Opening Whistle
The Vikings are back home tomorrow for an early 11 a.m. start time against first-time opponent LIU on Krenzler Field.

Last Game Out
Cleveland State toppled Mercyhurst on the road 13-10 to get back to .500 in conference play. The Green and White led 2-1 midway through the first quarter when Mercyhurst tallied four unanswered goals to end the quarter and lead 5-2.

The Vikings ran off three straight goals to start the second quarter, tying the game at five apiece with 9:04 remaining in the first half. The Lakers reclaimed the lead with 7:22 showing and remained in front at the half, 6-5. The third quarter saw the Green and White blank the home team 2-0, leading 7-6 in the fourth. CSU accounted for the first three goals of the final frame to lead 10-6 with 9:54 left in regulation. The teams then traded goals down the stretch with the Vikings winning, 13-10.

Stewart Named Player of the Week
Robbie Stewart received his first career NEC Offensive Player of the Week recognition after setting a pair of game records in the victory over Mercyhurst. The junior went 20-of-26 in the faceoff circle and picked up 15 ground balls. He also took over the season record for ground balls with 77.

About the Sharks
LIU has dropped their last two games to enter the contest with a 7-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in conference play. The Sharks are coming off a 13-9 loss at home to Robert Morris on Saturday, following a 12-11 overtime loss to Wagner on the road.
Mark Regan leads the attack with 37 points on 20 goals and 17 assists, while Owen Stefano has a team-best ten assists. Shaun Hill is 88-of-177 in the faceoff circle with a team-best 53 ground balls. Tyler Davide tops the team in caused turnovers with 18. Brayden Wilcken is 7-2 in the cage with 92 saves.

Series History
This will be the first-ever matchup between these two teams.

The Numbers

• Cleveland State is 2-1 against first-time opponents this season.
• The Vikings are 17-18 in the month of April.
• The Green and White are 3-4 in the second game of April and coming off its first victory of this month.
• This is the ninth season of CSU lacrosse and the sixth under coach German.

 
On This Date
Tomorrow will be the second time the Vikings have played on April 12, with the first time coming in 2023 as the Vikings toppled Queens on the road, 13-12.

Back of the Net
Amiri Austin netted two goals in the previous game to move him into the fourth slot for all-time goals with 50. He is now three back of the third spot, which is held by Gavin Held.

A Helping Hand
Alex Van Voorhis added two more assists against the Lakers as he remains in the third spot with 42, and Austin picked up four assists in the game as well to give him 35 on the year. Michael Wilson has 62 assists all-time to lead the way, which was done from 2018-21.

Getting it Done in the Circle
Robbie Stewart remains in the third slot for faceoff wins with 251 and is 70 back of Evan Moskwa for second all-time. Danny Tesler leads the way with 478 set from 2017-20.

Scooping it Up
The duo of Robbie Stewart and Robbie Brazanskas are third and fourth for career ground balls with 131 and 94 all-time.

Protecting the Cage
Justin Dalum held his fifth spot in the career save category with 155 and is 14 back of Connor Kernan for fourth all-time.

The Start of a New Conference
Cleveland State will begin its new journey in the NEC after spending the past three seasons in the ASUN. The NEC makes its return after stopping in 2022 and will feature eight teams, including three former members of the ASUN: Robert Morris, Cleveland State, and Detroit.

Robert Morris was picked as the favorite to win the conference after receiving three first-place votes. The Vikings were right behind with two first-place votes, and LIU was third with two first-place votes. VMI claimed the final first-place tally to come in fourth.

The top four teams in the regular season standings advance to the NEC Tournament from May 1-3, which will be hosted by the regular season champion.

Up Next
Cleveland State plays its final conference road game against Robert Morris on Saturday, April 19, at 3 p.m.