Oct. 18, 2011
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Match 16
Youngstown State (3-8-3, 0-3-2) at Cleveland State (8-6-1, 1-3-1 HL)
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Site: Krenzler Field (2,000) - Cleveland, Ohio
Streaming: www.CSUVikings.com (Travis Holmes)
Series: CSU leads, 4-3-1
Last M'tg: @CSU 1, YSU 0 (10/1/10)
Match 17
Detroit (12-4-1, 5-1 HL) at Cleveland State
Date: Sunday, October 23, 2011
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Site: Krenzler Field (2,000) - Cleveland, Ohio
Streaming: www.CSUVikings.com (Travis Holmes)
Series: UDM leads, 6-1-1
Last M'tg: @UDM 1, CSU 0 (10/10/10)
SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State returns home for the first time in almost three weeks when the Vikings host a pair of key Horizon League contests this week, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. match against Youngstown State on Wednesday (Oct. 19) at Krenzler Field. CSU then hosts Detroit at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 23). The Vikings are 8-6-1 overall and in seventh place in the league standings at 1-3-1 (4 points) with only the top six teams advancing to the postseason tournament. CSU is just one point behind sixth place Green Bay, two points back of fifth place Butler and three points behind fourth place Wright State in the tightly bunched standings. Youngstown State is 3-8-3 overall (0-3-2 HL), while Detroit is 12-4-1 overall and in second place in the league at 5-1 (15 points).
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played one time last week. Here are brief recaps of the matches:
Match #15: Longwood 1, CSU 0 (Oct. 15, Farmville, Va.)
Longwood's Kelsey Pardue scored off a loose ball in the box in the 34th minute and it proved to be the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Cleveland State. Becky Williams made two saves for the Vikings.
2011 SEASON PREVIEW: Coming off the best season in school history, eighth-year head coach Derrek Falor has high expectations for this year's squad. Falor will blend six returning starters and 13 letterwinners with 12 freshmen and three transfers to form this year's team. Headlining the returners is senior Natalie Daniels (3 g, 6 a, 12 pts) who will once again anchor the midfield. She is joined in the midfield by junior Jaime Avona (3 g, 6 pts) and freshmen Shea Levi (1 g, 2 pts) and Kelcey Fischer (1 g, 1 a, 3 pts). Seniors Samantha Salamon (1 g, 1 a, 3 pts) and Jessica Bound add experience and depth in the midfield. The defense is once again strong with the return of second team all-league junior Valerie Stahl (2 g, 1 a, 5 pts) and sophomore Frederike Dubeau (2 a), who was an all-newcomer team pick last year. Senior Marina Taylor, junior Carla Ragone sophomore Sarah Zawie and and freshmen Sabrina Abram add depth to the defense. Up front, Falor has relied on the duo of sophomore Taylor Vidovic (4 g, 1 a, 9 pts), senior transfer Nancy Newcomer (3 g, 6 pts) and freshman Lynsay Strahorn (2 g, 1 a, 5 pts) to provide an offensive burst. Senior Becky Williams (1.05 GAA, 53 svs), a transfer from Ohio Dominican, has stepped in as the starting goalkeeper after the Vikings lost freshman Sarah Wood to a season-ending knee injury.
IN THE BOX: Prior to this year, the Vikings had attempted just three penalty kicks in the history of the program (one each in 2008, 2009, 2010), making two of the three. This year has been a different story with the Vikings drawing four penalty kicks. However, CSU has been able to convert just one when Jamie Avona netted one at Green Bay (Sept. 30).
CHASING A WINS RECORD: With an 8-6-1 mark this season, the Vikings are closing in on the school record for wins in a season, which is nine set by last year's squad. The eight wins this year are already tied for the second most in the eight year history of the program. The 2008 squad also won eight times.
OUT OF CONFERENCE: The Vikings finished with a 7-3 record in nonconference games this year, setting a school record for most nonleague wins in a season. The old record was five non-league wins set in 2008.
GOALS, GOALS, AND MORE GOALS: The Vikings are scoring goals at a record pace this year with 21 tallies as 10 different players have scored at least one goal. The school record for goals in a season is 24, set last year.
... AND NOT GIVING THEM UP: The Vikings are also on pace to set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season with 19 goals against this year. Last year's squad holds the school record with 25 goals allowed.
... AND SCORING TWO OR MORE: CSU has scored two or more goals in seven matches this season, tied with the 2008 and 2010 squads for most matches with at least two goals. In addition, the Vikings have scored at least three goals three times this year, tied with last year's squad for the most in school history.
TAYLOR MADE: Sophomore forward Taylor Vidovic netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season in a 1-1 tie with Loyola (Sept. 30), moving her into a tie for sixth place for most goals in a season in school history. She needs one more to move into fourth place and two more goals to move into a tie for third place in the record books. Vidovic's four goals are tied for the 10th most in the Horizon League this season.
DANIELS DISHING IT OUT: Natalie Daniels is ranked fourth in the Horizon League with six assists this year, but is also chasing a CSU single season record. Lisa Conway currently holds the school record with seven assists in 2006. Daniels also had six assists in 2008.
... AND LIKES RECORDS: Natalie Daniels leads the team and is tied for ninth in the league with 12 points (3 goals, 6 assists). That has allowed her to add to her Cleveland State career records as the all-time leader in school history in goals (19), assists (19), points (57), shots (148) and shots on goal (93).
IN THE NET: Senior Becky Williams was out of soccer until joining the Vikings three games in to replace Sarah Wood as the starting goalkeeper after Wood injured her knee. Since then, she has started every game in goal, posting a 7-5-1 mark. She is ranked third in the league in saves (55) and sixth in shutouts (4) and goals against average (1.05).
BIG WIN: The 3-0 win over Ohio on Sept. 4 was a big one in more ways than one. It was CSU's largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent since a 6-0 win over Delaware State in the 2007 season opener (Aug. 27).
NEXT UP: The Vikings close the regular season with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Wright State on Friday (Oct. 28).
