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Vikings Travel To Youngstown State

Vikings Travel To Youngstown State
Posted: Oct 09, 2007

Oct. 9, 2007

Match 14
Cleveland State (3-10, 0-3) at Youngstown State (1-11-1, 0-2)
Date: Friday, Oct. 12, 2007
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Stambaugh Field (20,630), Youngstown, Ohio
Series: YSU leads, 2-0-1
Last Meeting: YSU 3, @CSU 1 (10/25/06)

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State continues its four-match road swing this weekend when the Vikings travel to nearby Youngstown State for a Friday (Oct. 12) match-up with the Penguins. The contest will be played beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. Cleveland State (0-3) and Youngstown State (0-2) are the lone remaining winless teams in conference action this year with the winner of Friday's match having the inside track on finishing outside of the basement for the fourth straight year.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings dropped a pair of road matches last week. Here is a synopsis of those contests:

Match 12: Loyola 3, CSU 0 (Oct. 5, Chicago, Ill.)
Cynthia Morote-Ariza scored three goals, including one just 6:52 into the match and CSU could manage just three shots while being shutout for the fourth time this season.

Match 13: Wright State 4, CSU 0 (Oct. 7, Fairborn, Ohio)
Wright State scored two goals in the first 18 minutes and cruised to a 4-0 win over the Vikings. The Raiders had a decisive 26-6 edge in shots, including a 16-2 lead in the second half.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: As the fourth season of Viking women's soccer winds down, CSU has shown much improvement from the 3-17 season of a year ago. With eight starters and 15 leterwinners back from last year's team that won a school-record three matches, head coach Derrek Falor has the most depth and experience in program history. The strength of the squad is on offense where the tandem of senior Shayna Back (5 goals, 3 assists, 13 point), junior Jennifer Wieand (6-2-14) and freshman Sylvia Olsby (2-3-7) have helped the Vikings to significantly increase their scoring. Heather Clapacs (1-1-3) leads the midfielders, being joined by newcomers Nicole Howard and Marley Greiner to give CSU a solid group of playmakers. Depth on defense has been a problem in each of the last three seasons, but Falor has as many as eight skilled defenders to call upon this year. Led by returning starters Amber Rasmussen , Maggie Pugliese and Abbie Kakias and transfer Emily Arpidone (Virginia Commonwealth), the defense has good experience to build on. CSU has a new face in goal as freshman Kelly Zinkiewich (78 saves) takes over as the starter.

CAPTAINS: Senior Heather Clapacs and junior Jennifer Wieand are serving as the Viking team captains this year.

PLAYING FOR EIGHTH: For the fourth straight year, CSU will face Youngstown State with the loser most likely finishing in last place in the Horizon League. CSU is 0-2-1 against the Penguins with the tie coming in 2005.

. . . AND FINISHING EVEN HIGHER IS POSSIBLE: Three of CSU's five Horizon League matches remaining will come against teams currently ranked sixth or lower in the league standings, none of which has won more than one conference match. In addition to Friday's match at Youngstown State (0-2), the Vikings will host eighth place Valparaiso (1-2) on Oct. 21 and seventh place Detroit (1-2-1) on Oct. 26.

WIEAND TIES SCORING MARK: A two-goal performance against Robert Morris on Sept. 28 allowed junior forward Jennifer Wieand to tie the CSU season records for goals (6) and points (14). She currently shares those marks with teammate Shayna Back, who set them last season. Wieand, who missed all of last season following knee surgery, enters the week ranking second in the Horizon League in shots per game (3.15), third in goals (6), fourth in points (13) and sixth in points per match (1.08).

. . . AND NOT TOO FAR BACK: Senior forward Shayna Back is off to another great start, ranking second on the team with 13 points (5-3-13). Back, who was held scoreless in 34 matches while playing on defense in each of her first two seasons, led the Vikings in both goals (6) and points (14) last year and is the CSU career record holder in both goals (11) and points (27). She begins the week ranking fourth in the league in assists (3) and sixth in both goals (5) and points (13).

PROOF OF IMPROVEMENT: As the Vikings start the second half of the 2007 schedule, CSU has scored 16 goals in the first 13 matches, being shutout five times. Last year, CSU scored a school-record 16 times in 20 contests, being shutout 10 times.

NEXT UP: Cleveland State closes its four-match Horizon League road trip with an Oct. 19 contest at Milwaukee before returning home to host Valparaiso on Oct. 21.