Final Stats
Oct. 1, 2011
Contact: Tim Ertle
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MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - After going through a stretch where they had a tough time scoring, Cleveland State scored early and often en route to a 3-2 victory over Milwaukee to pick up their first Horizon League win of the season. The three goals scored by the Vikings set a new season-high.
Cleveland State is now 3-6-1 overall and 1-1-1 in league play. Milwaukee slides to 5-5 on the season and 1-1 in the Horizon League.
CSU scored the first three goals of the game and led 3-0 until the Panthers tacked on two goals in the final four minutes to make the final margin just one goal.
"The goals came when we needed them," head coach Ali Kazemaini said. "With the way we've been going as a team, it was huge to get out ahead early, especially on the road. And the second goal came when we needed it. Being up two goals is a big mental lift."
Forward Aaron Adkins scored in the fourth minute of the game, taking a long pass from Manuel Conde and squeezing it inside the far post.
In the 36th minute, sophomore defenseman Zach Ellis-Hayden scored his first collegiate goal when he slammed a pass from Admir Suljevic home to give CSU the 2-0 lead they took into the intermission. The Panthers tested CSU goalkeeper Brad Stuver just once in the first half, a period the Vikings dominated with eight shots compared to just four from Milwaukee.
Suljevic then scored his team-best fifth goal of the season in the 67th minute when he took a loose ball and beat goalkeeper Josh Rohde.
"That came in a big spot because it was kind of going back and forth in the second half, and it was important to stake ourselves to that 3-0 lead," Kazemaini said.
Milwaukee made a game of it with two late goals, one on a penalty kick by Cody Banks in the 86th minute and another from Adam Hutchinson in the 89th minute.
"For 86 minutes, we were real solid defensively," Kazemaini said. "I shuffled some people around and Justin Mancine and Justin Cree did a nice job for us in the back. We were really solid for a good majority of the game, and then they got their goal on the penalty kick. That's the second game in a row where we were called for a foul in the box, and I'm still not exactly sure what happened," Kazemaini said. "They made a play in the final minutes, and we were glad to get out of their with a win that puts us back in the thick of things in the league."
The Panthers were much more aggressive in the second half, firing nine shots on goal. Stuver made seven stops in the second half to end the game with eight saves.
Cleveland State will now take a quick break from league play when they take on Pittsburgh on Wednesday (Oct. 5) night at 7:00 p.m. The Vikings will return to league play - and Krenzler Field - when they host Loyola next Saturday (Oct. 8) at 7:00 p.m.
