on Friday, Aug. 28, for a 7 p.m. ET match at Army before returning for its home opener on Sunday, Aug. 30, meeting St. Mary’s at 1 p.m. ET.

Northern Kentucky will head south over the weekend, taking on The Citadel on Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Norse will close the weekend at Charleston Southern on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.