Sept. 11, 2006
Contact: Brian McCann
Match 7
Akron (5-0) vs. Cleveland State (1-5)
Date: Friday, Sept. 15, 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Krenzler Field (1,680), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Akron leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: UA 2, CSU 1 (9/9/05 at Akron)
Match 8
Cleveland State at Cincinnati (3-2-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006
Time: 12:30 p.m. EDT
Site: Gettler Stadium (1,400), Cincinnati, Ohio
Series: First Meeting
SETTING THE SCENE: After playing five straight matches on the road, the Vikings finally return home to play at Krenzler Field this week when CSU hosts Akron on Friday, Sept. 15 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Cleveland State then visits the opposite end of the state on Sunday (Sept. 17) when the Vikings play at Cincinnati beginning 12:30 p.m. at Gettler Stadium on the UC campus. CSU has dropped five straight matches since opening the year with a 6-0 win at home over Delaware State on Aug. 27.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played in their first-ever in-season tournament, traveling to Mobile, Ala. to play in the KELME Port City Classic. Here is a synopsis of those matches:
Match 5: Nicholls State 1, CSU 0 (Sept. 8, Mobile, Ala.)
CSU dominated play offensively, owning a 21-10 shot advantage, but Nicholls State scored the lone goal just 48 seconds into the second half as the Vikings fell, 1-0, in the opening match of the KELME Port City Classic. Erin Withrow made five saves in goal.
Match 6: South Alabama 1, CSU 0 (Sept. 10, Mobile, Ala.)
South Alabama scored the only goal on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute. CSU had an 8-7 edge in shots with the penalty shot being the only Jaguar shot to be on goal.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings have played well during the opening weeks of their third season of women's soccer 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 CSU. CSU is still young, owning a 24-player roster that includes 11 freshmen, seven sophomores, five juniors and just one senior. Sophomore Erin Withrow, who led the Horizon League with 122 saves last year, emerged from preseason as the starter in goal and has done well, holding opponents to less than two goals a game. The preseason move that has paid the biggest dividends came when Falor moved sophomore Abbie Kakias to the central defender slot, a move that has solidified the young defender lineup that includes sophomore Natalie Wilson and freshmen Allie Riczo and Danielle Ultican. The area of the field that has shown the most improvement since last year is at the midfield with the five returning starters combining to record all but two of CSU's 25 points this year. The unit is led by junior Heather Clapacs (2 assists), a two-time second team All-Horizon League choice, while juniors Amber Rasmussen and Shayna Bäck (4 goals, 1 assist) have combined to start 74 games over the last two years. Rounding out the midfielders are sophomores Ashley Walchack (3 goals, 1 assist) and Lisa Conway (1 goal, 3 assists), who finished third and fifth on the team in scoring last year. The Viking offense was dealt a big blow just before preseason practice when junior Jennifer Wieand tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee and will be sidelined for the season. The injury created the opportunity for freshman Heather Wagner, who scored her first career goal at Valparaiso last week
WALCHACK & RICZO NAMED TO ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Sophomore forward Ashley Walchack and freshman midfielder Allie Riczo were each named to the all-tournament team last week at the KELME Port City Classic. Walchack led CSU with six shots in the two games while Riczo's ability to control play at midfield earned her a spot on the team
MISSING IT BY THIS MUCH: The 1-5 record that the Vikings take into the week is a little deceiving, especially when you consider that CSU has lost four of its five matches -- including three straight -- by just one goal. Last weekend was a perfect example of the Viking offensive struggles as CSU has a 28-17 edge in shots at the KELME Port City Classic but dropped a pair of 1-0 decisions. It is the first time in program history that the Vikings lost consecutive matches by 1-0 margins and the first time CSU dropped three straight matches by just one goal.
BACK TO THE MIDFIELD: After playing most of her first two seasons on defense, junior Shayna Bäck has thrived since moving to the outside midfield slot during preseason. Bäck leads the Horizon League in goals (4) and points (9), despite entering the season having never scored a point in 34 career games prior to this season. Bäck had at least one point in each of the first four matches this year, tallying the first two goals in the Delaware State contest, providing CSU with its only marker at both Kent State and IUPUI and assisting on the lone goal at Valparaiso. The streak goes even further back as Bäck had a goal and an assist in the exhibition match against Saginaw Valley State.
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME: After playing their last five matches on the road, the Vikings finally get to play at Krenzler Field again when they host Akron on Friday night (Sept. 15). CSU is 1-0 at home this year, defeating Delaware State, 6-0, in the season opener on Aug. 27. The second home contest won't be an easy one as the Zips bring a perfect 5-0 record into the contest, including wins over both Valparaiso (1-0) and IUPUI (2-0), two teams that CSU lost to on the road two weeks ago.
NEXT UP: The Vikings return home to host Indiana State on Friday, Sept. 22 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field.
