Sept. 27, 2000
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State men's soccer team (3-4-1, 1-0-0 MCC) opened the MCC season in impressive fashion, defeating Detroit (2-5-0, 0-1-0 MCC), 7-3, tonight at Krenzler Field. The Vikings' seven goals matched the field record set in 1985 and equaled in 1992. Freshman midfielder Issam Zejly (Abdijan, Ivory Coast/College International Jean Mermoz) recorded the first hat trick at Krenzler Field since the 1996 campaign to lead the offensive outburst. CSU scored just eight goals in all of 1999.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead in just the fourth minute, as Josh Back hammered home a long throw-in from Jason Alexander. However, CSU responded on a pair of goals just three minutes apart from Zejly to take a one-goal lead in the 10th minute. The tallies were Zejly's first and second of the year.
The Titans knotted the contest at 2-2 in the 28th minute when Marcel Flemming tucked away another long throw from Alexander. CSU managed to take a 3-2 lead into the locker room courtesy of senior defender Dan Garel's (Markham, Ontario/Fr. Michael McGivney) first goal of the year on an assist from sophomore midfielder Adam Campellone (Seven Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) in the 30th minute.
The second half belonged to Cleveland State, as Campellone, junior midfielder Misha Levkov (Richmond Hill, Ontario/Bayview) and senior forward Pichou Etinde (Amherst, Mass./Northampton) each scored to put the Vikings up 6-2.
Detroit cut the margin to three in the 79th minute, as Alexander picked up his third helper of the match when David Pantaleo put away a shot from close range. However, Zejly finished off his hat trick a little over a minute later to close out the scoring.
Campellone ended up with a goal and three assists and now has 12 points (3G, 6A) in his last four games, while senior forward Marc Royer (Scarborough, Ontario/Pope John Paul II) added a pair of assists.
CSU head coach Pete Curtis will go for career win number 100 when the Vikings travel to Wright State Sunday, Oct. 1 for a 2:00 p.m. MCC contest.
Goals by Period 1 2 Tot ------------------------------- Detroit............. 2 1 - 3 Cleveland State..... 3 4 - 7
