Oct. 25, 2009
Contact: Brian McCann
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Jodi Bowlen scored the lone goal of the contest in the 65th-minute and Cleveland State could manage just four shots on goal as Youngstown State defeated the Vikings, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium.
The loss drops the Vikings to 3-14-1 on the year while the Penguins improve to 4-10-3. More importantly, the loss nullifies CSU's attempt to qualify for next week's Horizon League Championship.
Cleveland State entered the game in seventh place in the Horizon League standings with a 2-4-1 record for seven points. With only the top six teams advancing to the Horizon League Championship next week, CSU needed to defeat YSU and have Green Bay (2-3-2) fall at home to regular season champion Milwaukee (7-0).
"This was a disappointing match because I know that we are better than we played today," CSU head coach Derrek Falor said. "We haven't played well on the road for most of the season, but with so much to play for today, I would have thought I'd seen a different team out there.
"We played without four of our regular players today so we needed to maximize everything today in order to get a win and we weren't able to get it done.
"The toughest thing about the loss is that today turns out to be the last match for our five seniors," Falor added. "Although we hope to get Jess (McCloy) back next year, the other four have been with us for four years and we owe them a lot in what they have contributed to the development of this program. We will miss them."
Youngstown State took a 1-0 lead at the 64:04 mark when Bowlen was able to get her foot on the rebound of a missed Pnguin shot. The play started with the YSU midfielder bringing the ball down the left sode and crossing it into the middle where somebody in a crowd put a shot on goal that Viking netminder Kelly Zinkiewich was able to save but not control. The rebound bounced out to Bowlen, who had the empty net in front of her.
Zinkiewich made three saves in the contest while Penguin goalkeeper Mariah Snyder made four in recording the shutout.
"Neither team had many good scoring opportunities today, but Youngstown was fortunate to get a goal," Falor said.
The first 45 minutes were scoreless as each team's defense did a good job keeping the ball out of the box with most of the play taking part in the midfield area. CSU had a 4-3 edge in shots, but Zinkiewich made a pair of nice saves in the half.
The first came at the 17:28 mark when YSU's Bowlen was able to get her foot on a cross off a cornerkick, but Zinkiewich was in perfect position to make the stop.
The second came in the 35th minute when she was late coming off of her line to charge a pall played ahead and YSU's Kelly Storkel was able to get a head on the feed. Zinkiewich who was just three yards away and charging, was able to react to the header and make a diving grab.
The best opportunity for the Vikings came in the 30th minute when an attempt to clear out of the Penguin zone was stolen by Samantha Salamon, who then launched a shot from 30 yards out that Snyder had to dive to stop.
