Aug. 30, 2004

Contact: Brian McCann

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State continues its inaugural season of women's soccer still looking for its first win. The Vikings play a pair of matches this week, travelling to Huntington, WV on Friday (Sept. 3) for a 7:00 p.m. meeting with Marshall. CSU then returns home to face Duquesne on Sunday (Sept. 5) beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Foltz Field in Strongsville. Marshall, who will host Morehead State on Wednesday night, begins the week with an 0-0-2 mark after tying both LaSalle and Drexel last week. Duquesne (0-2) dropped a pair of matches at a tournament at Bowling Green last week, falling 7-3 to the host Falcons and 1-0 to Eastern Michigan and will play at Pitt on Friday (Sept. 3). Match 3
Cleveland State (0-2) at Marshall (0-0-2)
Date: Friday, September 3, 2004
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Sam Hood Field (1,500), Huntington, WV
Match 4
Duquesne (0-2) at Cleveland State (0-2)
Date: Sunday, Setpember 5, 2004
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Foltz Field (1,000), Strongsville, Ohio
REVIEWING LAST WEEK:
As program debuts go, the first two matches for the Viking women's soccer squad was about what first year head coach Derrek Falor expected with CSU dropping 4-0 decisions to Kent State on Friday (Aug. 27) and at Toledo on Sunday (Aug. 29). The Vikings were able to show solid play for extended periods but defensive lapses resulted in easy scoring opportunities in both matches with multiple goals being scored in short periods. Here is a synopsis of last week's matches: Match 1: Kent State 4, CSU 0 (Aug. 27, Foltz Field) Kent State tallied a pair of goals in each half, outshooting CSU 13-3 en route to the win in front of 682 fans, the second largest crowd at a CSU women's athletic event in the last two years. Match 2: Toledo 4, CSU 0 (Aug. 29, Toledo, Ohio) Three goals in an 11-minute span early in the second half broke open a close game as Toledo pulled away for the win. The Rockets outshot the Vikings, 29-2 with CSU goalies Allie Zajaros and Ashley Kidwell combing to make 12 saves. PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS:
Cleveland State's first two matches showed the inexperience and youth of the squad. Featuring a starting lineup that consisted of nine freshman, the Vikings have worked hard to develop the team work and familiarity with each other that is needed to achieve success, but will only come with continued play and practice. CSU has been outshot, 42-5, in the two contests with Viking netminders making 14 saves and CSU opponents have a commanding 11-1 edge in cornerkicks. CAPTAINS:
Seniors Katie Burke and Jessica Larsen will serve as captains of the inaugural Viking squad, being selected for the honor because of their effort and attitudes last year during walkon practices. "I couldn't ask for a better pair of captains this year," head coach Derrek Falor said. "They both worked incredibly hard last year, have previous collegiate soccer experience to rely on and exhibit the leadership skills that you would expect from fourth-year players." Burke played at Slippery Rock in both 2000 and 2001 before transferring to CSU while Larsen played at Mount Union in both 2001 and 2002. VIKINGS PICKED SEVENTH:
Cleveland State has been picked to finish tied for seventh in the Horizon League this year in a preseason poll of the league coaches. Defending champion UW-Milwaukee was tabbed as the preseason favorite, garnering five of the eight first place votes (coaches did not predict the finish of their own team) and 47 total points. Butler, which finished in a second place tie with UW-Green Bay last year, was a close second in the voting, earning one first place vote and 41 points. Detroit was picked to finish in third place with 35 points, earned two first place votes and Cleveland State and Youngstown State finishing tied for seventh with 10 points each. 2004 Horizon League Pre-Season Women's Soccer Poll
(Balloting by the Horizon League Coaches)
1. UW-Milwaukee (5 first place votes), 47 points
2. Butler (1), 41
3. Detroit (2), 35
4. Loyola, 28
UW-Green Bay, 28
6. Wright State, 25
7. Cleveland State, 10
Youngstown State, 10
A KRENZLER FACELIFT:
Krenzler Field, which has served as the home for Cleveland State soccer since 1985, will undergo renovations over the course of the next six months to convert it to a facility capable of hosting events year round. Planned improvements include the addition of an all-purpose FieldTurf playing surface and a removable air-supported dome that will cover it during the winter months. Work on the $2.2 million project will begin immediately. The playing surface is expected to be completed in early October with the dome being completed by December. FieldTurf, a revolutionary playing surface that combines the properties of natural grass with the durability of artificial turf, has been installed on almost 1,000 playing surfaces in 20 countries around the world. The removable dome, a product of Yeadon Domes, will cover the entire length of Krenzler Field, approximately 94,000 square feet, with a 60-foot ceiling. It will be made of a heavy-duty vinyl coated flame-resistant polyester architectural fabric. . . . WITH THE GOOD, COMES THE BAD:
The improvements to Krenzler Field have necessitated moving the first four women's soccer home matches of the season to Foltz Field in Strongsville. The matches affected include the August 27 season-opener against Kent State and the contests against Duquesne (Sept. 5), South Alabama (Sept. 10) and IUPUI (Sept. 12). The Coaches:
DERREK FALOR (Western Washington '92)
At CSU: 1st year (0-2)
Overall: 7th year (56-49-10)
In his seventh season as a collegiate head coach, Falor has been responsible for every aspect of building the CSU program, doing so over an 18-month period since being hired in February of 2003. He previously served as head coach at Western Washington from 1995-2000, compiling a 56-47-10 mark, posting five second-place conference finishes. A 1992 graduate of Western Washington, he later earned a master's degree in sports psychology from the school in 1995. Marshall
CHRIS KANE (LaSalle '95)
At MU: 2-15-3 (2nd year)
Overall: 2-15-3 (2nd year)
Duquesne
JAMES WALKER (Tiffin '97)
At DU: 8-12-2 (2nd year)
Overall: 89-57-4 (9th year)
NEXT UP:
The Vikings continue their current three-match homestand next week with contests against South Alabama (Friday, Sept. 10) and IUPUI (Sept. 12) at Foltz Field in Strongsville.