Sept. 27, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Contact: David Barry
SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State men's soccer team will enjoy some much-needed time off after playing four matches in its last eight days. They will take on a Niagara team on Wednesday, Sept. 29th at Mentor High School. Niagara is 2-6, but has won its last two matches. Their latest win came as a 2-0 decision against Oneonta State on Saturday. The Vikings will then travel to Wright State on Sunday, Oct. 3rd for a 2:00 match in the second conference game of the season. Wright State is 3-3 after defeating DePaul, 2-1, in its most recent match.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK:
Match 5: IPFW 2, CSU 1 (OT) (Sept. 21 at IPFW) Cleveland State dropped its second straight match, a 2-1 loss on the road. After a sluggish first half that saw IPFW take an early lead, the Vikings came back to dominate the play in the second half. Seth Matisak scored in the 76th minute off an assist from Cameron Husty. Matisak had a chance to win the game in regulation off a nice backheel from Julien Meunier, but the shot went wide and the game went to overtime. IPFW scored just over two minutes into the sudden-victory period to claim the win.
Match 6: CSU 2, Xavier 1 (Sept. 24th at Lost Nation in Mentor) The Vikings got back in the win column with a 2-1 defeat of Xavier at Lost Nation Sports Park. CSU struck first when Seth Matisak finished a rebound from a shot of Spencer Lappin, who ripped the shot from the right side inside the box. Lappin provided what was thought to be insurance at the time, a second-half goal that found the side netting to give CSU a 2-0 lead. Xavier scored in the 86th minute, but Cleveland State's defense held strong to preserve the win.
Match 7: CSU 1, Illinois-Chicago 1 (Sept. 26 at UIC) Despite being outshot 34-13, Cleveland State tied in its first conference match of the 2004 season. Amir Kettani was outstanding in the net for the Vikings, recording 13 saves. His communication combined with a solid effort from the Viking defense helped CSU to the draw. David Prentice scored the Vikings' lone goal off a free kick from Andreas Roaldset.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State will attempt to recover from a stretch that saw the team play four matches over eight days, and will seize the opportunity to be at home on Wednesday. The Vikings' home field will not be consistent this season, as CSU played its first home match against Duquesne at Mentor High School, and played Xavier on Friday at Lost Nation Sports Park in Mentor. Despite playing in two different facilities, the Vikings are 2-0 at home. Cleveland State has struggled recently in finishing opportunities, but it may be easier to reflect positively on how capable this club has been to create those scoring chances. "I am excited about the number of opportunities we are creating," coach Pete Curtis said after the Xavier match. "But I'm somewhat disappointed in the number we are converting. But these next couple days will give us some time to recuperate, and recharge. It will give us a chance to get ready for Niagara on Wednesday."
LAPPIN THE COMPETITION: Spencer Lappin continues to impress with his goal-scoring abilities. The Pepper Pike native tallied the lone goal in the season-opening loss to Lousiville, then proceeded to score all four goals for the Vikings two weeks ago. After scoring the game-winner against Xavier on Friday, he now has 13 goals in his three-year career at CSU. His five goals entering last week ranked him 8th in NCAA Division 1, and his 0.86 goals a game average ranks him second in the league. Lappin also ranks 2nd in the league in points per game at 1.86.
MATISAK REJOICES: Forward Seth Matisak tallied two goals last week, the first coming in the 2-1 loss at IPFW on Tuesday. The other found the net in Friday's match against Xavier. Matsiak, who scored 60 goals during his career at Berea High School, has been paired with Spencer Lappin up front to create a formidable attack for the Vikings.
MIRROR MIRROR IN THE GOAL: Amir Kettani ranks second in the league with an average of 6.67 saves per game. The senior goalkeeper proceeded to stop 13 shots against UIC Sunday, and had a tremendous game. "Amir was outstanding on Sunday," coach Curtis said. "In everything he did, he was the epitamy of a division one goalkeeper. He was quick off his line, handled the ball impeccably, and provided great communication with the defense."
EXTREME MAKEOVER: Twelve newcomers have joined the squad this year, after just seven players remained from the side that went 6-13-1 in 2003. Newcomer Seth Matisak recorded two goals last week, while freshman keeper Chris Black got the starting nod against Xavier. Andreas Roaldset also recorded a fine week with an assist against Illinois-Chicago and some strong play in the midfield. Sinisa Kovanovic made his CSU debut in the final minutes against Xavier.
ONE TOUCHES: Six of Cleveland State's seven matches have been decided by one goal or less...the Vikings were 5-8 in one-goal matches last season...Alex Vickers started for Tom Sadd Sunday and coach Curtis was very pleased with his play...Seth Matisak sat out the second half of Friday's match against Xavier, but returned to action on Sunday.
