Aug. 29, 2012
MATCH #2
Cleveland St. (1-0-0) at Oakland (1-0-0)
Friday, August 31, 2012
5:30 p.m.
Rochester, MI
MATCH #3
Cleveland St. (1-0-0) at Michigan (0-1-0)
Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012
Ann Arbor, MI
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ON TO WEEK TWO
Cleveland State continues the 2012 regular season when the Vikings head to the state of Michigan for the U of M/Oakland tournament. The Vikings (1-0-0) will be playing their second and third consecutive road games of five in total to start out the season. CSU is coming off a season in which it had a solid 9-9-1 record, including a second place Horizon League fiinish and 5-2-1 league record. The Vikings return 17 players from last year's squad and 11 players who started 10 or more games. Head coach Ali Kazemaini will look to blend those returners with seven players who are new to the CSU squad.
REVIEWING THE LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings opened up the regular season with a 2-0 road win over Robert Morris University last Friday afternoon.
Game #1: CSU 2, Robert Morris 0 (Aug.24)
The Vikings got off to a strong start on the young season this past weekend, taking down Robert Morris on the road 2-0 Friday afternoon. Freshman Cristian Arboleda wasted no time in getting the team on the board as he scored his first career goal to give CSU a 1-0 lead in just the 11th minute of action off a pass from junior defender Zach Ellis-Hayden. CSU used a pressuring offense and defense to help hold that lead all game long. With the Vikings defense locking down, sophomore Mike Derezic put the game out of reach in the 73rd minute scoring from 20 yards out to give CSU a 2-0 lead and win.
VIKINGS PICKED SECOND IN HORIZON LEAGUE POLL
Cleveland State has been picked to finish second in the 2012 Horizon League Preseason Poll that was released last week. Wright State, the only team picked ahead of CSU, finishing with 40 points and two first place votes. CSU followed with 39 points and two first place votes, Valparaiso and UIC also received first place votes as Valparaiso had 38 points (3 first place votes), and UIC had 29 points (1 first place vote). Those teams were followed by Loyola (29 points), Green Bay (24), Milwaukee (18), and Detroit (7).
OFFENSE FILLED WITH FAMILIAR NAMES
Last season seven players scored goals for the Vikings, and each of those seven players is back in uniform for CSU again in 2012. Those seven players are Aaron Adkins (9 goals), Admir Suljevic (7), Jordan Hart (5), Zach Ellis-Hayden (1), Cazz Warren (1), Aslinn Rodas (1), and Mike Derezic (1).
OFFENSE SHINES IN PRESEASON
Last season CSU went 0-1-1 in the preseason, scoring only one goal in total. The 2012 preseason was quite a different story, with the Vikings scoring 12 goals in two preseason games, going 2-0-0. The offense had six different players score goals in the preseason, led by Cazz Warren (4 goals), Cristian Arboleda (2), Aaron Atkins (2), Admir Suljevic (2), Zach Ellis-Hayden (1) and Jacob Naumann (1).
DEFENSE SHUTTING OPPONENTS DOWN
While the offense has been strong with 14 goals in three games (2 of those games preseason), the defense has been just as effective. Led by a verteran group, CSU has yet to allow a goal in those three games.
ROAD TRIP
The Vikings' first five games of the regular season will be on the road, including attending two seperate tournaments. Following the win at Robert Morris last Friday, and the U of M/Oakland Tournament this weekend, the team will continue for two more road games as they head to Providence, R.I. for the Brown Tournament where they will take on Siena and Brown.
SECOND PLACE FINISH
CSU finished in a tie for second place with Wright State in the Horizon League last season with a 5-2-1 league record. The 2011 season marked the third time in the last four years that the Vikings notched at least five conference wins. That four year stretch (2008-11) followed a 2007 season when the team went winless in conference play.
STUVER STANDING TALL IN GOAL
Senior goalie Brad Stuver will be back in goal for his fourth straight year starting for the Vikings. Stuver is a two time all-league honoree (1st team in 2010, 2nd team in 2011), and former goalie of the year award winner. Heading into the season he was sixth all-time in CSU history with 11 shutouts and seventh all-time in saves with 211 for his career.
BRINGING THE GROUP BACK TOGETHER
The Cleveland State Vikings will be bringing back a strong group of returners from last year's 9-9-1 season. On the roster 17 players in total are returning from last season, with 11 of those players having started 10 or more games in 2011.
STRONG NEWCOMERS MIXING IN
CSU will not only be bringing back 17 players from last season, they will be working in seven players on the 2012 squad who are members of the CSU roster for the first time. Two of those players (Victor Zamora and Cristian Arboleda) started and saw their first game action for CSU against Robert Morris. Danilo Radjen also saw his first action in a CSU uniform against Robert Morris.
UP NEXT
The Vikings are back in action two times during the first weekend in September as they head to Providence, R.I. for the Brown Tournament. CSU will be taking on Brown Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and then take on Siena Sunday at noon.
