Sept. 5, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Dan Carr
CLEVELAND, OHIO - What goes around, comes around.
The CSU Men's Soccer team lost their opener to St. Bonaventure on a free kick. On Sunday (Sept. 5), they won their home opener on a free kick, as the Vikings beat Niagara 2-1.
After a yellow card was assessed to Niagara's goalkeeper in the 37th minute, John Wargo's kick from 20 yards out sailed into the corner of the net, giving the Vikings a 2-0 lead in the first half.
Cleveland State's other score came in the 24th minute. Brian Donnelly gained possession of the ball off of a corner kick by Manuel Conde. Donnelly found an open Caleb Eastham in front of the net. Eastham quickly bounced the ball into the air, where Conde ran under it and pushed it into the goal for the Vikings' first score of the 2010 season.
Coach Ali Kazemaini thought the Vikings played well in the first half, but started playing sloppy in the second half.
"We played one good half of soccer," Kazemaini said. "We absorbed the other team's press and we spent a lot of energy pressing the ball into their side of the field. We didn't do a good enough job of sustaining that energy into the second half though, and we let them have too many opportunities to get back into the match."
Wargo's goal proved to be the difference as CSU gave up a score midway through the second half. After several defensive fouls pushed possession back by the Vikings' net, a quick series of passes allowed the Purple Eagles' Gino Corasaniti to slip the ball past goalkeeper Brad Stuver for Niagara's only score of the game.
"In the second half, we let [Niagara] get into a rhythm," Kazemaini said. "We didn't maintain ball control, and we weren't sharp enough to find our open players. I think our guys got tired, and we will have to get our fitness level up for the future."
Stuver finished the match with four saves, including a key stop on a penalty kick in the first half.
"Stuver made a great save," Kazemaini said. "When your goalkeeper makes such a good move on a penalty kick and allows you to keep a two goal lead, you should have the energy to run down and score a third time. That's what we need to continue to work on, capitalizing on our opportunities."
Despite the uneven play in the second half, Kazemaini was pleased with his squad's overall effort.
"Any win is a good win," he said. "I definitely felt it was a win we deserved."
The win kept alive Cleveland State's impressive home non-losing streak. It has been over two years since the Vikings were last beaten on Krenzler Field. CSU is 12-0-3 in its last 15 home contests.
The Vikings will travel to DeKalb, Ill. next weekend to participate in the NIU Adidas/Magnuson Inn Invitational. CSU will take on Northwestern at 12:30 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 10), and will then challenge host Northern Illinois on Sunday (Sept. 12) in a 2:30 p.m. contest.
"The games in Illinois will be good for us," Kazemaini said. "They will give us a good indication of where we are entering the upcoming conference games."
