Cleveland, Ohio – The Cleveland State University men's soccer team got off to a slow start Saturday evening and paid the price as the Vikings suffered their first Horizon League loss of the season, 2-1 to Valparaiso, at a cool and breezy Krenzler Field.
Freshman Lawrence Karpeh tied for the team lead by scoring his third goal of the year while junior Jake Lagania notched his team-leading third assist of the season.
Valparaiso got off to a quick start, as it took four shots and five corner kicks in the first 23 minutes of the game.
The Crusaders used that quick start to take the lead in the 23rd minute on a play that began when CSU lost the ball in its defensive third. The Crusaders then dribbled the ball to the touch line and sent a cross across the face of goal. After an unfortunate deflection off a Viking defender, Jacob Pesek had a time on the ball from 11 yards out and drilled it off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal.
The Crusaders would take their lead into halftime, as the Vikings were unable to generate much offensively in the first frame.
Valparaiso scored what proved to be the game winner in the 55th minute. The Crusaders played a ball over the top of the defense from their own half of the field that Matthew Gweh was able to get on the end of. He blasted a high shot from the edge of the 18-yard box that sailed into the netting.
It didn't take long for CSU to respond this time. After senior Sergio Manesio won the ball with a nice tackle, the Vikings possessed it for over a half minute with more than half the team touching the ball. The ball eventually worked around to Lagania, who took a couple of touches and blasted from near the top of the 18-yard box. His strike nailed the left post, but Karpeh alertly followed the shot and was there to head the ball home just inches off the goal line.
The Vikings seemed energized from the goal and began putting the Crusaders under more and more pressure.
CSU would take four corner kicks in the game's final seven minutes but was unable to tie the game. On the first of those four corners, senior James Milli headed a ball in the box that appeared to be handled by a Crusader, but no foul was called.
Lagania's assist was the 11th of his career, the most among active Vikings. Senior Aleksandar Drobac made three saves in the setback.
For the first time since the opening week of the month, the Vikings will have one full week before their next match as they will resume action Saturday, Oct. 1, when they host Green Bay.
