Oct. 15, 2004
Contact: David Barry
Mentor - David Stewart scored eight minutes into the second half, and Amir Kettani posted seven saves to lift the Cleveland State men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over visiting Buffalo at Lost Nation Sports Park in Mentor. A strong defensive effort and some quality goalkeeping late in the second half by Kettani preserved the win for the Vikings (5-6-2).
"We are pleased with the win," coach Pete Curtis commented after the match. "Stewart played very well today, and, with his work ethic and determination, he deserved a goal. And anytime you win and do not concede a goal you've got to be happy."
The Cleveland State goal started with a headball flicked on by David Prentice, who sent the ball in the air towards the box off a free kick. After the goalie dove for the ball, it came loose about 12 yards away. Stewart was running hard through the play and found the ball at his feet, finishing with a left-footed shot that found the upper right corner of the net. It was Stewart's first goal of the season.
"I have been a little frustrated this year because I've had plenty of opportunities," Stewart remarked after the match. "But it felt good to produce one for all of my teammates today. It's nice to get back on the winning track, and we are in good spirits heading into a big match on Sunday."
Kettani posted his second shutout of the season, stopping seven shots in the match. He made a couple of saves in the latter part of the second half that thwarted good chances Buffalo had created, helping to keep the shutout in tact for the Vikings.
"Amir came up with some big saves for us today," Curtis noted. "He again proved today what a quality keeper he can be."
Cleveland State came out in the match in a 3-2-4-1 formation, electing to play Spencer Lappin as the lone targetman up front. The alignment allowed for the two roaming defensive midfielders, Mark Zambra and Cormac Finn, to disrupt much of Buffalo's possession in the central part of the field.
"Both Marc and Cormac were outstanding today," Curtis said. "They each did an excellent job disrupting the offensive flow of our opponent, and found themselves breaking up a number of plays. I also though Seth Matisak did well today. When he came in he added a lot to our offense - he was aggressive, he took people on, and with a little more composure he could have scored one."
The Vikings were outshot, 16-11, but held the corner kick advantage, 4-1. Cleveland State will go for its first conference win on Sunday, Oct. 17th by hosting Loyola at 12:00 at Mentor High School. The Ramblers (1-10-1, 0-3) are also looking for their first conference win.
"We must remember what we've learned in our previous losses in conference matches," Curtis noted. "We were not able to play our tempo. If we are able to play at our tempo, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to get a result on Sunday. They will be trying to play their best soccer of the season, and we must ensure we're ready. We need to play with higher quality and at a higher level."
