Oct. 2, 2007
Contact: Brian McCann
Match 10
UIC (4-2-2, 0-0) at Cleveland State (3-5-1, 0-0)
Date: Friday, October 5, 2007
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: CSU Leads, 17-12-1
Last Meeting: @UIC 2, CSU 0 (10/8/06)
Match 11
Loyola (4-3-2, 0-0-1) at Cleveland State
Date: Sunday, October 7, 2007
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Loyola Leads, 8-5
Last Meeting: @Loyola 3, CSU 1 (10/28/06)
SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State (3-5-1) returns home for only the third and fourth time this season when the Vikings open Horizon League play with a pair of contests at Krenzler Field. CSU begins the week by hosting Horizon League preseason favorite UIC on Friday, Oct. 5 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The Vikings then close the week by hosting Loyola on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 1:00 p.m.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played their seventh road match of the season last week. Here is a synopsis of that contest:
Match 9: CSU 1, Canisius 0 (Sept. 30, Buffalo, N.Y.)
George Kephart's first goal of the season came with less than 13 minutes remaining off a pass from Mitch Boyer as the Vikings snapped a four-match losing streak. Freshman Nick Harpel did not have to make a save in recording his third shutout of the season.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings are bolstered by the return of nine starters and 14 lettermen off last year's squad that posted the nation's largest improvement in wins from one year to the next. Add to the mix 10 first year players and CSU easily has its deepest lineup in at least the last decade. The offense has struggled to find the net through the first half of the season, scoring just six times with no player having more than one marker. The midfield is currently made up of sophomores Josh Williams and Anthony Baraldi and junior Anthony Rucci. The defense was much improved in 2006, holding opponents to 31 goals in 18 matches (down from 65 in 2005). The improvement has continued this year as sophomores Mike Barton and Mitch Boyer, senior Tom Sadd and freshman Audric Kilroy have anchored the unit. Freshman Nick Harpel (3-2-1, 1.11 gaa, 33 saves) appears to have won the goalkeeper honors after shutting out Niagara (2-0), Western Michigan (1-0) and Canisius (1-0) this year though sophomore Dan Duric (0-3, 2.50 gaa, 6 saves) has started three matches in goal.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Although the Vikings have combined for just 20 points this season, eight different players have recorded a point. Mitch Boyer leads the team with four points, all coming on assists, while Marco DiFranco and Josh Williams have a goal and an assist each for three points. George Kephart, Bryan Henson, Roshard Gilbert, Steve Trapp and Anthony Rucci have each scored one goal for two points.
BOYER'S A PASSING FANCY: After being held scoreless in 18 matches during his freshman season, Mitch Boyer has developed into one of the teams top playmakers this season, leading the team and ranking third in the Horizon League with four assists.
GIVE NICK A SHUTOUT: With shutouts this season against Niagara (2-0), Western Michigan (1-0) and Canisius (1-0), freshman goalkeeper Nick Harpel has recorded the most shutouts since Andy Carl posted five shutouts during the 1996 campaign.
. . . AND HARPEL RANKS AMONG THE HL'S BEST: Freshman Nick Harpel begins the week ranking third in the Horizon League in goals against average (1.11), permitting just eight goals in the seven matches that he has played in. He also ranks second in save percentage (.805), tied for third in shutouts (3) and fifth in saves (33).
. . . THE LAST ONE WAS TOO EASY: The shutout win over Canisius on Sunday came in a match in which the Golden Griffins took 12 shots, none of which were on goal, leaving Nick Harpel without a save. Harpel's first two shutouts were the exact opposite as he made eight stops vs. Western Michigan and six against Niagara.
A LOCAL FLAVOR: Two years ago, the soccer roster consisted of seven players who lived outside of the United States and only five who hailed from the greater Cleveland area. It hasn't taken long for Ali Kazemaini to change that as the only members of the 2007 Vikings to live outside of the U.S. are seniors Tom Sadd (Christchurch, New Zealand) and Roshard Gilbert (Scarborough, Ont.) and 22 of the 26 players are from Ohio (including 11 from the greater Cleveland area).
NEXT UP: The Vikings head to the state of Wisconsin for a pair of Horizon League contests, playing at Green Bay on Friday, Oct. 12 and at Milwaukee on Sunday, Oct. 14.
