Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Cleveland State University

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

Vikings Travel To Marshall

Vikings Travel To Marshall
Posted: Aug 21, 2009

Aug. 21, 2009

Contact: Brian McCann

Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

Match 1
Cleveland State (8-10-1) at Marshall (5-10-1)
Date: Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Sam Hood Field (1,500), Huntington, West Virginia
Series: Marshall leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Marshall 6, CSU 0 (9/3/04) at Sam Hood Field

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State begins its sixth season of intercollegiate women's soccer play when it travels to Huntington, West Virginia on Sunday, August 23, where they will face Marshall in a 1:00 p.m. match. The Vikings will be out to improve on last year's school-record 8-10-1 record. Marshall will be a fair test for the Vikings as they finished 5-10-1 last season and 3-8 in Conference USA play.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings were in action twice last week against Gannon and Mercyhurst in two exhibition matches. Here is a synopsis of those contests:

Exhibition 1: CSU 3, Gannon 0 (Aug. 16, Krenzler Field) Senior Jessica McCloy, junior Marley Greiner and freshman Jaime Avona, each scored a goal, while sophomore Natalie Daniels had two assists as the Vikings ran past Gannon 3-0. CSU finished the match strong having two goals come in the last 13 minutes. Greiner led the squad with three shots, two being on goal, one goal and one assist.

Exhibition 2: CSU 4, Mercyhurst 1 (Aug. 18, Krenzler Field) Sophomore Natalie Daniels had two goals, with junior Sylvia Olsby and senior Jessica Keefer each adding their own in the CSU 4-1 victory over Mercyhurst. Freshman Jaime Avona tallied two assists, while junior Nicole Howard, Daniels and Keefer each recorded one. Along with Daniels' two goals, she had one assist and four shots on goal.

2009 SEASON PREVIEW: Eight starters and 17 letterwinners return for the Vikings this season, including All-Horizon Leage second team honoree Natalie Daniels. The sophomore midfielder led the team in goals (5), assists (6) and points (16) last season. Joining Daniels in the midfield will be sophomore Samantha Salamon and juniors Allie Riczo (1G, 0A, 2 points) and Marley Greiner (1-0-2). Junior Sylvia Olsby (4-1-9) returns up front, with classmate Nicole Howard (2-0-4) and redshirt freshman Nikki Bevilacqua (0-1-1) playing alongside her. A veteran defense returns for CSU, with senior centerbacks Danielle Ultican and Jessica McCloy leading the charge. Helping in the backfield will be sophomores Jordan King and Marina Taylor. Defending goal again this season will be junior Kelly Zinkiewich, who had 78 saves last season and four shutouts. Added into the lineup this season, is the promising freshman class that includes, midfielders Valerie Stahl, Rachel Glennon and Katherine Zyck, forward Jaime Avona, and defenders Carla Ragone and Lauren Corio.

ZINKIEWICH MOVES IN ON SAVES RECORD: Junior goalkeeper Kelly Zinkiewich is on the verge of making a new CSU career saves record following the 2008 season. Zinkiewich had 78 saves last season, giving her a career total of 202. She is currently only nine saves away from breaking the record of 210 set by Erin Withrow, who played for the Vikings from 2005-06. Zinkiewich finished the season ranked fifth in the Horizon League in saves, and eighth in save percentage (.743). She is also ranked second in single season saves, after recording 124 saves during the 2007 season.

DANIELS LEADS CSU OFFENSE: Sophomore Natalie Daniels is on a roll offensively after she recorded two goals and three assists during exhibition play. Daniels, who led the Vikings last season with five goals, six assists and 16 points, led the team with seven points through preseason. In the 3-0 shutout against Gannon, she fed senior Jessica McCloy off of a corner kick for the first CSU goal of the season, then found junior Marley Greiner on a breakaway play up the middle. Both of her goals came in similar fashion from 15 yards out in the victory over Mercyhurst.

AVONA STEPS UP EARLY: Freshman midfielder Jaime Avona has earned her place on the field already, scoring one goal with two assists during the two exhibition matches. Avona's first collegiate goal came against Gannon, when she slipped the ball past defenders from the left corner of the box off an assist by Marley Greiner. Her two assists came early in the second half during the victory over Mercyhurst, feeding Natalie Daniels and Jessica Keefer.

FIRST UNDEFEATED PRESEASON: For the first time in the history of the CSU women's soccer program, the Vikings have gone undefeated in preseason play. The team was previously 1-7-1 all time in exhibition matches, winning the lone match in 2007 when they beat Notre Dame (OH). Between the two exhibition matches, the Vikings scored seven goals, the most in any preseason. The 4-1 victory over Mercyhurst last Tuesday (Aug. 18) was also the first time the Vikings scored four goals in a match since the 2007 season when they beat IPFW 5-4 in double overtime.

RETURN OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: The Pacific Northwest connection is returning in a big way for the Vikings this season as they have combined for four goals and four assists during exhibition matches. The original four, juniors Sylvia Olsby (1G) and Marley Greiner (1G, 1A) along with sophomores Natalie Daniels (2G, 3A) and Jordan King are joined by freshman Valerie Stahl. Stahl is a native of Everett, Washington who has quickly grown accustom to the collegiate game. With the exception of King, who sat out during the preseason due to injuries, they have all had major roles in the CSU starting lineup helping the Vikings to two preseason victories.

NEXT UP: The Vikings will stay on the road and travel to Kent State on Friday, Aug. 28 before returning home for their first regular season match at Krenzler Field against Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Aug. 30.