MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – Cleveland State (8-6-4) upended the regular season champion and top overall seed Milwaukee (7-5-6) 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon in the Horizon League Semifinals.
The Vikings are back in the championship game for a second straight year and fourth time under coach
Sinisa Ubiparipovic.
The opening half went scoreless with the Green and White holding a 12-5 advantage in shots and 7-1 edge in corners.
Tom Mertz smacked the post in the eleventh minute.
Cleveland State took the first lead in the 59th minute with an absolute laser to the upper right corner by Mertz off an assist from
Bora Eldem. This is the second straight semifinal that Mertz has scored in.
The Vikings held a 23-14 advantage in shots and 8-6 edge in shots on goal.
Uzman Ramees and
Domenic Ruggiero each finished with five shots and two shots on goal.
Aleksandar Kolar recorded his sixth shutout after making six saves.
With the win, the Vikings advance to the Horizon League Championship game on Saturday, November 14 at 1 p.m. against the winner of Purdue Fort Wayne / Wright State.
