Aug. 30, 2010

Contact: Brian McCann

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After scoring three goals to help Cleveland State defeat Gannon and tie Kent State over the weekend, Viking junior midfielder Natalie Daniels has been tabbed the Horizon League Women's Soccer Co-Player of the Week. The league office made the announcement on Monday afternoon.

Daniels shares the honor with Detroit's Alexandra Suschak

"I am very happy for Natalie and the rest of the team," CSU head coach Derrek Falor said. "This award comes because we have played well as a team and accomplished on the field what we are capable of doing.

"Natalie has played a large part in our success. She has been more aggressive offensively and worked with her teammates to create scoring opportunities. She had a great summer where her game really emerged and, so far this fall, she has excelled at getting open and finishing off plays around the goal."

Daniels has opened the 2010 campaign by scoring in all three CSU matches to lead the Horizon League in points per game (2.67) and ranking second with four goals. She scored in the 26th minute to put CSU ahead, 2-0, against Gannon and came back to add an insurance marker in the 47th minute. Against Kent State on Sunday, her goal in the 56th minute brought CSU back from a 2-1 deficit to tie the contest.

Daniels has spear-headed an offensive charge that has scored eight goals in three matches this year, a considerable improvement over the 12 goals the Vikings scored in 18 games last year en route to a 3-14-1 record.

For her career, Daniels is tied for third with 11 goals, one away from the school record of 12 held by both Shayna Back and Jennifer Wieand. She already ranks fourth on the CSU single season scoring chart with four this season, four goals short of Wieand's record of eight set in 2007.

The Vikings close out their season-opening five-match home stand when they host Missouri-Kansas City on Friday (Sept. 3) at 7:00 p.m. and Canisius on Sunday (Sept. 5) at 12:00 noon at Krenzler Field.