CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University women's soccer team scored early and often en route to a 4-0 thrashing off visiting Ohio Friday evening at a comfortable Krenzler Field.
A season-high seven Vikings factored into the scoring, a group that included five seniors as the program celebrated Senior Night in its final home non-conference match.
Seniors Sarah Krause and Dani Sowinski both directly contributed to multiple goals with the former scoring once and adding an assist and the latter posting a pair of helpers.
Senior Sydney Duggan, sophomore Jenna Prathapa and senior McKenna Vento all scored while senior Carly Cerny and freshman Ja'Maya Ward added assists. Duggan picked up her first goal as a Viking while Cerny tallied her first collegiate point on Senior Night.
Cleveland State did not wait around to crack the scoreboard Friday.
Krause nearly got CSU on the board in the sixth minute when junior Briana Niedermeier played a nice ball over the top, but her shot was pushed wide by the goalkeeper.
In the 10th minute, Cerny, played a ball from near midfield down the right sideline. Sowinski ran on to it and sent a cross into the area. Vento pounced on it, blasting it home from close range with the goalie left helpless.
Ohio settled down briefly but was unable to turn the tide of the match.
Just under the half-hour mark, Krause received the ball in the midfield. After a few touches, she played a pass forward to Prathapa. The sophomore made a nice spin move to evade a defender near the top of the box, leaving her with a clear look at goal. She slotted a low shot inside the right post with the goalie rushing out.
There would only be one more shot in the half. A potentially dangerous Ohio opportunity was thwarted when Niedermeier did well to get back and emphatically block a shot. She then won the ball and drew a foul to help CSU ensure it reached halftime with a multi-goal advantage.
The Vikings immediately pushed for more at the beginning of the second half.
Duggan had a great look saved in the 51st minute by the keeper charging out. On the ensuing corner kick, senior Seyla Perez's header hit the crossbar. On the ensuing scramble, Perez had another blast blocked before the ball was pushed over the line by the Vikings, but the offside flag was raised.
Fewer than two minutes later, Sowinski fed Duggan near the top of the box on the left wing. The senior lofted a shot to the far post that was over the goalie and snuck under the bar.
Ohio then had a couple of half-chances, a header off a corner that went high and then a low shot from inside the box that Stevie Holbrook grabbed while falling to her left.
In the 66th minute, Ward played a cross from the right wing. Both Prathapa and Krause made runs at the ball in the box, but it was the senior that toe-poked her first touch over the keeper and into the net.
Ohio whipped a dangerous ball into the box in the 80th minute, but Holbrook bravely came out to punch it clear, right ahead of a Bobcat attacker who would have had a good look at goal.
The Bobcats had some of their best chances in the final 10 minutes as Cleveland State relaxed with its four-goal cushion, but the Vikings were able to keep the clean sheet intact.
Holbrook used four saves to notch her second shutout in the last three outings.
Sowinski's second multi-assist game of the season gives her six on the year, one off the single-season school record. Entering play Friday, only two other Division I players had six assists in 2018. She is now tied for second in career assists (11) and has the most by a Viking in a season since 2011.
Vento had tied Prathapa for the goals lead among active Vikings with her tally, but Prathapa made sure that did not last long. Prathapa's ninth career tally moved her into a tie for eighth in career goals.
In similar fashion, Krause's goal tied Prathapa for the season lead (3) while Krause now has a team-best seven points this season.
Vento moved into sole possession of seventh place in career points with 27.
The four goals were the most allowed by Ohio since 2014. The four tallies tied CSU's season high set last Friday night in a victory over Fairleigh Dickinson.
Cleveland State will close non-conference play this Sunday, Sept. 9, at Canisius.
