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Streaking Vikings Host IPFW & Valparaiso

Streaking Vikings Host IPFW & Valparaiso
Posted: Oct 06, 2008

Oct. 6, 2008

Contact: Brian McCann

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Match 12
IPFW (2-7-1) at Cleveland State (3-6-2)
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,500), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: IPFW leads, 4-1-1
Last Meeting: CSU 2, @IPFW 2 (2ot) (10/111/06)

Match 13
Valparaiso (4-6-2, 0-3-1) at Cleveland State (3-6-2, 2-2)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,500), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: CSU leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: @Valpo 1, CSU 0 (11/2/07)

SETTING THE SCENE: After winning a pair of matches in overtime last week, the Vikings will remain at home this week for two more contests. CSU opens the week on Wednesday, Oct. 8 with a 7:00 p.m. non-conference contest against IPFW. The Vikings then close the week with a rare Saturday match, hosting Valparaiso at 7:00 p.m. Both matches will be played at Krenzler Field.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played at home for only the second and third times this season, winning both matches in overtime. Here are recaps of those contests:

Match 10: CSU 2, Green Bay 1 (2ot) (Oct. 3, Krenzler Field)
Stephen Byer scored with just 5:11 left in the second overtime as the Vikings claimed a 2-1 win over visiting Green Bay. Mitch Boyer gave CSU a 1-0 lead when he converted a penalty kick in the 19th minute but Green Bay forced OT with a goal in the 81st-minute. Nick Harpel made nine saves for CSU.

Match 11: CSU 2, Milwaukee 1 (ot) (Oct. 3, Krenzler Field)
Slavisa Ubiparipovic scored off a direct kick from 20 yards out just 4:29 into overtime as CSU ended a 19-match losing streak to Milwaukee, 2-1. CSU trailed 1-0 at the intermission but evened the match in the 80th minute on a penalty kick by Mitch Boyer, his fourth goal of the season. Nick Harpel made three svaes in goal for CSU.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Third-year head coach Ali Kazemaini has a young, talented roster with nine starters returning from last season's 3-12-3 team. With eight freshmen and three transfers added to the mix, Kazemaini has the depth at every position to improve upon last season. Junior defender Mitch Boyer returns to lead the backline after earning second team All-Horizon League honors for leading the team in assists (4) and points (6). He is joined in the back by junior Josh Williams, who will transition from forward, as well as freshman Justin Mancine and junior Eric Tattersall. Sophomore Nick Harpel is back as the starting goalkeeper. He ranked fourth in the league in save percentage (.767) and fifth in saves (69), while recording four shutouts. The midfield is extremely deep and Kazemaini can call on any number of players, led by Anthony Rucci, the lone senior on the roster. The key will be up front where the Vikings will need to improve upon their 12 goals scored last season. Junior Slavisa Ubiparipovic, a Xavier transfer, was brought in to supply the offensive attack up front. Freshman Alfred Majer and junior Jeff Baker will also see action as forwards.

THE HEAD COACH: Former Viking All-American Ali Kazemaini is in his third season as the head coach at Cleveland State. He was hired in December of 2005 and immediately charged with returning the program to prominence. In his three years at the helm, Kazemaini claims a 12-28-7 mark, as his Vikings were the most improved team in Division I in 2006. Kazemaini boasts a career record of 188-104-19 as a head coach, which includes a 14-year stint as the head coach at John Carroll. He is a three-time OAC Coach of the Year and two-time region coach of the year, leading JCU to seven conference championships and four tournament titles. OVERTIME: With back-to-back overtime wins over Green Bay and Milwaukee last week, the Vikings have improved to 2-2-1 in matches that needed extra time to decide this year.

SNAPPING A LOSING STREAK: The overtime win over Milwaukee on Sunday snapped a 19-match losing streak by CSU against the Panthers that dated back to the 1993 season. CSU, which last defeated Milwaukee during the 1989 season, went 12-4-2 in the first 18 contests against UWM before the streak started.

BOY OH BOYER: Junior Mitch Boyer, who led the team in scoring with six points last year, took over the team scoring lead over the weekend when he scored goals on penalty kicks against both Green Bay and Milwaukee. Boyer has four goals this year, three of which have come on penalty kicks. He scored in the 19th minute vs. Green Bay to give CSU a 1-0 lead and came back on Sunday to force overtime with his goal with 10:27 left in the match.

BOYER MAKES THEM, HARPEL STOPS THEM: Not only did Mitch Boyer improve to three-for-three on penalty kicks this season, but at the other end of the field, sophomore goalkeeper Nick Harpel stopped his second penalty kick in four attempts this season. Harpel made a diving save to his right on an attempt by Tosaint Ricketts just before halftime of the Green Bay match to perserve a 1-0 CSU lead. Harpel also stopped a penalty kick in the 2-1 double overtime loss at Akron on Sept. 21.

HARPEL PROVES DIFFICULT TO BEAT: One of the primary reasons why the Vikings have been in just about every match this year has been the play of goalkeeper Nick Harpel. The only goalie on the roster this year, Harpel has made 59 saves in the 11 matches to date, ranking second in the Horizon League with 5.57 saves per match. He made nine saves and stopped his second penalty kick of the year in the win over Green Bay and came back to make three saves in the win over Milwaukee. His save total this year has allowed the sophomore to pass the 100 save mark for his career. He starts the week with 125 career stops, including 66 as a freshman.

FRIDAY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS: Friday night has proven to be a pretty good night for the Vikings to play this year as CSU is 2-1-2 in matches played that day. That is quite an improvement from the 0-6-2 record on Friday's in 2007. The women's soccer team has been successful on Friday's as well, going 3-2 including consecutive wins over Robert Morris, Ohio and IPFW.

FOR STARTERS: Through 11 matches this season, only three players have started every contest for the Vikings with 21 different players earning at least one start. The starters in every match include defender Mitch Boyer, midfielder John Wargo and goalkeeper Nick Harpel.

NEXT UP: The Vikings head back out onto the road for matches at Detroit on Oct. 17 and at Ohio State on Oct. 22.