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Vikings Travel To Green Bay & Valpo

Vikings Travel To Green Bay & Valpo
Posted: Oct 13, 2008

Oct. 13, 2008

Contact: Brian McCann

Match 15
Cleveland State (5-8-1, 0-3-1) at Green Bay (3-4-3, 0-2-1)
Date: Friday, Oct. 17, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Site: Aldo Santaga Field (3,500), Green Bay, Wis.
Series: Green Bay Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: GB 1, @CSU 0 (9/30/07)

Match 16
Cleveland State at Valparaiso (9-4-1, 1-3)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008
Time: 12:00 noon CDT
Site: Eastgate Field (500), Valparaiso, Ind.
Series: Valpo Leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Valpo 2, @CSU 0 (10/21/07)

SETTING THE SCENE: A big week of Horizon League play lies ahead for Cleveland State as the Vikings will play a pair of road matches that will help to determine their seed in next month's league championship tournament. CSU begins the week in Green Bay, playing the Phoenix on Friday, Oct. 17 beginning at 7:00 p.m. CDT at Aldo Santaga Field. The Vikings then stop at Valparaiso on Sunday, Oct. 19 for a 12:00 noon CDT match against the Crusaders.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings split a pair of league matches last week. Here is a synopsis of that contest:

Match 13: Milwaukee 7, CSU 0 (Oct. 10, Krenzler Field)
Defending league champion Milwaukee scored five first half goals en route to scoring seven goals, the most ever by a CSU opponent at Krenzler Field. CSU was out-shot, 16-6.

Match 14: CSU 2, IUPUI 0 (Oct. 12, Krenzler Field)
Sylvia Olsby and Jennifer Wieand each scored goals and Shannon Saunders made four saves for her first career shutout as CSU ended a five-match winless streak with a 2-0 win over IUPUI. Natalie Daniels assisted on both CSU goals.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings have come along nicely under fifth-year Viking head coach Derrek Falor as the return of eight starters from last year's 5-14-1 squad and the addition of 10 newcomers have given CSU its deepest and most talented team to date. Senior Jennifer Wieand (1 goal, 3 assists), CSU's career scoring leader with 34 points, leads the offense with senior Abbie Kakias (1 goal) joining her at forward along with sophomore Sylvia Olsby (2 goal, 1 assist, 5 points). The midfield lineup has been rebuilt with sophomore Allie Riczo (1-0-2), who redshirted last season, and freshman Natalie Daniels (3-3-9) being joined by freshmen Samantha Salamon and Rachel Strongoli (1 assist) starting outside. The defensive lineup is a veteran one with juniors Jessica McCloy and Danielle Ultican getting the starting nod in the middle with senior Maggie Pugliese and freshman Jordan King starting outside. Sophomore Kelly Zinkiewich returns in goal, holding opponents to a 1.90 goals against average, making 55 saves with a school-record three shutouts this fall.

WIEAND TIES SCORING MARK: Senior forward Jennifer Wieand's goal against IUPUI was the 12th of her career, allowing the senior to tie Shayna Back's school career record for goals. Wieand, who already owns the CSU records for career points (34) and shots (127), also ranks second all-time with nine assists, one short of Lisa Conway's school record. Wieand had a school record eight goals last year but had been kept off the scoreboard this season until the 53rd minute of the IUPUI contest.

VIKINGS EQUAL WIN RECORD: Sunday's win over IUPUI improved CSU to 5-8-1 this season, allowing Cleveland State to equal the 2007 team as the most successful teams in school history. With at least five matches remaining on the schedule, the Vikings have already equaled the school record for wins (5), set last year when they went 5-14-1.

SAUNDERS RECORDS FIRST SHUTOUT: The 2-0 win over IUPUI on Sunday was even more impressive considering that goalkeeper Shannon Saunders, who normally backs up starter Kelly Zinkiewich, picked up her first career shutout in the contest. With Zinkiewich sidelined with a concussion, Saunders has played the last three matches.

ZINKIEWICH EYES SAVE MARK: With 55 saves this year, sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Zinkiewich has raised her career total to 179, the second-highest total in school history. She had 124 saves last year, the second-highest season total in school history, and has six more saves than third place Ashley Kidwell. She needs 35 stops to break the record of 210 saves by Erin Withrow (2005-06).

AN IMPORTANT STRETCH AHEAD: If the Vikings are to achieve their preseason goal of improving on last year's eighth place finish in the Horizon League, then they will have to accomplish it over the next two weeks. During that stretch, CSU (0-3-1 HL) will playValparaiso (1-3), Green Bay (0-3-1) and Youngstown State (0-4-1). A strong effort in those matches could move the Vikings to as high as sixth place in the league.

DANIELS GIVES AN ASSIST: When freshman Natalie Daniels assisted on both goals in CSU's 2-0 win over IUPUI, she became just the fourth player in school history to record two assists or more in the same match. Lisa Conway holds the school mark with three assists in a win over Delaware State in 2006 and both Conway (2 vs. IUPUI, 2007) and Heather Clapacs (2 vs. Delaware State, 2006) being the only other players to record multiple assists in a match. With three assists this season, Daniels is currently tied for the third-highest assist total in school history.

NEXT UP: The Vikings return home to host Youngstown State on Friday, Oct. 24 and then close the regular season at Butler on Sunday, Oct. 26.