Cleveland State at Kent State
Friday, August 23, 2019
Kent, Ohio | Dix Stadium
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland State women's soccer team will open the 2019 season at Kent State at 7 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 23) in Dix Stadium.
SEASON OPENERS: Cleveland State is 4-10-1 overall in season openers...The Vikings defeated Howard 2-1 in overtime last season to open the year...Cleveland State head coach Dallas Boyer has a 1-1 record in season openers...The Vikings, under Boyer, lost to Xavier in his first season and defeated Howard last year...This will mark the fifth time that the Vikings will open the season against Kent State and the Golden Flash have won all four of the previous meetings.
VERSUS KENT STATE: This will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Cleveland State and Kent State with the Golden Flash holding a 9-2-1 advantage in the series...Dallas Boyer is 1-1 versus Kent State...The Golden Flash defeated Cleveland State 2-0 last season...The Vikings last win in the series came in 2018 when Cleveland State posted a 2-1 victory...Kent State owns a 6-2 advantage in games played at Kent State.
VIKINGS PRESEASON: Cleveland State played a pair of exhibition matches in the run up to the season opener...The Vikings tied Buffalo 1-1 at Buffalo on Aug. 12...Cleveland State dropped a 2-0 decision to Duquesne at Krenzler Field on Aug. 16...Freshman McKenna Donahue scored the Vikings goal against Buffalo.
HORIZON LEAGUE POLL: Cleveland State was selected to finish third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll as selected by the league head coaches...The Vikings received two first-place votes and finished with 73 points...Defending Horizon League champion Milwaukee was tabbed as the league favortie, while Northern Kentucky was choosen to finish second in the poll.
ABOUT CLEVELAND STATE: The Vikings, who finished last year with an 11-7-1 overall record and a 6-2-1 Horizon League mark, return 17 letterwinners from last season and six starters...Cleveland State, which set school records for overall wins and Horizon League wins, advanced to the Horizon League Tournament title match for the first time in school history...Ja'Maya Ward, who was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team, is the leading returning scorer for Cleveland State after notching four goals and four assists last season to finish with 12 points...Junior Essence Canady returns after scoring three goals in 2018, while Briana Niedermeier started all 19 matches last season and registered one goal...Junior Grace Grant, who appeared in 16 matches, and sophomore Megan Bine, who started 10 matches, also return for the Vikings. Senior Kailah Ransom made 13 appearances last year and started six times...Senior Toni Dickson is back for the Vikings in 2019 after having her 2018 cut short due to injury...Seniors Elaina Walnoha and Bianca Sarti played in a combined 36 matches last year, while sophomore Aubrey Bechter appeared in 14 matches and made a pair of starts...Junior keeper Stevie Holbrook also returns in 2019 after posting an 11-6-1 overall record. She recorded six shutouts on the season and posted a .818 save percentage...Juniors Jordan Hindmarsh and Abby Major along with sophomores Daniella Delfino, Meredith Hansen and Helena Novatsidis also return to the Vikings in 2019...Keeper Annie Jackson redshirted during the 2018 season...Cleveland State welcomes five transfers and seven freshmen to the team in 2019...Sydney Hamker (Indiana State), Miranda Thomas (Wright State), Elena Gutlove (Butler), Elizabeth Harper (Army) and Allison Martin (Ball State) each transferred to Cleveland State this season...Grace Krosky, Lina Feltovich, McKenna Donahue, Cassidy Lewis, Rylee Bussen, Abigail McKeown and Courtney Coholich are new to the Vikings this season.
ABOUT KENT STATE: Kent State was selected to finish third in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll...The Golden Flash finished the 2018 season with a 10-8-2 overall record and a 6-4-1 record in the MAC...The Golden Flash dropped a 2-1 decision to Duquesne in exhibition action and tied Pittsburgh 2-2.
THE COACHES: Cleveland State head coach Dallas Boyer is in his third season at the helm of the Vikings and has compiled a 20-16-2 overall record...Rob Marinaro is in his 19th season at Kent State and has a 175-139-39 record.
