Oct. 3, 2005
Contact: Brian McCann
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Match 13
Detroit (4-3-3, 1-0-1) at Cleveland State (0-12, 0-2)
Date: Friday, Oct. 7, 2005
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Detroit leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Detroit 13, CSU 0 (10/8/04 at UDM)
Match 14
Butler (4-4-2, 0-1) at Cleveland State
Date: Sunday, October 9, 2005
Time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Butler leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Butler 6, CSU 0 (10/24/04 at BU)
SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State continues its school record four-match homestand when the Vikings host a pair of Horizon League matches this week. CSU hosts defending tournament champion Detroit on Friday, Oct. 7 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field. The Vikings then close the week with a 1:30 p.m. match on Sunday (Oct. 9) against Butler at Krenzler Field. After this week, CSU will have only four regular season matches remaining, including road Horizon League contests at Wright State (Oct. 21), Loyola (Oct. 28) and Youngstown State (Oct. 30).
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings opened up Horizon League play with a pair of matches last week. Here is a synopsis of those contests:
Match 11: UW-Milwaukee 3, CSU 0 (Sept. 30, Milwaukee, Wis.)
Despite being outshot, 33-3, the Vikings played tough defense in a 3-0 loss at the defending Horizon League regular season champions. The Panthers scored off a penalty kick in the 18th minute and then did not score until midway through the second half. Erin Withrow made seven saves in goal.
Match 12: UW-Green Bay 5, CSU 0 (Oct. 2, Krenzler Field)
UW-Green Bay's Stephanie Gross scored a pair of goals, one coming on a penalty kick in the first half, as the Phoenix upended the CSU on Rededication Day at Krenzler Field. Erin Withrow faced 25 shots in goal, recording a career-high matching 11 saves.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State bears little resemblance to the inaugural Viking squad that went 0-20 a year ago, and it is only a matter of time before the program records its first victory. The strength of the Vikings is in the midfield where sophomores Heather Clapacs, an honorable mention All-Ohio choice last year, and Amber Rasmussen and freshman Lisa Conway have helped to control play and create offense. It took CSU just five matches this fall to surpass the four goals it scored during the entire 20-match 2004 season. The offensive increase is due in part to the play of freshman Ashley Walchack and sophomore Ashley Spahn, who share the team lead with two goals each, and redshirt freshman Abbie Kakias, who has come back from major knee surgery to score one goal with one assist this year. The defense has been hurt by the season-ending knee injury to Maggie Pugliese, but the freshmen trio of Callie Carrera, Missy Boehm and Natalie Wilson have helped to stabilize the unit.
JUDGE KRENZLER PRESENT FOR REDEDICATION: Judge Alvin Krenzler, after whom Krenzler Field was named when it was built in 1985, was present for the rededication ceremonies of the complex prior to the Oct. 2 UW-Green Bay match. The home of CSU soccer for more than two decades, Krenzler Field underwent nearly $3 million in renovations since last year, including the addition of an all-purpose FieldTurf playing surface and a removable air-supported dome that will cover it during the winter months. The 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.
CSU FINDS OFFENSIVE BALANCE: The improved offensive play of the Vikings this year is a byproduct of the improved depth up front. Through 12 matches, five players have recorded double figure shot totals with a sixth -- Lisa Conway -- just one shot away. Jennifer Wieand leads the way with 18 shots, 10 of which have been on goal. She is followed by Ashley Walchack (14), Heather Clapacs (11), Ashley Spahn (11) and Abbie Kakias (10). Last year, only three players reached double figures in the stat, with Clapacs leading the way with 43 shots.
WITHROW MAKES THE SAVE: Freshman goalie Erin Withrow has stepped up her performance over the course of the last five matches, recording 39 saves over to move into second place in the Horizon League with 66 saves this season. Withrow made a career-high 11 stops against both Niagara and UW-Green Bay with the Niagara total coming in only 45 minutes of play. She trails only Youngstown State keeper Jessica Yarter, who has made 75 saves.
HOME SWEET HOME: After not playing a match at Krenzler Field for the first 24 contests in program history, the Vikings are near the end of a stretch which has seem them play eight out of 11 matches at home, including the current four-game home stand.
BRINGING THEIR A-GAME: The improved offensive performance of the Vikings this year is largely due to the quartet of sophomore Amber Rasmussen and freshmen Ashley Walchack, Ashley Spahn and Abbie Kakias, who have combined to score six of the seven Viking goals this season. The A-theme is not a new one. Last year, Rasmussen had a hand in all four CSU goals, finishing as the team's scoring leader with one goal and three assists.
FRESHMEN ORIENTATION: For the second straight season, youth is being served on the Viking roster as 10 of the 21 players on the squad are freshmen. Seven different Viking freshmen have combined to start a total of 69 times this season, or 52-percent of the starts. Freshmen Ashley Walchack and Erin Withrow, and redshirt freshman Abbie Kakias have each started all 12 matches this year. Things have improved since last year when 14 of the 21 players on the roster were freshmen.
NEXT UP: The Vikings close out their school-record four match homestand when they play Southern Utah on Saturday, Oct. 15 their final non-conference match
