CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State women's basketball head coach Kate Peterson Abiad announced the 2014-15 schedule Thursday morning, with a challenging slate of games set for the Vikings this season.
The Vikings will open the 2014-15 season with an exhibition game against Lake Erie on Saturday, November 8 before hosting Toledo in the home opener on Friday, November 14. The game versus Toledo will be the first of 14 home games for the Vikings throughout the upcoming season.
Cleveland State will then hit the road for a three-game roadswing, facing Big Ten opponent Minnesota (Nov. 19) before traveling south to face Florida Atlantic (Nov. 21) and Florida International (Nov. 23). The Gophers will be the first of seven opponents who reached the postseason during 2013-14, as Minnesota advanced to the third round of the WNIT.
The Vikings will return home to host Notre Dame College on Saturday, November 29, before returning to the road for a matchup at Eastern Michigan (Dec. 2). Cleveland State will then spend the next two weeks at home, as the Vikings begin a four-game homestand against East Carolina on Thursday, December 4.
CSU will continue this homestand with games against Kent State (Dec. 7), Belmont (Dec. 16), and Niagara (Dec. 18). The Kent State game will be the first of two doubleheaders for the Vikings, as the men's team is scheduled to take on Western Illinois, while the Niagara game will be CSU's 'Healthy Living Through Sport Day', with a special tip time of 11:00 a.m. ECU and Belmont are two more opponents who played in the postseason last year, as both teams earned spots in the WNIT.
To close out the non-league slate, the Vikings will have a two-game roadswing traveling to Morehead State (Dec. 21) and Ohio (Dec. 29).
Cleveland State will begin the Horizon League portion of its schedule at home, hosting Valparaiso on Thursday, January 8. This will be the second doubleheader with the Cleveland State men's team, as they will face Oakland – also in a league matchup.
The Vikings will then travel to Youngstown State on Thursday, January 15, before returning home to host Detroit (Jan. 17) and Green Bay (Jan. 22). The Vikings will then split their next two matches, traveling to Wright State (Jan. 24) and hosting Milwaukee (Jan. 29). Wright State is CSU's lone opponent to earn a birth in the NCAA Tournament last season, while Green Bay made an appearance in the WNIT.
Next up for Cleveland State will be a three-game roadswing, traveling to Oakland (Jan. 31), UIC (Feb. 4), and Green Bay (Feb. 7). UIC is the final opponent to play in the postseason last year, as the Flames captured the WBI Championship.
The Vikings will then return home for a brief two-game homestand against Oakland (Feb. 14) and Wright State (Feb. 18), before hitting the road for another three-game roadswing. This stretch includes stops at Detroit (Feb. 21), Valparaiso (Feb. 25), and Milwaukee (Feb. 28).
The Vikings will conclude the regular season with a pair of home contests, hosting Youngstown State (March 4) and UIC (March 7).
The 2015 Horizon League Tournament will take place from Monday, March 9 through Sunday, March 15, with first round and quarterfinal contests taking place at campus sites and the semifinals and championship game being held at the regular season champion.
