Opening Whistle
The Vikings will look to shake off the jet lag with their first game back on the East Coast against nationally ranked No. 16 Akron on Labor Day.

Last Game Out
Cleveland State took its longest trip under coach Ubiparipovic to Grand Canyon on Monday, falling 3-1 despite getting off to a quick start. Paolo Roditti opened the scoring with his first career goal on a penalty kick in the second minute.
 
The Lopes equalized in the 15th minute and remained the same at the intermission. The home team tacked on goals in the 70th minute and three minutes later to win 3-1.
 
About Akron
The Zips are ranked No. 16 in the country and are coming off a scoreless draw against No. 8 West Virginia at home on Friday. Akron is 2-0-1 on the year and has yet to concede a goal. The team has tallied four goals all of which have been scored by different players. Mitch Budler has just three saves in goal.
 
Series History
This will be the 59th meeting between these two teams, with the Zips holding a 41-12-5 advantage. This will be the second straight year the game is on the road for the Green and White, with last season's meeting ending in a 3-3 draw.
 
Key Returners
Cleveland State welcomes back #HLMSOC Freshman of the Year & Second Team All-League honoree, Matteo Correia. Correia became the first-ever in program history and led the team in scoring (9) and points (21).
 
Tom Mertz also returns after earning Third Team All-League honors as a freshman. On the year, he had two goals and five assists for nine points.
 
Ubiparipovic Background
Sinisa Ubiparipovic enters his seventh year as the head coach at Cleveland State. In his six seasons, the Vikings are 42-40-14 overall (.510 winning percentage) and 26-20-8 (.545 winning percentage) in league play.
 
Preseason Poll
Green Bay is picked to win the championship after receiving four first-place votes for 87 total points. Oakland is slotted second with three first-place votes for 86 points, and Robert Morris is third with a first-place vote for 78 points. The Vikings received 59 total points to come in the fourth spot.
 
Up Next
Cleveland State returns home for the first time since the season opener to face Canisius on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
 
9.6 Promotional Giveaway
High School Soccer Night // International Soccer Night.