CHARLESTON, S.C. - Northern Kentucky scored the lone goal of the contest in the first minute of the second half as Charleston Southern fell to the visiting Norse on Sunday afternoon at the CSU Soccer Field, 1-0.

The Buccaneers and the Norse played throughout steady rainfall on the field and the conditions aided the defensive efforts on both sides as the teams battled through a scoreless first half. A perfect shot by NKU's Katelyn Newton proved to be the difference in the 46th minute and the Bucs were unable to answer in falling for the first time in the 2015 season.

"We knew that Northern Kentucky was going to be a really tough opponent," said CSU head coach Eric Terrill. "For our team, we focus on taking one step at a time. I thought we took a really huge step forward today and we played a really good game. We held possession much better than we have been and I can't really say anything negative about the way we played."

CSU drops to 1-1-1 on the season with the loss, while Northern Kentucky improves to 4-0 on the year.

Freshman Alyssa Dellacqua made her collegiate debut inside the net for the Bucs in the game, facing 21 shots from the Norse while making eight saves. The Toms River, N.J. native kept CSU in the contest throughout the contest, facing 13 shots and making six saves in the second half.

"I can't say enough about how great the goalkeeping has been," Terrill said. "Alyssa, Jazmin (Gonzalez), and Liz Amanda (Brown) have all done really well. It is a rarity to have three keepers who can come in and make an impact for you. They make it tough on us. They are all three really competitive and talented kids."

Brooke Schocker took the win for Northern Kentucky in stopping all four CSU shots on goal. She also made a late diving stop toward the end of the contest to secure NKU's third consecutive shutout.

Northern Kentucky held possession throughout a majority of the first half, holding the 8-3 advantage in shots, including a two minute sequence in which the Norse had three straight corner kicks from 19:53-21:32. However, the CSU defense led by Dellacqua stayed strong as the teams headed into the break tied 0-0.

NKU took advantage of a failed clear opportunity early in the second half as Jessica Frey found Newton at the top of the box at the 45:50 mark. Newton's shot went into the upper right corner of the net to put the Norse in the lead.

The Bucs battled back late in the second half as Kelly Hinkle launched a shot from 25 yards out in the 81st minute that deflected off of Schocker and went in the direction of the net, but the NKU keeper recovered and was able to secure the ball before it went over the line to keep the Bucs off the board.

Anna Sells' shot a minute later was deflected away, while Emilie Gilbert's header in the 84th minute went high as the Bucs continued to press their chances late. However, NKU was able to successfully hold the ball in the corner over the final two minutes in closing out the win.

Hinkle had another standout game for the CSU offense in the contest as the sophomore midfielder led the Bucs with four shots, three on goal in the loss.

CSU is back in action on Friday night as the Buccaneers travel to Jacksonville, Fla. and Southern Oak Stadium to take the Jacksonville Dolphins. Kickoff between the Bucs and the Dolphins is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live via ESPN3.