Oct. 12, 2011
Contact: Tim Ertle
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Match 11
Cleveland State (5-6-1, 2-1-1 HL) at UIC (6-2-3, 1-0-1 HL)
Date: Friday, October 14, 2011
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Site: Flames Field (1,000) - Chicago, Ill.
Series: Cleveland State leads, 18-13-4
Last M'tg: Cleveland State 3, @ UIC 2 (9/24/10)
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SETTING THE SCENE: After a non-league win over Pittsburgh thanks to an overtime goal from sophomore Jordan Hart on Wednesday (Oct. 5), the Vikings kept things rolling with their highest goal output of the season in a 4-0 win over Loyola on Saturday (Oct. 8). With the win, CSU grew its winning streak to three consecutive matches and improved to 2-1-1 in the league. UIC will be looking to end the Vikings streak when they host CSU on Friday (Oct. 14) at 8:00 p.m. EST at Flames Field. The Flames are 1-0-1 in league play and feature the second highest scoring offense in the league. Coming into Friday's game, UIC is averaging 1.82 goals per game thanks to Eric Frazier (1.75) and Ivan Stanisavljevic (1.73) who are first and second, respectively, in points per game.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: Cleveland State won both of its matches to inch closer to the .500 mark. The Vikings took a quick break from Horizon League play and knocked off Pittsburgh, 1-0 in overtime, on Oct. 5. When CSU re-entered league play, they did so in a major way. Below is a quick recap of both matches:
Match 11: Cleveland State 1, Pittsburgh 0 (OT) (Oct. 5, Pittsburgh, Pa.) A goal from sophomore Jordan Hart off an assist from Zach Ellis-Hayden in the 95th minute gave Cleveland State a non-league road win over a team from the BIG EAST conference. The Vikings limited the Panthers to one shot on goal throughout the game while testing Pitt keeper Lee Johnston six times.
Match 12: Cleveland State 4, Loyola 0 (Oct. 8, Cleveland, Ohio) A season-high four goals, three of them coming from Horizon League 'Player of the Week' Aaron Adkins, helped the Vikings get past Loyola to earn their second Horizon League victory of the season. Adkins scored in the 9th minute to give CSU a 1-0 lead, and Aslinn Rodas closed the first half scoring in the 33rd minute when he put the Vikings up by two. Two more goals from Adkins, coming in the 54th and 56th minutes, helped CSU cruise to victory. Admir Suljevic had three assists while goalkeeper Brad Stuver had to make just two saves to earn his second shutout of the week and fourth of the year.
2011 SEASON PREVIEW: When looking at the Vikings 2011 roster, you'll notice a lot of familiar names. The 2010 team finished 9-10-1, but expectations are high this season with nine of the team's top 10 scorers returning from last season. Junior Brad Stuver (5-5-1, 43 saves) is arguably the best goalkeeper in the league. He was named Horizon League 'Goalkeeper of the Year' last season when he had three shutouts and 87 saves - 14 more than the second place finisher. An experienced backline is led by senior Brian Donnelly who has started nine of 12 matches this season, as has sophomore defenseman Cameron Eisses. Sophomore Zach Ellis-Hayden (one goal, two assists) has started all 12 games in the back, and the defense has received major contributions from Al James and Justin Mancine, both of whom have started nine games. Sophomore Justin Cree (four starts), junior John Gulden (two starts) and senior Chris Koy (two starts, one assist) have added experience and depth. Seniors Manuel Conde (two assists) and John Wargo, first and second on the 2010 team in points, will lead the charge in the middle. Wargo has battled injuries and only appeared in three games, but when healthy that duo teams with Aslinn Rodas (one goal, one assist) to make up the trio that combined for 51 starts and 27 points (nine goals, nine assists) last season. In Wargo's absence, freshman Mike Derezic (one goal) has started the first 10 games of his college career and the coaches are high on the rookie. The Vikings forwards have scored 13 goals in the 2011 season, with Admir Suljevic and Aaron Adkins each scoring a team-best five goals in addition to Jordan Hart (twice) and Cazz Warren finding the back of the net. Adkins and Suljevic, tied for fourth in the league with five goals scored, are the most well known but Caleb Eastham (four starts) and Hart (seven starts) are also very experienced for sophomores at the forward spot for the Vikings.
GOING STREAKING: With three consecutive wins, the Vikings are two wins shy of tying the longest winning streak under head coach Ali Kazemaini. During the 2008 season, the Vikings went through a stretch from Oct. 5 - Oct. 17 in which they won five consecutive matches. The program has a four-match unbeaten streak under the eye of coach Kazemaini in 2009, but this is only the second time under Kazemaini they've won three consecutive matches since he took over in 2006.
MAKE 'EM COUNT: In his hat trick over Loyola on Oct. 8, Aaron Adkins was credited with his second game-winner of the season which ties him for second in the Horizon League in that category. He's no stranger to the big moment with all three of his goals last year being game-winners. He also assisted on the game-winning goals against Akron and Valparaiso in 2010. Back in his freshman season in 2009, Adkins knocked home one game-winner, giving him six in his career.
THEY COME IN BUNCHES: The nine goals scored by the Vikings in their last three matches are equal to the nine goals they scored in the first nine matches of the 2011 season.
TIC-TAC-TOE: A superb defender, Zach Ellis-Hayden wasn't called on often to help offensively. He didn't record a point in his first 28 games with the Vikings, but he's tallied a point in three straight matches. He scored his first career goal in the 3-2 win over Milwaukee (Oct. 1), then assisted on the lone goal against Pitt (Oct. 5) and assisted on an Aaron Adkins goal against Loyola (Oct. 8).
HISTORY LESSON: It was 40 years ago this weekend when the Vikings had the best offensive game in school history. CSU defeated Wright State by a score of 24-0 on Oct. 16, 1971. Jim McMillan scored a program record seven goals and added four assists to finish with a school record 18 points. Eugene Vasu assisted on five goals which is also a single game record.
NEXT UP: CSU will play their final non-league game of the season when they host IUPUI at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 19). The Vikings re-enter league play on Saturday (Oct. 22) when they host Green Bay at 7:00 p.m. The contest against IUPUI begins a stretch where CSU hosts four out of five matches to end the regular season.
