MATCH #9
Cleveland State (4-4-0, 4-4-0) at UIC (5-1-1, 5-1-1)
Wednesday, March 23 | 2:30 p.m.
Loves Park, Ill. | Indoor Sports Center
Live Stats
THE OPENING KICK
Cleveland State looks to bounce back from a 3-2 setback against Oakland last week while attempting its third win over its last four games. With two games remaining, the Vikes (4-4-0) are currently on the outside looking in for the four-team #HLMSOC Championships, which is based on conference win percentage. Cleveland State's remaining matches are against second-place UIC and IUPUI, which has yet to record a league win.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
UIC (5-1-1), which is undefeated over three home matches, is rolling at the right time, winning its last two games by a combined 9-0. Last week, Nkusuwila Zulu netted the opening two goals in a 5-0 blowout over Purdue Fort Wayne. Nkusuwila is one of the most dynamic players in the Horizon League, tying for fourth in points with 13 (five goals, three assists). Goalkeeper Sokratis Vasilas has started all seven matches and anchored the Flames' top-ranked defense, logging a 0.84 goals-against average while totaling 30 saves on 36 shots on goal.
AGAINST THIS OPPONENT
Cleveland State and UIC are longtime conference rivals, having played 42 matches all time with the Vikings holding a 21-17-4 advantage, including 9-12-1 on the road. The two teams have split their last two meetings, with UIC claiming a 2-1 double overtime win in 2019.
LAST TIME OUT
Entering last week's match against Oakland, Cleveland State had the number one defense in the conference, allowing only 0.86 goals per contest. The normally stout Vikings back line had a rare slow start, being tagged for a pair of goals within the opening eight minutes before outscoring the Golden Grizzlies 2-1 the rest of the way with Oakland's lone tally coming on a penalty kick. Bojan Kolevski and Jannis Schmidt both scored as Cleveland State held a 19-5 advantage in shots following Oakland's early markers. In his seventh start of the campaign, Omeed Naeemy made a pair of saves.
STAYING HOT
Jannis Schmidt has emerged as one of the best players in the Horizon League in his junior season. The Germany native is the third-leading scorer in the league and has registered at least one point in six of his last seven matches. Freshman forward Bojan Kolevski is right behind him, tallying four goals thus far. The duo is tied for the HL lead with two game-winners apiece.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
In all four of their wins this season, the Vikings have shutout the opponent. Goalkeeper Omeed Naeemy, who has started every match thus far, within the top 11 nationally in clean sheets while the Vikings own the third-best defense in #HLMSOC with a 1.13 goals-against average. Overall, Naeemy owns two of the top three highest single-game save totals in the Horizon this season with an eight-save effort against Green Bay on Feb. 4 as well as six stops at Milwaukee on March 6.
ROOKIES STEPPING UP
In a 1-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 12, freshman midfielder Julian Pellegrini and sophomore defender Danilo Bakoc made their first career starts. Bakoc played all 90 minutes in his second appearance of the year filling in for senior captain Thomas M'Barek while Pellegrini recorded a pair of shots, including an early effort on goal, while logging 82 minutes. Pellegrini has appeared in every match thus far and is one of four Vikings goal-scorers. The St. Ignatius graduate recorded a team-high four shots against Oakland last week.
#HLMSOC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Vikings won the league's weekly award in back-to-back weeks, with junior Jannis Schmidt being awarded Nike #HLMSOC Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 19 after his two-goal performance against Detroit Mercy, while redshirt sophomore Saahb Kular was named Defensive Player of the Week after propelling the Vikes to their first shutout against Robert Morris on Feb. 10. Last week, Naeemy took home Defensive Player of the Week honors with a three-save shutout against PFW.
RISING IN THE HORIZON
Junior Jannis Schmidt currently ranks second in the #HLMSOC in goals scored (six) and third in points (15) and is responsible for half of the Vikings' 12 tallies. Forward Bojan Kolevski checks in at seventh with four markers while both players share the league lead in game-winners (two). Omeed Naeemy is fourth in save percentage (.769) and goals-against average (1.07) and ranking first in minutes (756:15) and shutouts (four).
SEASON FORMAT
Horizon League schools will play a complete round-robin schedule in men's soccer with every league school scheduled to play each other once in the regular season. The league schedule sees each school slated for 10 matches over 11 dates of competition with each school having one bye week. The opening day of the men's soccer season was Thursday, Feb. 4. Matches will continue to be held every sixth calendar day until the regular season concludes Monday, April 5.
