Sept. 18, 2000
From The Desk Of Pete Curtis -- With everyone healthy and available for the first time this season, the Vikings were looking forward to hosting this weekend's CSU-All Crane Classic and having the opportunity to finally hit their stride. However, the whole balance of the team was rocked when defender, Dean Tuft (Fr., Connah's Quay, Wales), decided that he was withdrawing from school and returning home immediately - for personal reasons. Obviously, this upset the rhythm of the team and it showed clearly in Friday's performance, against Robert Morris.
Despite creating a number of opportunities early on, the Vikings were unable to convert any of them and paid the penalty late in the half as two defensive breakdowns gifted Robert Morris a 2-0 lead at the interval. To add insult to injury, one of the goals was put into the net by a Viking defender! After some intense discussion at half time, the Vikings came out for the second period in a higher gear and, not long into the half, clawed a goal back via Mark Royer (Jr., Scarborough, Canada). This goal was Royer's third strike of the season, after going scoreless in his first two seasons as a Viking! With the pressure now on Robert Morris, the Vikings began to find their range, but were kept at bay by some timely defensive interventions from the visitors. With the clock running down, CSU pushed more men into the attack, but paid the price for their adventure as the visitors countered to add a third goal to their tally. Despite an intense effort, CSU was unable to add to Royer's goal and left the field ruing those early defensive lapses.
With Saturday's opponent, Canisius College, having lost 0-2 to MCC rival Loyola on Friday, the Vikings had a pretty good idea of what was required of them come kick-off time. Major reorganization of the defense, along with some fine-tuning at midfield and up front, saw a different looking Viking line-up take the field with one thing in mind - a victory. From the outset, CSU controlled the rhythm of the game and denied Canisius any meaningful offensive penetration. Offensive pressure and possession paid off in the 27th minute when Adam Campellone (So., Seven Hills, OH) seized upon a loose ball in the visitors box and buried it into the bottom corner of the net for his first goal of the season. Having missed the first two games of the season through injury, Campellone was clearly enjoying his return to fitness and, along with Atle Haaland (So., Kvinesdal, Norway), was controlling the tempo of the game. Defensively, team captain, Ole Christian Haugen (So., Hornindal, Norway) was having a strong steadying impact on the Viking back line and, in the 36th minute, CSU's control was rewarded with a second goal. Misha Levkov (Jr., Richmond Hill, Canada) whipped in a corner kick, and Haaland was on the spot to volley home his third goal of the season from eight yards out. With the game well in hand, however, defensive complacency once again reared its ugly head and saw Canisius pull a goal back after 42 minutes.
The Vikings were determined not to be denied again, and the second half saw them regain control of the game and press for another goal. This looked even more likely after the ejection of a Canisius player close to the hour mark. Despite numerous golden opportunities, it was the 82nd minute before a stunning second Campellone goal sealed the first Viking victory of the season.
Next up for the Vikings is an extremely difficult trip to Notre Dame on Tuesday, followed by another home game, against Niagara, on Friday. With the first victory under their belts, CSU will now be looking toward continued improvement leading up to their first MCC contest, against Detroit, on September 27th.
