June 1, 2011
Complete 2011 Men's Soccer Schedule 
Contact: Dan Carr
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A rematch with the defending national champions, one of eight matches against a team with a winning record in 2010, highlights the 2011 Cleveland State men's soccer schedule. The Vikings will play an 18-match schedule, including eight contests at Krenzler Field.
The Vikings begin the 2011 campaign facing Akron for the first time since CSU ended the Zips perfect season last year, becoming the only team to defeat the eventual NCAA national champs. The Vikings will square off with the Zips in Akron on Aug. 27.
It will be the first of a series of difficult tests, as Cleveland State will play at San Jose State on Sept. 9, at Santa Clara (10-6-5 in 2010) on Sept. 11 and at Wake Forest on Sept. 14 before playing Robert Morris (9-7-2) in the home opener on Sept. 18.
"This is probably the toughest schedule Cleveland State has had in a while," head coach Ali Kazemaini said. "In addition to the trip out west, we play a good ACC team in Wake Forest and a couple non-conference opponents that beat us last season."
CSU will attempt to avenge a pair of one-goal losses in 2010 when it hosts St. Bonaventure (10-8-1) on Sept. 21 and IUPUI (9-8-2) on Oct. 19. The Vikings will also face both participants of the 2010 Horizon League Championship title match in back-to-back contests, hosting Green Bay (13-4-2) on Oct. 22 and traveling to defending league champ Butler (16-1-3) on Oct. 26.
"Every Horizon League contest is a highlight," Kazemaini said. "Every match we scheduled this year was to prepare us for the Horizon League. Our goal remains to win a league title, and we've knocked on the door a couple times but haven't been able to win a championship. This year we have some tough tests against some good teams, and I'm excited to see our progress."
The Vikings will open Horizon League play at home against Valparaiso (9-8-2) on Sept. 24 and will end the regular season with a home date against Detroit on Nov. 4. Cleveland State has played particularly well at home over the past three seasons, owning a 19-2-3 record and outscoring opponents 42-18 since the start of the 2008 season.
Prior to the start of the 2011 campaign, Cleveland State will compete in two preseason contests, playing at St. Francis (Pa.) on Aug. 17 and hosting Cincinnati on Aug. 20.
The Vikings return nine starters, including 2010 Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year Brad Stuver, from a squad that went 9-10-1 last season, including a fourth place finish in the league standings and an appearance in the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship.
