Sept. 4, 2007

Contact: Brian McCann

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Match 3
Cleveland State (1-1) at Western Michigan (1-1)
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007
Time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Site: WMU Soccer Complex (500), Kalamazoo, Mich.
Series: Series Tied, 2-2-1
Last Meeting: WMU 1, @CSU 0 (9/3/06)

Match 4
Cleveland State at Kentucky (1-1)
Date: Sunday, September 9, 2007
Time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
Site: UK Soccer Complex (1,500), Lexington, Ky.
Series: Kentucky leads, 2-0-0
Last Meeting: @KU 3, CSU 1 (9/20/02)

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State continues its current five-math road swing when the Vikings play two contests on the road this week. The Vikings will play a 4:00 p.m. match at Western Michigan on Wednesday (Sept. 5) before heading to Kentucky to face the Wildcats at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 9). CSU does not play at home again until hosting Notre Dame College on Sept. 19.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings opened the regular season with a pair of matches. Here is a synopsis of those contests:

Match 1: St. Bonaventure 3, CSU 1 (Aug. 31, Krenzler Field)
Steve Trapp scored on a rebound just 3:20 into the contest but the Bonnies responded with three first half goals as CSU dropped its opener, 3-1. Trapp scored from five yards out after SBU goalie David Flynn couldn't handle a Mitch Boyer free kick.

Match 2: CSU 2, Niagara 0 (Sept. 2, Lewiston, N.Y.)
Nick Harpel made six saves and CSU scored a pair of first half goals in a 2-0 win at Niagara. CSU took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when a Niagara defender inadvertently headed in a Roshard Gilbert cross for an own goal. Eight minutes later, Marco DiFranco scored off a pass from Mitch Boyer to close out the scoring.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings are bolstered by the return of nine starters and 14 lettermen off last year's squad that posted the nation's largest improvement in wins from one year to the next. Add to the mix 10 first year players and CSU easily has its deepest lineup in at least the last decade. The offense is led by sophomore forwards George Kephart (5 goals, 2 assists, 12 points in 2006) and Josh Williams (2-0-4), both of whom started all 18 matches last year. The midfield trio of senior Roshard Gilbert (2-2-6 in 2005) and sophomores Bryan Henson (3-0-6) and Marco DiFranco (2-3-7) return to give CSU a solid group of playmakers, though Gilbert did not play in 2006. The defense was much improved in 2006, holding opponents to 31 goals in 18 matches (down from 65 in 2005). Sophomores Mike Barton, Mitch Boyer and Eric Tattersall each return as starters on defense and they will be joined by Rutgers transfer Kevin Malone, giving Kazemaini and young, but veteran, back line. Freshman Nick Harpel appears to have won the goalkeeper honors after holding opponents scoreless in 135 minutes of action last week, including a 2-0 shutout of Niagara on Sunday.

THE SOPHOMORES HAVE IT: The sophomore class has had the biggest impact on the 26-player Viking roster as 11 second-year players are on the roster with eight of those players currently owning a starting assignment. The sophomore class combined to make 110 starts a year ago, an average of seven players in the starting lineup each contest.

. . . AND A FRESHMAN IN BETWEEN THE PIPES: The lone freshman in the starting lineup this year is goalkeeper Nick Harpel, who appears to have laid claim to the starting assignment through his play last week. Harpel came off the bench to shutout St. Bonaventure on Friday (Aug. 31) in the second half and then recorded his first career shutout when he blanked Niagara for 90 minutes in a 2-0 CSU win on Sunday (Sept. 2). Harpel, the only goalie in the Horizon League who hasn't been scored upon this year, -enters the week leading league in both goals against average (0.00) and save percentage (1.000).

A LOCAL FLAVOR: Two years ago, the soccer roster consisted of seven players who lived outside of the United States and only five who hailed from the greater Cleveland area. It hasn't taken long for Ali Kazemaini to change that as the only members of the 2007 Vikings to live outside of the U.S. are seniors Tom Sadd (Christchurch, New Zealand) and Roshard Gilbert (Scarborough, Ont.) and 22 of the 26 players are from Ohio (including 11 from the greater Cleveland area).

BOY OH BOYER: After going scoreless as a starter in all 18 matches a year ago, sophomore defender Mitch Boyer has scored a point in each of the first two matches this season. He earned an assist in the opener when his free kick was mishandled by the St. Bonaventure goalie and Steve Trapp scored on the rebound. On Sunday at Niagara, he fed Marco DiFranco for CSU's second goal of the match.

IMPROVING BY LEAPS & BOUNDS: The 2006 Vikings proudly wore the moniker of being the most improved team in the nation (based on improvements in wins and losses). After going 0-17-1 in 2005, CSU improved to 6-10-2 a year ago, a 6.5 game improvement. Evansville also made a 6.5-game increase, jumping from 2-14-1 in 2005 to 9-8 last season, while both Harvard and Western Illinois each improved by 5.5 games.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Vikings may get a little homesick this season as CSU plays 12 of its 18 matches away from home. The lone non-conference matches at Krenzler Field this season are the season opener vs. St. Bonaventure and the Sept. 19 contest vs. Notre Dame (OH). The road slate features matches vs. Cal State Northridge (Sept. 14) and Cal Poly-SLO (Sept. 16 at UNLV and an Oct. 28 contest at second-ranked Duke. CSU was 3-4 at home last year.

NEXT UP: The Vikings close their current five-match road swing when they play Cal State Northridge (Sept. 14) and Cal Poly (Sept. 16) at the UNLV adidas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nevada.