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Cleveland State Excited for Season Openers This Weekend

Cleveland State Excited for Season Openers This Weekend
Posted: Aug 16, 2018

MATCH #1
vs. Howard | Friday, Aug. 17 | 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats

MATCH #2
vs. Chicago State | Sunday, Aug. 19 | 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats

PDF Notes
Week #1

THE OPENING KICK:
 • Cleveland State opens the 2018 regular season by hosting two matches over three days as it welcomes Howard Friday and Chicago State Sunday.
• CSU is 0-1 all-time against Howard, dropping a 2-1 decision in 2016.
• The Vikings are 2-0 all-time against Chicago State, winning on the road in 2014 (6-0) and at home in 2015 (7-0).
• Senior Stacie Morris made her collegiate debut against the Cougars in 2015 and tallied two assists while classmate McKenna Vento posted the first points of her career in that contest, also adding two assists.
• The last time CSU opened a season at home came in 2015 when the Vikings used a second-half goal to earn a point against Butler.
• Cleveland State will begin its 15th season of women's soccer on Aug. 17, tying the 2012 season for the earliest date on which CSU has ever played.

THE PRESEASON:
 • CSU hosted Buffalo in its first exhibition and lost, 3-1. Freshman Ja'Maya Ward scored for CSU and was assisted by classmate Aubrey Bechter.
• The Vikings closed the preseason by battling to a scoreless draw at Duquesne. Stevie Holbrook and Kendra Clarke combined on the shutout.

FREE KICKS:
 • Head coach Dallas Boyer, in his second season in the top spot, has been on the coaching staff for 12 of the 15 seasons in program history.
• Cleveland State won nine games last season, one off the school record, and tied the program record with five League victories.
• CSU scored 28 goals last season, tying the school record, while its 224 shots reset the program standard.
• CSU's returnees accounted for 24 of its 28 goals from 2017 and 18 of 21 assists. Fourteen Vikings return that started at least once last season.
• Four returning Vikings played in all 19 matches last season--Grace Grant, Briana Niedermeier, Ashley Thiss and McKenna Vento. Thiss was one of only two players to start all 19 matches, joining graduated goalie Jamie Daniels.
• Jenna Prathapa became the first player in program history to earn HL Freshman of the Year honors last season. She had six goals and three assists on the year, both of which were the most in a season by a CSU freshman.
• Cleveland State was one of the most disciplined teams in the League in 2017. It accrued five total cards while the League average was 11.6. The Vikings were also whistled for the second lowest number of fouls/match.
• There are 10 newcomers this season, seven freshmen and three transfers.
• Senior McKenna Vento returns after earning All-League Second Team honors last year. She scored four times and had a team-best five assists in 2017.
• Vento is CSU's active leader in assists (10) and points (22).
• Toni Dickson & McKenna Vento were named Academic All-Ohio in 2017.
• Grace Grant was named to the All-Freshman Team and had 10 points.
• Four Vikings--Prathapa, Vento, Dani Sowinski and Grant--reached double digits in points in 2017, the first such occurrence in program history.
• Each of CSU's last six regular-season matches that have gone to overtime has had a winner. CSU has won four times with its opponent winning twice.

UP NEXT:
 • CSU plays its road opener next Thursday (Aug. 23) against Niagara before returning home to host local rival Kent State on the final Sunday of August.