Oct. 16, 2005
Contact: Brian McCann
DETROIT, Mich. -- Jim Stannard and Roshard Gilbert each scored first half goals but it was not enough as Detroit rallied to claim a 3-2 victory on Sunday at Titan Field. The loss marked the fourth time in the last six matches that CSU lost by a single goal with three of those setbacks coming against a Horizon League opponent.
"This was a gutsy performance by a group of guys who are doing everything that they can to be healthy enough just to get on the field," head coach Pete Curtis said. "We came to a very difficult place to play and came away with nothing, even though these guys definitely deserve something.
"The thing that is becoming more and more evident is that as young and inexperienced as we are, we have been close to getting something out of our last three league matches. That means that we will have every chance in the upcoming league tournament, but we have to get healthy.
The Vikings played without the services of sophomore Mark Zambra, who was knocked out of Tuesday's match against IPFW with a leg injury. Nenad Stojkovic and Cormac Finn, who were each left the IPFW contest because of injury, were able to play but were not at full strength.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute when Joe Hess took a pass from Stephen LaGore and beat Viking netminder Anthony DeMarco.
The lead was short-lived as CSU evened the match just 31 seconds later when Stannard stole a pass in the defensive zone, beat a Detroit defender and skipped a shot off the far post and into the goal at the 7:14 mark.
The Vikings took the lead in the 21st minute when Gilbert closed on a clearing pass by a Titan defender and redirected into the net for his second goal of the season.
Detroit came back to even the match at 2-2 when Alex Kawalit scored after running onto a long pass at the 28:35 mark.
The Vikings had a pair of excellent scoring opportunities in the early moments of the second half. Stannard's shot off a long cross skipped off the far post in the 21st minute and moments later, Kim Kroken's header sailed just over the crossbar.
The score would hold until the 60:00 mark when Chris Fudge's cross towards the far post was headed in by Hess for his second goal of the match.
The loss continued the unfortunate string of luck that the Vikings have had in Horizon League play this year. CSU opened league play on Sept. 29 with a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to defending league champion UW-Milwaukee. Last week, the Vikings dropped a 2-1 double overtime decisions to both UIC and against IPFW in a non-league match.
The Vikings return to Krenzler Field this week to close the regular season home slate with a pair of matches. CSU hosts Wright State on Wednesday (Oct. 19) at 7:00 p.m. and Valparaiso on Sunday (Oct. 23) at 1:00 p.m.
