Oct. 20, 2008

Contact: Brian McCann

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Match 15
Cleveland State (6-6-2) at No. 22 Ohio State (7-4-2)
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Jesse Owens Stadium (10,000), Columbus, Ohio
Series: OSU leads, 14-7-1
Last Meeting: OSU 1, @CSU 0 (10/10/01)

Match 16
Wright State (5-8-1, 2-1-1) at Cleveland State (6-6-2, 4-2)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (10,000), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: WSU leads, 12-9-1
Last Meeting: @WSU 2, CSU 1 (10/21/07)

SETTING THE SCENE: The Vikings will put their five-match win streak on the line this week when CSU plays a pair of contests. They open the week on Wednesday, Oct. 22 with a 7:00 p.m. match at 22nd-ranked Ohio State (7-4-2). The Vikings then return home for Senior Night against Wright State on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: For only the second time this season, the Vikings played just one match during a week. Here is a recap of that contest:

Match 14: CSU 1, Detroit 0 (Oct. 17, Detroit, Mich.)
Josh Williams scored the lone Viking goal just before halftime and Nick Harpel made three saves in goal for his fourth shutout of the year as the Vikings blanked Detroit to run their win streak to five. Kevin Malone assisted on the goal for his first career point.

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 15-28-7 mark, as his Vikings were the most improved team in Division I in 2006. Kazemaini boasts a career record of 191-104-19 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.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: After opening the season by playing nine of its first 10 matches on the road, CSU has responded well to its return to Krenzler Field, winning all four home matches over the last three weeks to start a five-match win streak that has moved them to .500 for the year and move up in the Horizon League standings. CSU has at least one more home contest left, Saturday's (Oct. 25) meeting with Wright State. CSU could also host a second round game in the upcoming Horizon League Championship on Nov. 9

. . . AND NOT SINCE 1986: With consecutive wins over Green Bay, Milwaukee, IPFW, Valparaiso and Detroit, the Vikings have won five consecutive matches for the first time since winning five straight contests in the middle of the 1986 season. Going back even farther, the last time CSU won more than five straight came in 1979 when CSU won eight in a row to start a stretch that saw the Vikings go 11-0-1 as part of a 14-3-2 season.

THE HORIZON LEAGUE RACE: With two matches remaining in the Horizon League season, the Vikings enter the week in second place with 12 points (3 points for a win, 1 for a tie). Butler (4-0-1) leads the league with 13 points with UIC (3-1-1) in third with 10 points and Loyola (3-2) in fourth with nine points. The bad news for CSU is that the Vikings have plaed six of their eight league matches with the rest of the top five teams having played only five. That means a win by any of those teams will either put them ahead or tied with CSU in the standings. On the positive side, a win over Wright State on Saturday combined with a loss by Green Bay will guarantee CSU a home game in the second round of the league tourney on Nov. 9. Wins against Wright State on Saturday and at Butler on Nov. 2 could create a scenario which would have the Vikings claim the regular season title and possibly host the league semi-finals and finals on Nov. 14 and 16.

SENIOR NIGHT: Saturday's match against Wright State will serve as the final regular season home match for Viking senior Anthony Rucci, who will be honored in a prematch ceremony. Rucci, who joined the program in 2007 after playing two seasons at Lakeland Community College, has played in 29 matches at CSU, starting 19 times.

THE ONE GOAL TURNAROUND: Heading into the season, head coach Ali Kazemaini knew that in order to improve this year, the Vikings were going to have to improve on last year's 3-6-3 record in matches decided by a goal. CSU started the year with a less than steller 0-3-2 mark in one goal games, but has picked up the pace, winning four of the five matches during the current win streak to improve to 4-3-2 in one-goal contests this year.

FOR STARTERS: Through 14 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. Freshman Alfred Majer, who has seen action in six matches, is the only player on the roster to play in more than two contests without starting at least once.

NEXT UP: The Vikings close the regular season with a 1:00 p.m match at Butler on Saturday, Nov. 2.