Oct. 8, 2006
Contact: Brian McCann
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Match 16
Wright State (8-2-3, 1-2) at Cleveland State (2-13, 0-4)
Date: Friday, Oct. 13, 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: WSU Leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: WSU 5, CSU 1 (10/21/05 at WSU)
SETTING THE SCENE: After playing six matches over a 13-day span, the schedule slows down for the Viking women's soccer team as Cleveland State plays just one match this week, a Friday (Oct. 13) meeting with Wright State beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings returned to Krenzler Field after playing just three of their first 12 matches at home, playing three contests at home. Here is a synopsis of those matches:
Match 13: CSU 1, Notre Dame College 0 (Oct. 4, Krenzler Field) Heather Wagner found the back of the net from the right corner in the 33rd minute and the Viking defense made the goal hold up as CSU won for only the second time in program history, snapping an 11-match losing streak. Erin Withrow made three saves for her third career shutout.
Match 14: Loyola 3, CSU 0 (Oct. 6, Krenzler Field) Loyola scored twice in the first half, the second coming in the 41st minute, en route to a 3-0 win on a cold and blistery evening at Krenzler Field. CSU was out-shot, 22-7 with Lisa Conway leading the team with four shots.
Match 15: UW-Milwaukee 5, CSU 0 (Oct. 8, Krenzler Field) The Vikings posted one of their worst performances of the season at the wrong time as six-time defending Horizon League champion UW-Milwaukee limited CSU to just five shots while rolling to a 5-0 win.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings have shown significant improvement on the field in 2006, but the record doesn't adequately show the improvement that they have made since last year. With nine starters and 13 letterwinners returning, head coach Derrek Falor has the deepest and most-experienced roster available since he came to Cleveland. CSU is still young, having 11 freshmen, seven sophomores and five juniors on the roster. Sophomore Erin Withrow, who led the league with 122 saves last year, is second this year with 79 stops. The defensive unit, which consists of junior Amber Rasmussen, sophomore Abbie Kakias and Natalie Wilson and freshman Danielle Ultican, has been steady. The area of the field that has shown the most improvement since last year is at the midfield as the three returning starters -- juniors Heather Clapacs (3 assists) and Shayna Bäck (4 goals, 2 assists) and sophomore Lisa Conway (2 goals, 4 assists) -- have helped to control play and create offensive opportunities. Three freshmen start up front, Heather Wagner (2 goals) and Allie Riczo at midfield with Jocelyn Keefer seeing time at forward.
VIKINGS SURPASS 2005 SCORING TOTAL: Heather Wagner's goal against Notre Dame College on last week brought the Viking scoring total for the season to 12 (in 15 matches), two more than the 10 goals that CSU scored (in 19 matches) during the 2005 season.
WITHROW MOVES UP SAVES LIST: Sophomore goalie Erin Withrow has had a busy two weeks in goal, making 33 saves in the last six contests to move into second place in the Horizon League in both saves (79) and saves per match (5.3). Withrow, who made 10 saves against Robert Morris for her sixth career match with double-figure saves, enters the week with a CSU record 201 saves in her career.
CSU IS JUST ONE GOAL SHY: The 2-13 record that the Vikings take into the week is a little deceiving, especially when considering that CSU has lost six times this season by just one goal. The Vikings have lost 1-0 and 2-1 three times each this fall. Cleveland State was finally able to turn the tables last week, using a Heather Wagner first half goal to upend Notre Dame (OH), 1-0.
. . . AND IT IS TOUGH TO WATCH: The one goal losses this year have been made even more difficult considering that the Vikings are playing without sophomore Ashley Walchack and junior Jennifer Wieand, the players ranked first and fourth in career scoring at CSU. Walchack (5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points), is out for the year after breaking her right leg at Robert Morris while Wieand (3-3-9) has missed all of this season with a torn ACL in her right knee.
CONWAY MAKES HER MARK OFFENSIVELY: Sophomore midfielder Lisa Conway continues to be a catalyst of the Viking offense this year. She leads the team with a school record four assists, including one on Heather Wagner's game-winner against Notre Dame on Wednesday night. Conway's four shots against Loyola on Friday raised her season total to a team-best 33 shots, the second-highest single season total in CSU history. She has 55 shots in her two seasons, trailing only the record 66 shots by junior Heather Clapacs.
NEXT UP: The Vikings play their final regular season roadcontest of the year when they travel to UW-Green Bay on Friday, Oct. 20. CSU then returns home to start a season-ending two-match home stand against IPFW on Sunday, Oct. 22.
