Aug. 18, 2008
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Release in PDF Format 
SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State will begin its fifth season of intercollegiate play when the Vikings host Toledo on Sunday, August 24 beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field. CSU will attempt to build on the record-setting season of a year ago, one which saw the Vikings set a record for wins in a 5-14-1 campaign, finish out of the celler in the Horizon League for the first time and win a match in the league tournament for the first time. CSU has chosen a tough opponent to open with as Toledo was 14-6-3 in 2007, including an 8-3 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played a pair of exhibition matches last week to prepare for the regular season. Here is a synopsis of those contests:
Exhibition 1: CSU 1, Ohio Dominican 1 (Aug. 14, Krenzler Field)
The freshman duo of Jordan King and Marina Taylor teamed up for the only goal as the Vikings rallied in the closing minutes to tie Ohio Dominican, 1-1. No overtime was played. CSU dominated play all night, out-shooting ODU 25-4, but the Vikings could only marker came at the 77:23 mark when King headed home a Taylor free kick. Jennifer Wieand (7 shots) and Natalie Daniels (6 shots) led CSU offensively.
Exhibition 2: Kent State 3, CSU 1 (Aug. 17, Krenzler Field)
Kent State scored three goals in a span of 15 minutes in the second half to claim a 3-1 victory over Cleveland State in an exhibition match. Following a scoreless first half, the Golden Flashes got on the board with tallies in the 47th, 59th and 62nd minutes. Jennifer Wieand helped CSU avoid the shutout with a goal in the 69th minute off an assist from Sylvia Olsby.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Fifth -year Viking head coach Derrek Falor is optimistic about the prospects for another improvement on the playing field this fall as CSU returns eight starters from last year's 5-14-1 squad. Add into the mix a batch of 10 newcomers and Falor has the deepest and most talented lineup in program history. Senior Jennifer Wieand returns after setting CSU records for goals (8), points (19) and shots (63) last year and she will be joined up front by sophomore Sylvia Olsby (3G, 3A, 9 points) and freshman Nikki Bevilacqua. The midfield lineup has been rebuilt and will be centered around sophomore Allie Riczo, who redshirted last season. She will be joined at center mid by freshman Natalie Daniels with sophomore Marley Greiner (0-2-2) and freshman Jordan King starting outside. The defensive lineup is a veteran one with juniors Jessica McCloy and Danielle Ultican expected to get the nod in the middle with seniors Abbie Kakias and Maggie Pugliese starting outside. Sophomore Kelly Zinkiewich returns in goal after starting all 20 matches last year, posting a 2.33 goals against average with 124 saves.
SENIOR CLASS: The 26-player 2008 roster includes just three seniors, but those seniors have been through the high points and the low points of women's soccer history as each was part of the inaugural recruiting class but has missed a season along the way because of a knee injury. Abbie Kakias, who sat out the inaugural season in 2004, is joined by Maggie Pugliese (2005) and Jennifer Wieand (2006) as the senior class this year with each of the trio serving as team captains.
VIKINGS PICKED EIGHTH: Another highmark for the Vikings came during the preseason when Cleveland State was picked to finish tied for seventh in the Horizon League this season in a preseason poll of the league's coaches. In their four previous seasons, CSU was picked to finish last three times and tied for last once. Eight-time defending regular season champion Milwaukee was the preseason favorite, garnering seven of the nine first place votes and 63 points total. Loyola, who has won the league tournament in each of the last two years, was picked second with 58 points and the other two first place votes. Wright State (47 points) was third, followed by Butlr (46). Detroit and Valparaiso were tied for fifth with 31 points and CSU and Green Bay were tied for seventh with 17 points. Youngstown State was ninth with 14 points.
WIEAND EYES SCORING MARK: After coming back from major knee surgery last year to earn second team All-Horizon League honors after setting CSU single season records for goals (8), points (19) and shots (63), Jennifer Wieand begins her final campaign within reach of setting the career marks in all three categories as well. She begins the year with career totals of 11 goals, 28 points and 109 shots, needs two goals, three points and 11 shots to break the school marks. Shayna Back, who graduated last spring, holds the records for goals (12) and points (30) while current assistant coach Heather Clapacs has the record with 119 shots.
. . . BUT ZINKIEWICH HAS SOME WORK TO DO: After making 124 saves as a freshman, it is inevitable that sophomore Kelly Zinkiewich will break the school record for career saves at some point this year. Just when she'll break the mark is up in the air as she needs 87 saves to break the record of 210 set by Erin Withrow from 2005-06. Before she can do that however, she'll need to make 50 stops to pass Ashley Kidwell (2004-06), who made 173 career saves. Last year, Zinkiewich became the third CSU goalie to make 100 or more saves in a season.
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONNECTION: The Viking roster is beginning to look more and more like it belongs in a different time zone as CSU has four players on the squad this season who hail from the Pacific Northwest. Sophomores Sylvia Olsby (Seattle, Wash.) and Marley Greiner (Burnaby, British Columbia) started the movement to the midwest last year and they have been joined by freshmen Natalie Daniels (Olympia, Wash.) and Jordan King (Silverdale, Wash.) this season. The four should have a big impact in the lineup this year as Greiner and Daniels start at midfield, Olsby is a starter at forward with King playing as the top reserve at defender.
NEXT UP: The Vikings take to the road for the first time in 2008, playing road matches at St. Bonaventure on Friday, Aug. 29 and Niagara on Sunday, Aug. 31.
