Opening Whistle
Cleveland State will look to defend its title in a rematch of the 2025 #HLMSOC Championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m. against second-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne. The only difference this season is that the game will be played on the road and on grass.
Setting the Bracket
Semifinals
No. 6 Cleveland State (1), No. 1 Milwaukee (0)
No. 2 Purdue Fort Wayne (2), No. 5 Wright State (0)
 
Quarterfinals
No. 6 Cleveland State (2), No. 3 Robert Morris (1)

A Win Would…
Make Cleveland State back-to-back Horizon League Champions for the first-time in program history…Give the Vikings three titles under head coach Ubiparipovic and four overall…Match last season's win total heading into the NCAA Tournament.
 
Tournament History
Cleveland State is 7-2-0 in the Horizon League tournament under coach Ubiparipovic and 2-1-0 in the championship. Overall. The program is 19-21-3 in the tournament and 3-3-0 in the final contest.
 
Championship Game Knowledge
The Green and White lost to No. 1 seed Oakland (3-1) in 2021, the first appearance under coach Ubiparipovic. The team went back to the championship the following season and beat IU Indy at home (3-0) and then toppled Purdue Fort Wayne at home (1-0, 2OT) last season.
 
Rewind to Last Season
Cleveland State (9-3-6) won the programs third Horizon League Tournament Championship in a 1-0 double overtime thriller over Purdue Fort Wayne (8-3-6) as Matteo Correia headed in the winning goal in the 103rd minute off a cross from Paolo Roditti.
 
Cleveland State controlled the game, outshooting the Mastodons 20-5, including a 6-2 edge in shots on goal. The Green and White also had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. The first overtime saw the Green and White hold a 3-0 edge in shots and had two shots in the second overtime, with the second being the winner by Correia in the 103rd minute.
 
This Season Meeting
Cleveland State extended their unbeaten streak to six games after winning 2-1. Following a scoreless first half, the Green and White broke through in the 66th minute on a Uzman Ramees goal from 30-yards out off a pass from Ognjen Bozovic. Two minutes later, Ruggiero headed in a pair of passes from Mertz and Alex De Nittis.

Purdue Fort Wayne broke up the shutout in the 85th minute with a bicycle kick from the inside the box but were unable to get any closer as Cleveland State prevailed 2-1.

Both teams had 15 shots in the game with Bozovic having a game-best four. Ruggiero was next up with three and Ramees had two.
 
Series History
This will be the 18th meeting between these two teams with the Vikings holding a 10-5-2 advantage and are unbeaten in the last nine games. Cleveland State has won the last four games.
 
Shutting Out Success
Aleksandar Kolar in his first season starting for the Vikings, moved into a tie for tenth in shutouts for a season at six.
 
Horizon League Awards
The Vikings garnered two special awards and four all-league honors as announced by the league on Friday.
 
For the third straight year, a Cleveland State player earned Freshman of the Year honors as forward Domenic Ruggiero netted the award. Tom Mertz became the seventh player in program history to be named the Horizon League Player of the Year with the last honor coming in 2024.
 
Mertz, Ruggiero, and Lennart Heck were named to the first team and Uzman Ramees was recognized on the second team.