Kent State University
Cleveland State
Flashes Open Up Road Trip on Sunday at Cleveland State
8/26/2023 4:45:00 PM | Women's Soccer
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State women's soccer team will play the first of three straight road matches on Sunday when they take the short drive up to Cleveland to face off with Cleveland State on Sunday at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.Â
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Flashes (1-1-1) played some of their most exciting soccer on Thursday night at Dix Stadium but ultimately fell 1-0 to No. 21 Pitt.Â
The Panthers got on the board early, scoring off of a corner kick in the 10th minute.Â
From there, the Flashes upped the intensity across the board and fought next-and-next with one of the best programs in the nation. Ava Todd had a stellar game from her centerback position, contesting numerous Pitt shot attempts and cutting out entry passes. Todd, Kelsey Salopek, Dalaney Ranallo, and Abby Breitschuh worked together well as a unit for the full 90 minutes and were able to take away scoring opportunities from the potent Pitt attack.
In the 89th minute, Giulia Giovinazzi nearly tied the game with a right-footer that was tipped out of bounds by the Pitt keeper. Siena Stambolich's corner kick was threatening, but the outstretched arms of the keeper found the ball before the leaping Ranallo could knock home the equalizer.
Sarah Melén had her strongest game in goal so far this year, tallying a season-high 10 saves. Melén has now tallied double-digit saves in a game four times in her Flashes career and sits just seven stops shy of 200 career saves.
FRESHMAN ON FIRE
Josie Morgan has had a red-hot start to her career, scoring two goals in her first two collegiate games. Just 23 minutes into her Flashes debut, Morgan netted the first goal of the season for Kent State, taking a picturesque pass from Callie Cunningham and firing a strike past the Oakland keeper. Three days later, making her first start at Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium, Morgan scored her second of the season after Alisa Arthur drew in three Colgate defenders and found the wide-open freshman.Â
Morgan leads the Flashes in goals and points (4) through two games this season.
WELCOME BACK, COACH
During the offseason, Coach Marinaro added another assistant coach to his staff, bringing Jenna Hellstrom back to her alma mater. Hellstrom played for the Golden Flashes from 2013-16, finishing as the program's all-time leader in goals (37), assists (33), and points (107). She became the first All-American in Kent State soccer history when she earned NSCAA Second Team All-American honors in 2016.Â
After graduating from Kent State in 2017, Hellstrom played professional soccer all across the world. Sis a former member of the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team who was called in as recently as February 2023 when she played for the Canadians in the She Believes Cup. She was also a member of the 2019 World Cup team that reached the Round of 16, and has had stints at the club level with Rosengard, Djurgarden, Vaxjo, Washington Spirit, Orebro FC, and Dijon FC.Â
SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE
The Vikings (1-2-0) were picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll. Cleveland State lost its season opener against Akron, 3-1, but rebounded nicely with a 3-1 win over St. Bonaventure. On Thursday, the Vikings lost to another MAC opponent, falling to Ohio in a 1-0 battle.Â
The Vikings are led by three Horizon League award winners from last season. Kathryn Ramicone and Rylee Bussen earned Second Team honors a year, and Eleanor Simkonis was named to the All-Freshman team. Mayra Sesmas leads the team with four points so far this season and is one of four Vikings to have netted goals.Â
Liv Fain has started all three games in goal for Cleveland State, recording 6 saves in 270 minutes.
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday marks the 16th meeting between the Golden Flashes and Vikings all-time. Kent State holds a 10-2-3 advantage against the intrastate foe and is unbeaten in the last four games against Cleveland State. The Flashes have never lost as the visiting team in this matchup, sporting a 5-1-0 on the road.
UP NEXT
Kent State will jet out west for a pair of games against PAC-12 opponents. The Flashes will take on Arizona on Thursday, Aug. 31, and will then square off with the Sun Devils of Arizona State on Sunday, Sept. 3. Following the road trip, the Flashes will return home to Dix Stadium and will host Duquesne on Sunday, Sept. 10.Â
Follow the FlashesÂ
For more news and information about the team throughout the 2023 season, be sure to follow the Flashes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
