Oct. 25, 2010

Contact: Dan Carr

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Match 17
No. 1 Akron (13-0-1) at Cleveland State (7-9-0)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010
Time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (2,000) - Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Akron leads, 10-35-4
Last Meeting: Akron 2, CSU 1 (2OT) (9/21/08)

SETTING THE SCENE: The CSU men's soccer team will face its toughest test of the season, as the Vikings welcome Akron, the No. 1 team in the country according to both the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll and the NCAA RPI, to Krenzler Field on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. It will mark the first time the men have ever hosted the No. 1 team in the nation.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: Cleveland State only played once last week, hosting Wright State in an important Horizon League match. Below is a recap of that contest:

Match 17: CSU 2, Wright State 1 (Oct. 23, Cleveland, Ohio)
Manuel Conde scored on a free kick and Aaron Adkins scored on a penalty kick as the Vikings defeated Wright State, 2-1, to clinch their 10th consecutive berth in the Horizon League postseason tournament.

2010 SEASON PREVIEW: Coach Ali Kazemaini believes the Vikings have the roster to compete for a Horizon League championship in 2010. Six starters return, highlighted by sophomore forwards Aaron Adkins (3 goals, 1 assist, 7 points in 2010) and Admir Suljevic (3, 6, 12 last season), both of whom were named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team in 2009. Backing them up will be an established Viking defense that includes seniors Audric Kilroy and Jeff Baker and junior John Wargo (3, 2, 8 in 2010). This trio led a Viking defense that recorded eight shutouts last year and guided Cleveland State to a second straight undefeated home record. Capping the defense is sophomore goalkeeper Brad Stuver, who became the starter late last season, and finished with 58 saves, good for fifth in the Horizon League. The midfield will be populated by some new faces. Wargo will move to an attacking midfield position. Joining him will be junior college transfer Manuel Conde (3, 2, 8 in 2010), who was named conference player of the year at Lakeland Community College, and freshman Cameron Eisses, who led his high school team in scoring four years in a row. Other notable newcomers include forward Caleb Eastham, who was named conference player of the year after scoring 18 goals with six assists his senior year; a pair of talented defenders in Justin Cree, who redshirted last season, and Zach Ellis-Hayden, a high school all-region honoree; and midfielder Tommy Fitzgerald, who was the offensive MVP of a Hudson High squad that finished 2009 as the district runner-up.

SENIOR DAY: Three seniors, Audric Kilroy, Jeff Baker and John Wallace, will be playing their final regular season home match on Saturday. The three have combined for 85 starts in 141 games played over the past four years leading CSU to 26 victories.

HOME, SWEET HOME: Cleveland State has been nothing short of impressive at home the past three seasons, owning a 17-2-3 record in matches at Krenzler Field since the start of the 2008 campaign. Cleveland State has outscored opponents 38-16 in that stretch and has recorded 11 shutouts. The Vikings have been especially good in conference play over the past three seasons, owning an 11-1-1 home record against Horizon League opponents and holding a 23-11 scoring advantage.

FIRST GOALS: Six of the seven Cleveland State players who have scored this season earned their first goals as Vikings. Neither John Wargo (three goals) nor Brian Donnelly (one goal), both juniors, had scored before this year. Transfer Manuel Conde (who has three goals this season) and freshmen Aslinn Rodas (two goals), Justin Cree and Cameron Eisses (who have one goal apiece) are all in their first season with CSU. Cleveland State's other three goals this year have been scored by sophomore Aaron Adkins, one of the top-returning players from last year's squad.

TAKING ON THE BEST: CSU's match against Akron this Saturday will be the first of two-straight contests in which the Vikings will face ranked teams. Cleveland State will play at Butler, currently ranked seventh in the country, on the road next Friday (Nov. 5).

SUPER STUVER: Goalkeeper Brad Stuver's fantastic 2010 season continued against Wright State, as the sophomore recorded two saves, including a huge one on a free kick at the end of the game to preserve CSU's 2-1 victory. Stuver leads the Horizon League in saves, having stopped 62 shots on the season, seven more than UIC's Steve Purdy, who is second in the conference with 55.

COMING FROM BEHIND: Saturday's 2-1 win over Wright State was a big one for the Vikings, and not just because it assured them of playing in the Horizon League playoffs. CSU fell behind 1-0 early in the second half against the Raiders, and managed to come back and win the match. It was the first time all season the Vikings had won a match after allowing the opponent to score first. Prior to Saturday's win, Cleveland State was 0-9 in games where they did not score first.

NEXT UP: Cleveland State will wrap up the regular season with a road match against Butler next Saturday, Nov. 5 at 10:00 a.m. (The time was orginially set for 3:00 p.m., but was changed to accommodate the women's Horizon League Championship semifinals, which will be hosted by Butler.) That contest will determine the final seeding for the Horizon League playoffs, as the Vikings could finish the regular season anywhere between second and sixth in the conference depending on the result of the Butler match and on how the other teams in the conference fare in the final week of play.