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Women's Soccer To Host Gannon & Kent State

Women's Soccer To Host Gannon & Kent State
Posted: Aug 23, 2010

Aug. 23, 2010

Contact: Brian McCann

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Match 2
Gannon (10-7-2 in 2009) at Cleveland State (1-0)
Date: Friday, Aug. 27, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (2,000), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: First Meeting

Match 3
Kent State (0-1) at Cleveland State
Date: Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (2,000), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: KSU leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: CSU 2, @KSU 1 (OT) (8/28/09)

SETTING THE SCENE: The Viking women's soccer team will continue its season-opening five-match home stand when they host a pair of matches at Krenzler Field. The schedule opens on Friday, Aug. 27 when Gannon comes to town for a 7:00 p.m. match with Kent State visiting on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1:00 p.m. Cleveland State is off to a 1-0 start after recording a 3-2 win over Marshall in the season opener on Sunday (Aug. 22), marking the second time in the program's history that the Vikings opened the schedule with a victory.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings opened their seventh season of collegiate play with a home win over Marshall. Here is a synopsis of that match:

Match 1: CSU 3, Marshall 2 (Aug. 22, Krenzler Field)
Valerie Stahl and Natalie Daniels staked the Vikings to a 2-0 lead by scoring first half goals and Jessica McCloy scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 73rd minute as CSU won for the first time in three meetings against the Thundering Herd. Kelly Zinkiewich made seven saves, including one on a second half penalty kick.

2010 SEASON PREVIEW: The Vikings head into their seventh season of competition ready to continue the climb up the Horizon League standings. Despite an unhappy finish to the 2009 campaign, CSU had a strong showing during the spring season which has carried over to the fall, leading head coach Derrek Falor to once again raise his expectations for an upper division league finish. The strength of the Vikings will be on the back line where four veterans will form the nucleus of the unit. Senior Jessica McCloy returns after sitting out all but two matches last year following knee surgery and she will be joined by junior Marina Taylor, who started 26 matches during her first two seasons, and the duo of sophomore Valerie Stahl and freshman Frederike Dubeau. Stahl started all 18 matches a year ago while Dubeau has been impressive in early season action. Senior Allie Riczo and junior Natalie Daniels return to lead the midfield unit while senior Nicole Howard and junior Jessica Bound are expected to claim the other two spots. Seniors Marley Greiner and Sylvia Olsby and sophomore Jaime Avona and freshman Taylor Vidovic should all see action at the forward spots. Senior Kelly Zinkiewich, a three-year starter who holds the CSU record with 301 career saves, is the incumbent in goal with freshman Parisa Sadrnia competing for playing time as well.

LET THE STREAMING BEGIN: Both matches this week will be video streamed live by the CSU athletic department on the Horizon League Network. A total of 26 men's and women's soccer and volleyball events will be streamed online this fall for free, including every home women's soccer contest except the Sept. 24 meeting with Green Bay and the Oct. 15 Wright State game. Sunday's win over Marshall was the first-ever CSU women's soccer home game that was video streamed. Veteran Cleveland broadcaster Matt Loede will provide the play-by-play.

A GRAND RETURN: Forgive Viking sixth-year senior Jessica McCloy for wanting to celebrate a little bit more than usual after scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal in Sunday's win over Marshall. After all, it was just over a year ago that McCloy suffered a season-ending knee injury against Kent State that, at the time, she thought would end her collegiate career. Instead, she was granted a rare sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA which made her eligible to return this season. McCloy had also missed a season earlier in her career when she suffered a knee injury to her other leg. One of two team captains this year, McCloy also serves as the president of both the CSU Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the Horizon League SAAC as well.

ZINKIEWICH TOPS THE 300 SAVE MARK: A seven save effort in the season opener on Sunday allowed senior goalkeeper Kelly Zinkiewich to move past Green Bay's Heather Friedman (295 saves) and into eighth place on the Horizon League career saves list with 301 career saves. Zinkiewich, who owns the school career marks for saves and shutouts (8), is seven saves shy of catching seventh place Caitlin Bozioney of YSU (308). Zinkiewich has three of the top seven single season save totals in CSU history.

A GOOD DEFENSE. . . : After going scoreless in two preseason matches, the Vikings exploded for three goals in the win over Marshall, tying the third-highest single game scoring total in school history. What was interesting was that two of the three goals were scored by defenders as Jessica McCloy and Valerie Stahl each found the back of the net.

GOING HOME: With five Viking regulars hailing from the Pacific Northwest, including four from the State of Washington, CSU head coach Derrek Falor has elected to make the longest road trip in program history this year when the Vikings make the 2,400 mile trek to Seattle to play matches at Washington (Sept. 17) and Seattle (Sept. 19).

CAPTAINS: Jess McCloy and Sylvia Olsby have been selected by head coach Derrek Falor to serve as team captains this season. It will be the second straight year for McCloy, who missed most of last season with a knee injury.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Vikings open the 2010 regular season with six of their first seven matches at home, including the first five. It is part of a 10-match home slate that will tie the school record for home games in a season (2007). It is the first time that CSU will play more home matches than on the road during the regular season. The win over Marshall marked just the second time that CSU won either its home or season opener, the last coming in 2006 when the Vikings routed Delaware State, 6-0.

NEXT UP: The Vikings close their season-opening five match home stand when they host Missouri-Kansas City on Friday, Sept. 3 and Canisius on Sunday, Sept. 5.