Bulldogs Fall At Cleveland State

Slavisa Ubiparipovic scored the lone goal of the match with less than nine minutes remaining to lift host Cleveland State to a 1-0 victory over Butler in a key Horizon League match at Krenzler Field on Saturday (Oct. 31).  The setback snapped Butler’s five-match winning streak and eight-match unbeaten streak.

Ubiparipovic blasted the game-winner over the out-stretched hands of Butler goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler from five yards out at 81:20.  Passes from teammates Admir Suljevic and Marco DeFranco set up the decisive play.  It was the fifth goal of the season for the Cleveland State senior.

The Bulldogs (11-2-1, 4-1-1 HL) managed just one more shot on goal after the Cleveland State score, but Vikings’ goalkeeper Brad Stuver stopped the header by junior Kyle Pateros with less than two minutes remaining.

Both teams were scoreless through the first 80 minutes.  Butler had six shots on goal during that stretch, all stopped by Stuver, while Cleveland State (7-6-4, 4-1-2 HL) managed four shots on net, all controlled by Knopfler.

Senior Kyle VondenBenken, freshman Julian Cardona and Pateros all had three shots in the match for the Bulldogs.  Suljevic had a team-high three shots for Cleveland State.

Butler will try to rebound from its first league setback when it travels to Chicago to face UIC on Wednesday, Nov. 4.