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Vikings Host Wright State To Open Tourney Play

Vikings Host Wright State To Open Tourney Play
Posted: Nov 07, 2008

Nov. 7, 2008

Contact: Brian McCann

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Match 18
2008 Horizon League Championship
Wright State (6-13-1) at Cleveland State (7-7-3)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: WSU Leads 12-10-1
Last Meeting: @CSU 3, WSU 0 (10/25/08)

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State returns home for the final time in the 2008 season to host Wright State in a second round match in the Horizon League Championship. The match will be held on Sunday, Nov. 9 beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field. The No. 6 seed in the tourney, Wright State (6-13-1) advanced by beating seventh-seeded Milwaukee, 3-1, on Thursday night at Wright State. The Vikings have played just one match in the last 13 days, that being a 1-1 tie at Butler on Nov. 2. CSU started the year with just a 1-6-2 mark but rebounded to go 6-1-1 in October and November, including five straight home wins.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played a single contest last week in the final week of the regular season. Here is a recap of that contest:

Match 17: CSU 1, Butler 1 2OT (Nov. 2, Indianapolis, Ind.)
Slavisa Ubiparipovic's goal in the 80th minute tied the match at and the two teams played through 20 minutes of overtime before settling for a 1-1 tie in the regular season finale for both teams. Nick Harpel made five saves in goal for CSU.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Third-year head coach Ali Kazemaini has a young, talented roster with nine starters returning from last season's 3-12-3 team. With eight freshmen and three transfers added to the mix, Kazemaini has the depth at every position to improve upon last season. Junior defender Mitch Boyer (5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points) leads the backline after earning second team All-Horizon League honors for leading the team in assists (4) and points (6). He is joined in the back by junior Josh Williams as well as freshman Justin Mancine, Chris Koy and junior Eric Tattersall. Sophomore Nick Harpel is back as the starting goalkeeper. He ranked fourth in the league in save percentage (.767) and fifth in saves (69), while recording four shutouts. The midfield is extremely deep and Kazemaini can call on any number of players, led by Anthony Rucci, the lone senior on the roster. The key will be up front where the Vikings have improved upon their 12 goals scored last season. Junior Slavisa Ubiparipovic (4-3-11), a Xavier transfer, was brought in to supply the offensive attack up front along with juniors Nenad Stojkovic (3-0-6) and Stephen Byer (3-0-6).

THE HEAD COACH: Former Viking All-American Ali Kazemaini is in his third season as the head coach at Cleveland State. He was hired in December of 2005 and immediately charged with returning the program to prominence. In his three years at the helm, Kazemaini claims a 16-29-8 mark, as his Vikings were the most improved team in Division I in 2006. Kazemaini boasts a career record of 192-105-20 as a head coach, which includes a 14-year stint as the head coach at John Carroll. He is a three-time OAC Coach of the Year and two-time region coach of the year, leading JCU to seven conference championships and four tournament titles.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: After opening the season by playing nine of its first 10 matches on the road, CSU has responded well to its return to Krenzler Field. The Vikings have won their last five home contests, the longest home winning streak since a seven-match run in 1989.

. . . A RECORD-BREAKING SEASON: The Vikings will bring a 5-0-1 home record into Sunday's match against Wright State and need a win to record the first undefeated home season in school history. With a .917 winning percentage, the Vikings are ahead of the old record of .800 set when the Vikings went 8-2 at home in 1989.

UBIPARIPOVIC & BOYER EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS: Junior forward Slavisa Ubiparipovic and junior defender Mitch Boyer have each been named to the 2008 All-Horizon League team. Ubiparipovic, a first team selection, earns the honor after sharing the team scoring lead with 11 points, scoring four goals with three assists. He was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Oct. 27 after scoring two goals with an assist in a win over Wright State. Boyer, who repeats as a second team selection, shares the scoring lead with Ubiparipovic, scoring a team-high five goals of which four have come on penalty kicks.

. . . MANCINE & BYER NAMED TO ALL-NEWCOMER SQUAD: Heading into the season, head coach Ali Kazemaini knew that in order to improve this year, the Vikings were going to have to improve on last year's 3-6-3 record in matches decided by a goal. CSU started the year with a less than steller 0-3-2 mark in one goal games, but has picked up the pace, winning four of the six matches during the current win streak to improve to 4-4-2 in one-goal contests this year.

WHAT DO THE COACHES KNOW: The fact that Cleveland State is the No. 3 seed in the Horizon League Championship is even more impressive considering that the Vikings were picked to finish dead last in the annual preseason poll of the league's head coaches. The 5-2-1 league mark this year is quite an improvement over the combined 5-24-2 record that CSU put together in league play over the last five seasons.

THE ONE GOAL TURNAROUND: Heading into the season, head coach Ali Kazemaini knew that in order to improve this year, the Vikings were going to have to improve on last year's 3-6-3 record in matches decided by a goal. CSU started the year with a less than steller 0-3-2 mark in one goal games, but has picked up the pace, winning four of the six matches during the current winning stretch to improve to 4-4-3 in one-goal contests this year.

HARPEL TAKES CHARGE: With just one goalie on the roster, the Vikings knew going into the season that they would win or lose based on the play of sophomore Nick Harpel. The Toledo native has thrived, ranking second in the Horizon League in both saves per match (5.24) and total saves (89) while posting a 1.49 goals against average with five shutouts. He has let up 27 goals in 17 matches, a figure that was skewed when he let up 10 goals in two matches in Chicago at the start of league play.

NEXT UP: A victory by the Vikings on Sunday will send CSU toa semi-final match against second-seeded Butler. The match will be played on Friday, Nov. 14 at UIC.