Oct. 15, 2006
Contact: Brian McCann
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Match 17
Cleveland State (2-14, 0-5) at UW-Green Bay (7-3-2, 2-1-1)
Date: Friday, Oct. 20, 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Site: Phoenix Field (3,500), Green Bay, Wis.
Series: UW-Green Bay Leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: UWGB 5, CSU 0 (10/2/05 at CSU)
Match 18
IPFW (3-9-1) at Cleveland State
Date: Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006
Time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: IPFW Leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: IPFW 2, CSU 1 (9/25/05 at CSU)
SETTING THE SCENE: The Vikings take to the road for the final time during the regular season when CSU plays at UW-Green Bay on Friday, Oct. 20 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Phoenix Field on the UW-Green Bay campus. CSU then returns home to host a non-conference match against IPFW on Sunday, October 22 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Krenzler Field.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The schedule slowed for the Vikings as CSU played just one home match last week. Here is a synopsis of that contest:
Match 16: Wright State 2, CSU 0 (Oct. 13, Krenzler Field)
Viking defensive misplays led to a breakaway goal in each half and CSU could muster just five shots offensively as Wright State snuck away from Krenzler Field with a 2-0 win. CSU played the final 15 minutes with a one-player advantage after WSU's Jodie Shoaf received a red card in the 76th minute.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings have shown significant improvement on the field in 2006, but the record doesn't adequately show the improvement that they have made since last year. With nine starters and 13 letterwinners returning, head coach Derrek Falor has the deepest and most-experienced roster available since he came to Cleveland. CSU is still young, having 11 freshmen, seven sophomores and five juniors on the roster. Sophomore Erin Withrow, who led the league with 122 saves last year, is second this year with 83 stops. The defensive unit, which consists of junior Amber Rasmussen, sophomore Abbie Kakias and Natalie Wilson and freshman Danielle Ultican, has been steady. The area of the field that has shown the most improvement since last year is at the midfield as the three returning starters -- juniors Heather Clapacs (3 assists) and Shayna Bäck (4 goals, 2 assists) and sophomore Lisa Conway (2 goals, 4 assists) -- have helped to control play and create offensive opportunities. Three freshmen start up front, Heather Wagner (2 goals) and Allie Riczo at midfield with Jocelyn Keefer seeing time at forward.
SENIOR NIGHT APPROACHING: With only two weeks left in the regular season, the regular season home finale against Youngstown State on Oct. 25 will be important for a number of reasons. Not only will senior Andrea Loejos be honored as part of the Senior Night activities, but the game will pit the only two teams that are winless in Horizon League play with the loser going on to play regular season champion (either UW-Milwaukee or Detroit) in the opening round of the league tourney.
VIKINGS SURPASS 2005 SCORING TOTAL: Heather Wagner's goal against Notre Dame College on Oct. 4 brought the Viking scoring total to 12 (in 16 matches), two more than the 10 goals that CSU scored (in 19 matches) during the 2005 season.
WITHROW MOVES UP SAVES LIST: Sophomore goalie Erin Withrow has had a busy month in goal, making 33 saves in the last six contests to move into second place in the Horizon League in both saves (79) and saves per match (5.3). Withrow, who made 10 saves against Robert Morris for her sixth career match with double-figure saves, enters the week with a CSU record 201 saves in her career.
CSU IS JUST ONE GOAL SHY: The 2-14 record that the Vikings take into the week is a little deceiving, especially when considering that CSU has lost six times this season by just one goal. The Vikings have lost 1-0 and 2-1 three times each this fall. Cleveland State was finally able to turn the tables on Oct. 4, using a Heather Wagner goal to upend Notre Dame (OH), 1-0.
. . . AND IT IS TOUGH TO WATCH: The one goal losses this year have been made even more difficult considering that the Vikings are playing without sophomore Ashley Walchack and junior Jennifer Wieand, the players ranked first and fourth in career scoring at CSU. Walchack (5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points), is out for the year after breaking her right leg at Robert Morris while Wieand (3-3-9) has missed all of this season with a torn ACL in her right knee.
CONWAY MAKES HER MARK OFFENSIVELY: Sophomore midfielder Lisa Conway continues to be a catalyst of the Viking offense this year. She leads the team with a school record four assists, the fourth coming on Heather Wagner's game-winner against Notre Dame on Oct. 4. The other three assists came in the season-opening win over Delaware State, allowing her to become the first player in school history to earn Horizon League Athlete of the Week honors. Conway leads the team with 34 shots, the second-highest single season total in CSU history. She has 55 shots in her two seasons, trailing only the record 67 shots by junior Heather Clapacs.
NEXT UP: The Vikings close the regular season at home on Wednesday, Oct. 25 against Youngstown State on Senior Night.
