Nov. 17, 2002
Tourney First: Now in its ninth season in the Horizon League, this marks the first time that Cleveland State has appeared in the tournament championship game. Prior to today, the Vikings had twice advanced to the semifinals - in 1996 and '97, losing to Butler both times (4-2 & 2-0).
David vs. Goliath: The eighth-ranked Panthers have dominated the series recently, winning 11 in a row and 14 of the last 15 meetings with the Vikings. However, prior to UW-Milwaukee's 7-0 regular season thrashing on Oct. 27, UWM's last seven victories over Cleveland State had all been by one goal - including a 3-2 win at Engelmann Field in last year's Horizon League Quarterfinals. CSU's last win in Milwaukee was a 2-1 decision in 1989.
How They Got Here: The Vikings defeated UW-Green Bay and Illinois-Chicago to advance to the title match. Hosting a conference tournament game for the first time, Cleveland State found itself trailing the Phoenix 1-0 with just over 10 minutes remaining last Saturday. However, freshman Adrian Balc converted a penalty kick at the 79:52 mark and senior Joachim Walker followed with his third game-winning goal just 18 seconds later to propel the Vikings into the semifinals against the Flames. Friday, sophomore Stephen Ademolu staked CSU to a 1-0 lead just 4:08 into the match, but UIC responded 17 seconds later and eventually took the lead in the 33rd minute. Ademolu evened the contest with a header just over six minutes into the second half - the first of four unanswered tallies for the Vikings. Senior Adam Musser (55th minute), sophomore J.R. Trandal (75th) and senior Matt Milcetich (81st) all found the back of the net put the game out of reach. Senior Joachim Walker assisted on the final three goals to tie a tournament single game record. Senior goalkeeper Josip Novkovic made four saves (three of the spectacular variety), while CSU defenders cleared three shots off the goal line to preserve the victory.
A Perfect 10: While 10 wins may not seem like a lot, it's two more victories than Cleveland State recorded the past three seasons combined. The last time a CSU team posted double-digit wins was the 1990 squad that finished 12-6-2. Only seniors Matt Milcetich, Adam Musser, Josip Novkovic and John Schaller were around in 1999 when the Vikings won just two matches. To demonstrate how dramatic the turnaround has been since Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year Pete Curtis arrived in Cleveland three years ago, sophomore Stephen Ademolu (11) and freshman Adrian Balc (9) have each scored more goals than the entire 1999 team registered (8).
Newcomers Fuel Surprise Run: Picked eighth in the preseason coaches' poll, the second-seeded Vikings pulled out a pair of overtime conference wins en route to a 5-2-0 Horizon League finish. Leading the way offensively for CSU are newcomers Stephen Ademolu (Newcomer of the Year, first team All-League) and Adrian Balc (second team All-League, All-Newcomer team). Ademolu (11G, 4A) has 27 points, while Balc (9G, 4A) has tallied 22. Ademolu is CSU's 28th first team all-league selection and the second consecutive Viking to earn Newcomer of the Year honors. In addition, senior Joachim Walker (the 2001 Newcomer of the Year) has added six goals and a team-best nine assists. Balc and Walker also rank one-two in game-winning goals with four and three, respectively.
More On Ademolu: Sophomore Stephen Ademolu has been an offensive dynamo for the Vikings this season. His 27 points and 11 goals are the most for a Cleveland State player since Paul McIlravey tallied 27 and 13 in 1996. CSU is 7-1 when he scores, losing only at Kentucky on Sept. 20. Ademolu, who also earned Peach Belt Newcomer of the Year honors last year at UNC-Pembroke, has scored six goals in the first 14 minutes of games this year while tacking on three more in the opening seven minutes of the second stanza.
A Different Kind Of Header: Last week, seniors O.C. Haugen, Matt Milcetich and Joachim Walker each earned a spot on the 11-member Verizon Academic All-District IV Team. Haugen, who carries a 3.62 in economics, has recorded three goals and six assists from his midfield spot this season. A mechanical engineering major with a 3.70 GPA, Milcetich is one of CSU's top defenders. Walker, a liberal studies major with a 3.74 GPA, has posted 21 points this season, including a team-high nine assists. The trio all appear on the national ballot that was sent out earlier this week.
No Stranger To Turn-Arounds: Third-year Viking head coach Pete Curtis brings a tradition of winning with him to Cleveland. He turned a .500 team at the University of Charleston into a national title contender, directing the Golden Eagles to a 21-2-0 mark and a berth the Division II national semifinals in 1999. Now in his 13th year overall, Curtis has a record of 112-126-11. He is just the third CSU head man to earn conference Coach of the Year honors, joining Brian Doyle (1984, '86 & '93) and Tom Turner (1988).
Sharing Time In Net: Senior Josip Novkovic and sophomore Amir Kettani have split the goaltending duties this season. Novkovic has posted a 3.06 GAA and a 7-7-0 record in 14 matches, while Kettani has recorded a 1.92 GAA and a 3-3-0 mark in 11 contests. Novkovic's shutout of UW-Green Bay on Oct. 17 was CSU's first blanking of a league opponent since the Vikings stopped Loyola 4-0 on Oct. 11, 1998.
Balc Back: Freshman Adrian Balc returns to action this afternoon after sitting out Friday's match against Illinois-Chicago due to an accumulation of eight yellow cards.
Throw-Ins: While the Vikings may never have won a conference title, they are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament - posting a 5-9 mark in nine appearances (last in 1980)...in an ironic twist, Cleveland State's last NCAA victory was a 1-0 decision at UW-Milwaukee in 1980...senior Joachim Walker's nine assists are the most by a CSU player since Nick Stavrou recorded 10 helpers in 1990...the Vikings' 42 goals this season are the most since the 1990 squad tallied 52...on the flip side, CSU has allowed more goals this year (53) than at any time during its 49-year history (the previous mark was 52 by the 1992 squad)...after going 3-8 in one-goal games last season, the Vikings are 5-2 in such contests in 2002.
