CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State men's soccer team won its first round Horizon League match on Monday night, 1-0 in double OT over Detroit.
The win sends the Vikings to the Horizon League semifinals where they will play Oakland in a rematch of last year's semifinal game that saw CSU fall 2-1.
CSU improves to 9-7-2 on the year while Detroit falls to 7-5-8. The Vikings have now shutout six of their last seven opponents and won six of their last eight overall.
In a physical first half, neither team was able to gain momentum as both exchanged fouls. Kareem Banton and Hesham Hammouda were both subbed out for injury early and Banton was unable to come back into the game.
The Vikings did find chances in the first half, as did the Titans. CSU's Sergio Manesio, the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, had three separate free-kick opportunities that sailed just high of the goal.
At the break, CSU led shots 7-4 and shots on goal 2-1 in a scoreless 45 minute half.
In the second half, the Vikings continued to press forward. Gianluca DiFranco had two shots on goal while Victor Zamora and Manesio added one apiece.
In an overtime that featured one team with eight ties on the season, one away from the NCAA record, and another that had shutout its last three opponents, a penalty shootout seemed inevitable.
The Vikings said otherwise.
In the first overtime, the Titans gained the advantage. With three shots in a short period of time, the CSU defense was on its heels but did not allow the winner.
In the second overtime, there was one shot total. The only shot needed. After Jake Lagania broke loose down the right side, he dribbled through two defenders and found Hammouda just inside the right side of the box. Hammouda, battling a shoulder injury, sliced the game-winning goal to the left side of the net, beating Detroit goalkeeper Nathan Steinwascher at the 105:18 mark.
The Cleveland State defense again earned a hard-fought shutout led by the reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week, goalkeeper Aleksandar Drobac. Like deja vu of the last several games, Manesio, Mustafa Raychouni and James Milli were stout defensively. Kevin Blackwood stepped in for the injured Banton and filled in fine for the missing piece.
Drobac improved to 7-3-2 in goal.
The Vikings will play at UIC in the Horizon League semifinals this Thursday (Nov. 12) against No. 2 Oakland at 5:30 p.m. EST.
