The Cleveland State University lacrosse team demonstrated significant signs of progress in its second season of existence. Below are highlights from the 2018 season: 

• Cleveland State collected four wins against Division I opponents in 2018 while facing six teams among the top 25 in the NCAA's RPI.
• Cleveland State opened its second season by hosting nationally ranked Ohio State in front of a sold-out crowd in the second annual Battle of Ohio.
• In its second home game, Cleveland State rallied from a four-goal deficit against Mercer, tying the game in thrilling fashion with 12 seconds left, to force overtime. In the first-ever overtime game in CSU history, the Bears claimed the win on the first shot of the extra session.
• The Vikings stunned defending Southern Conference champion Air Force, 8-7, in late February. It was the first road win over a Division I opponent for CSU and also its first one-goal win.
• In its game at No. 4 Denver, Cleveland State forced the Pioneers into season-worst performances in turnovers (21) and clearing percentage (14-of-20). The 21 turnovers are still the most by a DU team since March 2012.
• Cleveland State trailed for fewer than five minutes against NCAA Tournament qualifier Canisius March 4, but the Golden Griffins scored two late goals to edge CSU, 12-11.
• The Vikings closed the season by winning three of their final four games that did not come against nationally ranked teams.
• Cleveland State never trailed in collecting a 12-6 win over Lafayette March 13. The Vikings forced the Leopards into eight fourth-quarter turnovers.
• Hosting eventual national finalist Duke in front of a sold-out crowd, Cleveland State trailed by one at the half before dropping a 9-3 decision.
• CSU was one of just three teams to hold Duke to a single-digit goal total in 2018.
• The Vikings held Duke to a .231 shooting percentage, its lowest of the season, and had a .654 save percentage, the best mark by a Duke opponent in 2018.
• Freshman Stephen Russo made 17 saves against Duke, the highest by a Duke foe this season.
• Russo was the only goaltender named to the USILA Team of the Week March 20, earning the honor after beating Lafayette and posting a top-notch effort against Duke.
• In conjunction with the Lacrosse Communities Project – Cleveland, the Vikings hosted the inaugural Community Day game April 7 against Hampton. Dozens of area youths not only received a free ticket but also benefited from additional programming during the day, including a postgame autograph session.
• CSU won the Community Game contest against Hampton, 19-6.
• One week before Sacred Heart clinched a berth in the Northeast Conference Tournament, Cleveland State ran past the Pioneers in impressive fashion, 15-9.
• In that win over SHU, the Vikings held All-American Max Tuttle, the nation's third-leading goal scorer, to just one goal and two points, both of which tied his season lows.
• The CSU win over SHU also saw all six offensive starters have multi-point outings for the Vikings, the first such occurrence in program history.
• Nate Menendez, who had two hat tricks on the year, scored the first man-down goal in CSU history in the win over Sacred Heart.
• Freshman Michael Wilson led the team in goals (21) and assists (14).
• Wilson had points in all 13 games he started in 2018 and had multi-point outings in seven of the final eight games he started.
• Wilson ranked among the top 20 in Division I in shooting percentage (.457) and had the second-highest mark by a freshman.
• Danny Tesler had team highs in faceoff wins (135) and ground balls (70) for a second straight season.
• Tesler ranked among the top 25 in DI in ground balls per game for the second straight season.
• Russo started each of the final 10 games of the season and had a .515 save percentage, the sixth highest mark by a DI freshman in 2018.
• After playing in all 14 games in 2018, Brandon Ruditz is the lone Viking to compete in each of the program's first 28 games.
• Ruditz and fellow defender Skylar Jimenez were the only Vikings to start all 14 games in 2018.
• Jimenez led the team with 14 caused turnovers.
• Jack Frickleton scored 15 goals and added five assists to reach 20 points for the second straight season.
• Jared Stepka joined Tesler in having at least one ground ball in every game he played in the 2018 season.
• Parese Williams, a junior college transfer, became the first CSU graduate in program history.
• Other than Williams, the other 39 student-athletes on the roster were all freshman or sophomores.
• In three games in 2018 (2/23 vs. Air Force, 4/7 vs. Hampton and 4/14 at Robert Morris), Cleveland State was perfect on the clear.
• Cleveland State had more penalty minutes than its opponent in only 3 of 14 games this season.
• The Vikings outshot their opponent in six games and had the same number of shots in two other contests.
• During the fall season, head coach Dylan Sheridan announced the first four captains in program history—Caleb Espinoza, Noah Gleeson, Gage Johnson and Danny Tesler.
• Cleveland State faced off against defending world champion Team Canada during the fall portion of its schedule.
• Cleveland State finished the year with a cumulative 3.34 team grade point average.
• The lacrosse team won the department's Community Service Award at the annual VESPY event. The program donated over 1,000 hours of service during the year.
• The Vikings held a clinic at the launch of Lacrosse Communities Project—Cleveland, they ran a weekly 'lacrosse class' during the fall with students from the Urban Community School in Ohio City and they hosted over 100 children from Cleveland Metropolitan School District for a clinic to close the fall season.
• Head coach Dylan Sheridan was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Board of Directors in February. He is the lone Division I coach on the USILA board.
• Assistant coach Kyle Bernlohr returned for fall practice after leading the Ohio Machine to the Major League Lacrosse title. Bernlohr was named the MLL's Most Improved Player and was a finalist for MLL Goalie of the Year.
• CSU added Matthew Bertrams as a volunteer assistant coach in January. The former University of Albany standout became the second member of the Viking coaching staff to be actively competing in the MLL.

Photo courtesy of Tony Carter