Posted: Mar 19, 2021
Cleveland State at No. 8 Notre Dame
Saturday, March 20 | 1:00 p.m.
Arlotta Stadium | Notre Dame, Ind.
Presented by Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine
Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
ROUND TWO
Saturday's match marks the second meeting in as many seasons between Cleveland State and No. 8 Notre Dame after the Irish claimed a 17-7 win in the first-ever contest between the two sides last season. The Vikings will taking on a ranked opponent for the first time since a stretch of three straight games against ranked foes from Feb. 15-23, 2020, which included the Vikings' first win over a nationally ranked program in a 12-11 overtime thiller over No. 16 Air Force.
IN THE WIN COLUMN
After falling to 0-2 to start the season, the Vikes picked up their first "W" last Saturday, silencing Bellarmine's offensive attack in an 8-1 victory that saw sophomore goalie Kevin Sobey stop 17 of the 18 shots he faced. Chase Baker notched a hat trick in his first action of the campaign while Michael Wilson scored and dished out an assist. As a team, the Vikings posted their best defensive effort in program history, holding a Division I opponent to under five goals for the first time ever. It also marked Cleveland State's first win while being outshot and fourth having fewer ground balls than the competition.
IN THE RANKINGS - AS A TEAM
The Vikings are third in the country in man-down defense at 90 percent, allowing only one EMO goal across 10 opportunities. Cleveland State is 13th in caused turnovers per game (9.67) while ranking 39th in faceoff winning percentage (.483) and 44th in clearing percentage (.821).
IN THE RANKINGS - INDIVIDUALLY
Redshirt senior Zach Whitenack is leading the country in caused turnovers per game (4.33) while goaltender Kevin Sobey has recorded 48 saves through three games, giving the sophomore the fourth-most saves per game in NCAA DI: 16.0. Sobey is sixth in save percentage (.649) and 14th in goals-against average (8.67). Freshman Evan Moskwa has excelled as a faceoff specialist, ranking within the top 35 in faceoff percentage at 56.2 percent.
GOING STREAKING
Michael Wilson and Tristan Hanna both carry team record-breaking 14-game point streaks into Notre Dame. Wilson has also scored in each of his last three appearances and dished out at least one assist in four straight. Junior Nick Polyduras owns a team-high five-game goal streak as part of a career-long six consecutive games with at least one point.
SURPASSING TRIPLE DIGITS
Michael Wilson was on fire to end 2019, tallying 45 points in his final 10 games. After posting 15 points in seven games in 2020, he now has points in 14 straight games, including 12 multi-point efforts in that span. Wilson's first-quarter assist in the final home game last season pushed his career point total to 100, as he became the first-ever Viking to reach the century mark.
NOT A RANK AND FILE WIN
Tristan Hanna was the hero with a program-record seven tallies as Cleveland State beat a ranked foe for the first time ever when it claimed a 12-11 overtime win over No. 16 Air Force Feb. 22, 2020. The win was no fluke as CSU had advantages in nearly every statistical category, including shots, faceoffs, clear percentage and caused turnovers. The Vikings rallied from four separate fourth-quarter deficits before winning in OT.
CAPTAINING THIS (VIKING) SHIP
Head coach Andy German announced the fourth set of permanent captains at the beginning of the spring season. Quinn Lemke, Derek Radke and Jason Sullivan will serve as tri-captains in 2021. Lemke is in his second stint as a captain, also serving in the role during the 2019 season.
STUDENT-ATHLETES
Although Cleveland State did not play any official games this past fall, the program still put up some impressive numbers. The Vikings posted a 3.51 team grade point average in the fall semester. Thirty five Vikings qualified for the Dean's List while 17 of the 52 Vikings on the roster compiled at least a 3.75 mark in the fall. Eight Vikings led the way by achieving a perfect 4.0 mark: redshirt seniors Chase Baker, Quinn Lemke and Nick Wendel, senior Tristan Hanna, junior Gabe Reno and freshmen Carson Croy, Gannon Matthews and Alex Van Voorhis.
Although Cleveland State did not play any official games this past fall, the program still put up some impressive numbers. The Vikings posted a 3.51 team grade point average in the fall semester. Thirty five Vikings qualified for the Dean's List while 17 of the 52 Vikings on the roster compiled at least a 3.75 mark in the fall. Eight Vikings led the way by achieving a perfect 4.0 mark: redshirt seniors Chase Baker, Quinn Lemke and Nick Wendel, senior Tristan Hanna, junior Gabe Reno and freshmen Carson Croy, Gannon Matthews and Alex Van Voorhis.
SPEAKING ABOUT SCHEDULE
Games against BIG EAST and ACC opponents, four rematches of contests from the 2020 campaign and a first-time opponent highlight Cleveland State's 2021 schedule. CSU had nine regular-season games and one scrimmage on its initial slate. The Vikings will face off against a pair of teams that reached the most recent NCAA Tournament and will meet the same opponent more than once in the same season for the first time. An early April game against VMI will be the first meeting in program history. Two of the Vikings' final three games will see them face off against an opponent that they already faced during the campaign, adding a unique twist to the season. Cleveland State is set to continue its streak of playing at least one team from the ACC and BIG EAST in each year of its existence to date.
Games against BIG EAST and ACC opponents, four rematches of contests from the 2020 campaign and a first-time opponent highlight Cleveland State's 2021 schedule. CSU had nine regular-season games and one scrimmage on its initial slate. The Vikings will face off against a pair of teams that reached the most recent NCAA Tournament and will meet the same opponent more than once in the same season for the first time. An early April game against VMI will be the first meeting in program history. Two of the Vikings' final three games will see them face off against an opponent that they already faced during the campaign, adding a unique twist to the season. Cleveland State is set to continue its streak of playing at least one team from the ACC and BIG EAST in each year of its existence to date.
