Cleveland State Men's Soccer Team Picked Second in Horizon League

Posted: Aug 12, 2011

Aug. 12, 2011

CLEVELAND, Ohio - When Ali Kazemaini took over the Cleveland State soccer program in 2006, the team was coming off a winless season. Expectations were not very high.

In a short period, he has built the program to the point where big things are expected, evidenced by the fact the Vikings were tabbed to finish second in the 2011 Horizon League Preseason Poll that was announced Friday morning.

All nine league coaches cast a vote and were prohibited from voting for their own school. Three coaches gave the nod to the Vikings as the preseason favorite to top the standings.

The defending league champion, the Butler Bulldogs - who went 7-0-1 in league play last season en route to the No. 13 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament - picked up five first place votes and 60 points to top the poll.

Aside from Butler and Cleveland State (53 points), only Milwaukee, predicted to finish third with 40 points, received a first place vote.

Green Bay, Valparaiso and UIC earned 33 points each to come in a three-way tie for fourth place. Detroit and Loyola, both with 31 points, tied for seventh.

Wright State, 0-7-1 in 2010, earned 10 points to round out the poll.

Even before the preseason poll came out, Vikings fans had reason to be excited about the 2011 season. Last year's team finished 9-10-1 overall, but tied for third in the Horizon League with a 4-3-1 record. Defenders Audric Kilroy and Jeff Baker, both of whom garnered all-league honors last season, were lost to graduation, but nearly everyone else is back.

Whoever Kazemaini appoints to fill the shoes of Baker and Kilroy will do so in front of Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year Brad Stuver. In his sophomore season, Stuver made 87 saves, 14 more than the second place finisher in that category.

Manuel Conde, a second team All-Horizon League performer in his first season as a Viking, returns to lead the charge offensively in his second year with the program since transferring in from Lakeland Community College.

CSU should also get a boost from senior John Wargo, the second leading scorer last season. Aaron Adkins, Aslinn Rodas, Cameron Eisses, Justin Cree and Zach Ellis-Hayden, all of whom saw significant time last season, return in 2011.

Not to be forgotten is the return of Justin Mancine. His season ended too quickly in 2010 when he suffered a leg injury that ended his season in the opener against St. Bonaventure.

The Vikings open preseason play Wednesday, August 17th when they go on the road to battle St. Francis (Pa.). The Vikings will then host Cincinnati in their final tune-up on August 20th at 4 p.m. before they get the regular season started with the defending national champion Akron Zips on August 27th.