Opening Whistle  
The Vikings (0-7-0) take on Oakland (1-4-1) on the road to open up league play. 
 
Last Game Out  
Cleveland State was defeated at home against Southern Indiana 1-0 with a last-minute goal from Southern Indiana at the 88^th minute to win the game. The Vikings had six shots from five different players and four on goal, with Cortlyn Hefty who lead the way with two shots.

About the Golden Grizzlies
The Golden Grizzlies are 1-4-1 on the year with their win came from Mercyhurst and the tie from Rochester Christian University.

Oakland was picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League, predicted to finish with 93 points. The Grizzlies return one of their strongest rosters in recent years, with additions of a few power-five talent.

Series History with Oakland
This will be the 15^th matchup between these two teams, with Oakland holding a 6-4-4 record against Cleveland State. The last matchup was last season and ended as a 1-1 draw. Prior to that year the Vikings won 4-0 in 2024 at home.

Milestone Watch
Hayleigh Lewis is now only six saves away from moving up to eighth of all-time career saves, with 81 saves in her career.

Preseason Poll 
Cleveland State was chosen to finish ninth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll with 57 points. Milwaukee took the top spot with 142 points, NKU was second with 119 points, and YSU in third with 103 points. 
 
Meet Your Captains 
Olivia Cruz and Cortlyn Hefty will serve as the team captains for the 2026 season. 

Up Next 
Cleveland State takes on Youngstown State on Thursday September 24^th at 6:00pm and on Sunday September 27^th at 1:00pm takes on Robert Morris.