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Contact: David Barry

Sept. 20, 2004

SETTING THE SCENE: After splitting a pair of games last week, the Cleveland State men's soccer team will try to go above the .500 mark for the second time this season when it travels to IPFW on Tuesday. After losing 2-1 to IPFW last year, Cleveland State is 1-2 all-time against the Mastodons. The team will look to build on the positives from its second half play against Marshall when Tuesday's match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. The Vikings will then return home on Friday to host Xavier at Lost Nation Sports Park in Mentor. The Musketeers sit at 1-4, and will host Cincinnati on Wednesday before traveling to Mentor to play the Vikings Friday at 4:00.

REVIEWING LAST WEEK:

Match 3: CSU 2, Duquense 1 After a 10-day layoff, Cleveland State returned to action by winning its home opener, 2-1, against Duquesne at Mentor High School. Spencer Lappin nutmeged a Duquense opponent before pocketing CSU's first goal in the 29th minute, then broke a 1-1 tie with a loose ball finish that gave the Vikings the lead for good. Cleveland State hung on for the final 28 minutes against a strong Duquense attack, and won despite being outshot 18-6.

Match 4: Marshall 3, CSU 2 The Vikings' two second half goals was not enough as Cleveland State saw its two-match win streak come to an end at Marshall. Spencer Lappin scored both goals for the Vikings, who trailed 3-0 just five minutes into the second half. David Prentice and David Stewart assisted on both goals for Cleveland State, who controlled much of the play in the second half after a sluggish start.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State will look to build on momentum from the second half of its 3-2 loss at Marshall. The Vikings came out sluggish in the first half, but came back to control much of the second half. The team will look to get more scoring from sources other than Spencer Lappin. The senior had all four goals last week, and Curtis knows he needs more of a supporting cast for his senior forward. "Hopefully we'll get more scoring from the rest of the team - we had numerous opportunities, and we've got to do a better job converting our chances." The Vikings will have a chance to do so on Tuesday against an IPFW team that split both of its matchest last weekend. The Mastadons beat Stetson on Friday before turning around losing to Central Florida on Saturday. Xavier, meanwhile, has lost four of its five matches this year, the latest a 4-1 loss at home against Valparaiso on Sunday.

LAPPIN THE COMPETITION: Spencer Lappin continues to impress with his goal-scoring abilities. The Pepper Pike native tallied the lone goal in the season-opening loss to Lousiville, then proceeded to score all four goals for the Vikings last week. He now has 12 goals in his three-year career at CSU. A second-team All Horizon League selection last season, the former Orange High School standout returns as the team's leading scorer, having netted five goals with five assists last year. The senior standout had more goals in a Viking uniform entering the season than all of his teammates combined. "We needed Spencer to step up this year," coach Curtis said. "And he's absolutely, 100% doing it. His overall play, not just his goal-scoring, has improved. He's playing with a confidence that only scoring goals can bring."

HEAD COACH PETE CURTIS: In his fifth season as head coach of the Vikings, Pete Curtis has accumulated a record of 24-53-2. He guided the Vikings to a 6-13 mark last season, including a month of September that saw the Vikings win six of their eight matches. Prior to coming to CSU, Curtis spent five years at the University of Charleston, compiling a record of 68-30-7. He also spent five years at Marietta College, guiding that school to a 28-58-3 mark during his tenure. He is assisted by John Harr, in his second season, and Andy Carl, who beings his seventh season with the Vikings.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: Twelve newcomers have joined the squad this year, after just seven players remained from the side that went 6-13-1 in 2003. Eight of the 11 starters against Duquesne were not in uniform for CSU last year, with goalie Amir Kettani, midfielder Harveer Mann, and targetman Spencer Lappin as the only returnees who got the starting nod. After practicing with the team last year while fulfilling eligiblity requirements, sophomore Mark Zambra was named team captain.

ONE TOUCHES: Spencer Lappin scored goals in three of the first four matches in `03, but did not score in the final 12...Talk about efficiency - so far this season, Lappin has eight shots, seven on goal, and five goals...Defender Craig Coleman returnerd to the Viking lineup this week after missing part of the Lousiville and all of the Alabama A&M match with a sore knee...Lakewood High School product Sinisha Kovanovic joined the Vikings roster on Monday, Sept. 13, and was in uniform for the Duquense match on Wednesday...Duquense took 18 shots against the Vikings on Wednesday, but keeper Amir Kettani needed just five saves to hold them to one goal...Six different countries (United States, Canada, Norway, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) are represented on this year's squad.