Game 17
Teams: Cleveland State (9-7) vs. Utah (10-4)
Date/Time: Friday, May 3 | 1:00 PM
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo. | Falcoln Stadium
Follow: Video | Stats
The Game
The fifth-seeded Cleveland State Vikings face the top-seeded Utah Utes in the ASUN Semifinals tomorrow at 1 p.m. The other semifinal matchup will feature Air Force against Jacksonville at 4 p.m.
ASUN Tournament Information
The entire 2024 ASUN tournament will be held at Air Force from April 30 through May 5, with first-round games on Tuesday, semifinals on Friday, and the championship game on Sunday.
Last Game Out
Cleveland State, appearing in its first-ever postseason game, defeated Bellarmine 15-12 in the ASUN First Round game on Tuesday. With their ninth victory, the Green and White set a program record for wins in a single season.
Wyatt Robertson had a career day as the freshman finished with eight points on five goals and three assists. The eight points tied a single-game record, while the five tallies tied for the third most in a contest. Robbie Brazanskas scooped up a game-best six ground balls and Karson Burkey had a game-high two caused turnovers. Robbie Stewart led the way in the faceoff circle with seven wins. Connor Kernan earned the win in goal after making 12 saves.
About Utah
Utah enters as the top overall seed and has won a share of the ASUN regular season title in each of its three seasons in the conference. Utah leads the ASUN in caused turnovers per game (9.79) and scoring offense (14.86), also ranking second in assists (8.71) and points per game (23.57).
Ryan Stines was named the ASUN Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. He recorded a team-best 55 points on a team-high 40 goals and 15 assists. Jared Andreala, Joey Boylston, and Nikko DiPonio were also named First Team All-Conference, while Luca Pivetta gained a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
Series History
This will be the fifth game between these teams, with Utah holding a 4-1 advantage. This season in Cleveland, the Utes came out on top, 16-7. Kernan finished with 18 saves, one shy of his season-best and tying for the fifth most in a game. The senior also led the way with five ground balls.
ASUN Awards
Griffin Valli was named Second Team All-Conference and to the All-Freshman Team after leading the Green and White in ground balls and caused turnovers.
Wyatt Robertson was also named to the All-Freshman Team, as he led Cleveland State in scoring and was second in total points.
Andy German earned his first Coach of the Year honor after leading Cleveland State to its first-ever postseason and most wins in school history.
Amiri Austin and Alex Van Voorhis were each named to the All-Academic team.
Not Many Games in May
Cleveland State is 1-0 in games during the month of May, with the only contest coming in 2021 when the Vikings beat VMI on the road, 14-11.
Protecting the Cage
Connor Kernan has 156 career saves, with 152 of those coming this season, putting him in the fourth spot in the career and season saves categories. The senior is 24 saves shy of tying for the most in a season.
Van Voorhis Having a Season
Van Voorhis has 40 points this year, which is the third most in a single-season. He is also tied for the third-most assists in a year with 20. For his career, he has 29 assists which is the fifth most all-time.
Robertson From Range
Robertson has 28 goals on the year, the second-most in a single-season and four shy of the program mark set by Ryan Haigh in 2022. The freshman recently set the season mark for shots with 85 and has the second most shots on goal, 50.
Scooping-Up the Ball
Evan Moskwa has 167 career ground balls, placing him second in the career rankings. The senior is 98 ground balls shy of the top spot, which is held by Danny Tesler (2017-20).
The Faceoff Crew
Cleveland State's faceoff crew of Evan Moskwa, Charlie Williams, and Robbie Stewart hold the second through fourth spots in the all-time record book. Moskwa (311), Williams (169), and Stewart (112) are chasing Danny Tesler's mark of 478.
Held Heading Up the Career Records
Held has the third most goals in a career with 52 and is five back of the second spot which is held by Tristan Hanna. Held is second in man-up goals with 12 and fourth in hat-tricks with five.
Captains of the Team
The Vikings named Amiri Austin, Karson Burkey, Grayson Dague, Lane Miller, Reggie Regala, and Charlie Williams as captains for the upcoming 2024 season.
NEC in 2025
This will be the final season in the ASUN for Cleveland State before moving over to the NEC for the 2025 season. The Vikings will be one of five affiliated members of the seven-team NEC lacrosse conference, as the Green and White will be joined by fellow Horizon League members Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris. VMI and Mercyhurst make up the two other affiliated members, while the other teams in the conference include core members, Le Moyne, LIU, and Wagner.
