Aug. 24, 2009

Contact: Brian McCann

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Match 2
Cleveland State (0-1) at Kent State (1-0)
Date: Friday, Aug. 28, 2009
Time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Site: KSU Soccer Field (200), Kent, Ohio
Series: KSU leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: @KSU 2, CSU 1 (2ot) (8/28/06)

Match 3
Eastern Illinois (1-0) at Cleveland State
Date: Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009
Time: 12:00 noon EDT
Promo: Cancer Awareness Day
(Vikings will wear special yellow jerseys, which will then be auctioned off following the match.)
Site: Krenzler Field (200), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: First Series Meeting

SETTING THE SCENE: The CSU women's soccer team faces its first full week of competition this week when the Vikings play a pair of matches over the weekend. CSU opens play this week on Friday (Aug. 28) with a 4:00 p.m. match at Kent State. The Vikings then return home on Sunday (Aug. 30) to begin their 2009 home slate with a 12:00 noon match against Eastern Illinois at Krenzler Field. The match has been designated as Cancer Awareness Day with CSU players wearing special yellow jerseys in the contest to call attention to cancer. The jerseys will be auctioned off post-match with proceeds going to the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute. CSU is 0-1 on the young season after dropping a 2-0 decision at Marshall on Sunday (Aug. 23).

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings opened the 2009 regular season with a road contest at Marshall. Here is a synopsis of that match:

Match 1: Marshall 2, CSU 0 (Aug. 23, Huntington, WV)
Marshall tallied goals in each half off loose balls in the box as the Vikings dropped their season opener, 2-0. CSU was outshot, 15-6, in the contest with sophomore Jordan King leading the way with two shots. Kelly Zinkiewich started in goal, making six saves.

2009 SEASON PREVIEW: The benefits of three consecutive strong recruiting classes is starting to show as the Vikings return eight starters and 17 letterwinners from the squad that set the school record for winning percentage (for the fourth season in a row) with an 8-10-2 mark. The strength of the Vikings is in the midfield where sophomore Natalie Daniels returns after leading the team in goals (5), assists (6) and points (16) en route to earning second team all-league honors. She is joined by junior Allie Riczo and freshman Valerie Stahl to give CSU its most-talented trio at the midfield ever. The group of forwards features just one returning starter -- junior Sylvia Olsby (4-1-9) -- but freshman Jaime Avona and junior Marley Greiner played well during the preseason. The position will receive a boost when redshirt freshman Nikki Bevilacqua comes back from a hip injury. The defense returns practically intact with seniors Jessica McCloy and Danielle Ultican starting inside with junior Marina Taylor and sophmore Jordan King starting outside. The quartet combined to make 58 starts a year ago. Junior Kelly Zinkiewich returns to start in goal for the third straight season after making 78 saves with four shutouts last season. Junior Shannon Saunders will once again serve as the backup in goal.

DEDICATED TO ONE OF THEIR OWN: Forgive the Vikings if Sunday's season-opener against Eastern Illinois means just a little bit more than most matches. After all, CSU has dedicated the Aug. 30 contest as Cancer Awareness Day with the Cleveland State players wearing special yellow jerseys in the contest. The Vikings have truly taken this benefit to heart since one of their own, redshirt freshman Samantha Harris, was diagnosed with colon cancer last spring. Harris is currently undergoing treatment for the disease and is enrolled in classes this fall, though she will most likely not be able to play this season.

ZINKIEWICH MOVES IN ON SAVES RECORD: A six save effort in the season opener at Marshall has allowed junior goalkeeper Kelly Zinkiewich to move within three saves of breaking the CSU school record of 210 career saves, currently held by Erin Withrow (2005-06). Zinkiewich, who had 124 saves in 2007 and 78 in 2008, now has 208 career saves. Last year, Zinkiewich ranked fifth in the Horizon League in saves, and eighth in save percentage (.743). Her 124 saves in 2007 are the fourth-highest season total ever.

COMING UP ON 100: Friday's match at Kent State will be the 100th match in Viking women's soccer history. Started in 2004, this is the sixth season of intercollegiate soccer at CSU with the Vikings owning a 16-80-3 all-time record.

. . . AND FALOR HAS BEEN ON THE BENCH FOR ALL 100: When the Vikings celebrate a milestone, head coach Derrek Falor can celebrate as well as he is the only head coach that CSU has had in women's soccer. Falor came to CSU in the spring of 2003 and worked a whole year to build the program, culminating in the initial recruiting class of 12 players (five of whom would play all four seasons of eligibility at CSU).

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.

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.

NEXT UP: The Vikings continue their early season road trek, playing at Eastern Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 4 and at Ohio on Sunday, Sept. 6.