Women's Soccer To Play Three Matches In Five Days
    Niagara, Robert Morris and Miami (OH) Ahead For CSU
    Jaime Avona scored her first collegiate goal against Ohio (Sept. 6)

    Jaime Avona scored her first collegiate goal against Ohio (Sept. 6)

    Sept. 14, 2009

    Contact: Brian McCann

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    Match 6
    Niagara (2-3-1) at Cleveland State (1-4)
    Date: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
    Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
    Site: Krenzler Field (400), Cleveland, Ohio
    Series: Niagara leads, 2-0
    Last Meeting: @Niagara 2, CSU 1 (8/31/08)

    Match 7
    Robert Morris (2-3) at Cleveland State
    Date: Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
    Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
    Site: Krenzler Field (400), Cleveland, Ohio
    Series: CSU leads, 2-1
    Last Meeting: @CSU 2, Niagara 1 (9/5/08)

    Match 8
    Cleveland State at Miami (OH) (3-2)
    Date: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
    Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
    Site: Miami Soccer Field (1,500), Oxford, Ohio
    Series: First Meeting

    SETTING THE SCENE: After an uncharacteristic nine-day break from play, the CSU women's soccer team returns home this week to play two contests as part of a three-match in five days stretch. The week open on Wednesday (Sept. 16) when the Vikings host Niagara beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Krenzler Field. Two days later (Friday, Sept. 18), Robert Morris visits CSU for a 7:00 p.m. contest and then the Vikings close the busy week on Sunday (Sept. 20) with a 1:00 p.m. tilt at Miami (OH). After splitting its first two matches, including a 2-1 overtime win at Kent State, CSU has dropped three straight to fall to 1-4 on the year.

    REVIEWING LAST WEEK: The Vikings played a pair of matches on the road a week ago before taking a 10-day break. Here are a synopsis of those matches:

    Match 4: EKU 2, CSU 0 (Sept. 4, Richmond, KY)
    Eastern Kentucky took control of the match with a goal just 7:22 into the contest and the defense set in both ways as EKU had a slight 7-5 shot lead en route to the shutout.

    Match 5: Ohio 3, CSU 1 (Sept. 6, Athens, Ohio)
    Ohio scored a pair of goals in a five-minute span around halftime to open up a tight match and pull away for a 3-1 win. Freshman Jaime Avona scored her first career goal in the 52nd minute to put the Vikings on the board but CSU could come no closer. CSU was out-shot, 24-5.

    2009 SEASON PREVIEW: The benefits of three consecutive strong recruiting classes is starting to show as the Vikings return eight starters and 17 letterwinners from the squad that set the school record for winning percentage (for the fourth season in a row) with an 8-10-2 mark. The strength of the Vikings is in the midfield where sophomore Natalie Daniels returns after leading the team in goals (5), assists (6) and points (16) en route to earning second team all-league honors. She is joined by junior Allie Riczo and freshman Valerie Stahl to give CSU its most-talented trio at the midfield ever. The group of forwards features just one returning starter - junior Sylvia Olsby (4-1-9) - but freshman Jaime Avona and junior Marley Greiner played well during the preseason. The position will receive a boost when redshirt freshman Nikki Bevilacqua comes back from a hip injury. The defense returns practically intact with Danielle Ultican starting inside with Marina Taylor and Jordan King starting outside. The quartet combined to make 58 starts a year ago. Junior Kelly Zinkiewich returns to start in goal for the third straight season after making 78 saves with four shutouts last season.

    ZINKIEWICH EXTENDS SAVES RECORD: An eight save effort in the win at Kent State allowed junior goalkeeper Kelly Zinkiewich to break the CSU school record for career saves. With 18 saves this year, Zinkiewich now has 220 career stops, surpassing the old mark of 210 which was previously set by Erin Withrow (2005-06). Zinkiewich had 124 saves as a freshman in 2007 and 78 in 2008. She ranked fifth in the Horizon League in saves, and eighth in save percentage (.743) last year. Her 124 saves in 2007 are the fourth-highest season total ever.

    . . . BUT SAUNDERS IS COMING ON: There may be a battle brewing over the starting goalkeeper position as junior Shannon Saunders has played well in a reserve role this season. She came off the bench in the road matches at Eastern Kentucky and Ohio to allow one goal in 66 minutes, making fours saves. In the preseason, she made four saves in a scoreless half vs. Gannon and then earned the win over Mercyhurst, allowing one goal in 75 minutes.

    THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CONNECTS: The Viking offense this season has had a Pacific Northwest flare to it as three of the four CSU goals have been scored by players who hail from more than 3,000 miles away. Sophomore Natalie Daniels (Olympia, WA) leads the team in scoring with a goal and an assist while Valerie Stahl (Everett, WA) and Marley Greiner (Burnaby, BC) have eached scored once. The roster features two other players from the northwest, Sylvia Olsby (Seattle, WA), who is second on the team with seve shots, and defender Jordan King (Silverdale, WA), who has started four straight contests.

    . . . AND AVONA FINDS THE MARK: The lone exception to the Pacific Northwest scoring connection is freshman Jaime Avona, who scored her first collegiate goal in the Sept. 6 contest at Ohio. With CSU trailing 3-0, Avona scored on a breakaway off a pass from Marina Taylor. The goal came on the heels of a strong preseason performance that saw her score a goal and add two assists in two contests.

    DANIELS LEADS CSU OFFENSE: Sophomore Natalie Daniels is on a roll offensively, scoring at least one point in seven of her last 11 matches going back to last season. Over that span, the sophomore has tallied three goals with five assists (11 points) to help CSU go 5-6. Those totals do not include her performance during the exhibition season this year when she posted two goals and three assists as CSU went undefeated in preseason play for the first time ever. Daniels led the Vikings last season with five goals, six assists and 16 points.

    A YOUNG LINEUP: The Vikings entered the 2009 season with 10 starters returning from last year's team yet the current starting lineup is dominated by the underclassmen on the squad. In fact, just one of the five seniors (Danielle Ultican) is in the starting lineup. The rest of the lineup includes five juniors, three sophomores and a pair of freshmen, forward Jaime Avona and midfielder Valerie Stahl.

    NEXT UP: The Vikings head back out on the road, playing at IUPUI on Friday, Sept. 25 before opening Horizon League play at Wright State on Sunday, Sept. 27.