Men's Soccer Lands Seven on All-MAC First Team

November 13 | Men's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – Following its seventh undefeated league season, the No. 4 University of Akron men's soccer team place seven players on the All-Mid-American Conference First Team, including Player of the Year Steve Zakuani and Newcomer of the Year Darlington Nagbe, the league office announced Thursday.

Additionally, UA made a clean sweep of the postseason specialty awards for the second straight year as third-year head coach Caleb Porter claimed his second consecutive Coach of the Year award.

Zakuani, the nation's leader in points (45) and goals scored (19) and a Hermann Trophy favorite, becomes the sixth Zips player to earn the league's highest award since 1993 and follows Corey Sipos (2007), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (2006) and Ross McKenzie (2005) as the fourth consecutive UA player be honored in as many seasons.

Nagbe becomes the seventh UA player to earn newcomer honors and the third in the last four seasons, following Zakuani, who received the title last season and senior goal keeper Evan Bush, who achieved the distinction in 2005.

Joining Zakuani and Nagbe on the All-MAC First Team were Anthony Ampaipitakwong, Blair Gavin, Matt Tutich, Kofi Sarkodie and Bush. Picking up second team honors this season were Ossie Michalsen and Ben Zemanski.

Ampaipitakwong, a College Soccer News freshman All-American last season, is fourth on the team with 13 points (four goals and five assists) after having stated every game of 2008. The shifty midfielder notched a pair of game winners the season with the decisive blow at Bowling Green (Oct. 11) and in a big win over Michigan (Oct. 22) at Lee Jackson Field.

Gavin, who may be the team's most underrated player, completed UA's dramatic comeback at Ohio State last weekend with a game winner in the 82nd minute – his first goal of the season. The midfielder, who also has two assists on the year, often initiates the Zips' attack while also playing a key role on defense.

Tutich has been a key cog in the Akron offense with five goals and a career-best eight assists for a season total of 18 points, the second-highest on the club. He owns the honor of being a four-time, first-team all-league performer and notched game winners in back-to-back contests this season at Northern Illinois (Oct. 4) and Oakland (Oct. 8). Tutich was to the National Team of the Week by College Soccer News while also being tabbed MAC Player of the Week on Oct. 20.

Sarkodie has been a crucial part of one of the greatest seasons recorded by an Akron defense, which enters the postseason ranked second in the nation. As a unit, the Zips have allowed just nine goals while pitching 12 shutouts - the second-highest total in the country - in 2008. The athletic defender also recorded the game winning goal in UA's 3-0 upset of then-ranked No. 3 Notre Dame (Aug. 29) to start the season.

Bush, who already entered the year as one of the greatest players ever to wear an Akron uniform, is amidst his best season yet. The 'keeper is the MAC's all-time leader for wins (60) and shutouts (46) and enters the postseason ranked sixth in the country for goals-against-average (0.464) and 20th for save percentage (.845). He has been named MAC Player of the Week twice this season was named to the National Team of the Week by College Soccer News (Oct. 13) and Soccer America (Oct. 28).

As the lone upperclassman on the back line, Michalsen, a senior tri-captain and emotional leader, is one of the few holdovers from the 2005 team that set school records for shutouts (15) and goal-against-average (0.50). The Zips often turned to Michalsen, who started 13 of 14 games this season, to bring stability to a young defensive unit with his leadership skills and experience.

It has been a breakout season for Zemanski, the Zips midfielder who is ranked 17th in the nation with a career-high nine assists in 19 games. He has posted at least one assist in eight of his last 11 contests and scored the game winner on Senior Night against Western Michigan on Oct. 25. Zemanski was named to the National Team of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer on Oct. 13 after recording three assists in two games in wins at Northern Illinois and against Oakland.

With a first-round bye, the top-seeded Zips will begin defense of their MAC Tournament title Friday night in the second semifinal game starting at 7:30 p.m. at Lee Jackson Field. Akron will face the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal match-up between fourth-seeded Hartwick and fifth-seeded Western Michigan.

2008 MAC Men's Soccer Awards

Player of the Year
Steve Zakuani, Akron

Newcomer of the Year
Darlington Nagbe, Akron

Gary V. Palmisano Coach of the Year
Caleb Porter, Akron

All-MAC First Team
Midfielder – Anthony Ampaipitakwong, Akron
Midfielder – Blair Gavin, Akron
Midfielder – Darlington Nagbe, Akron
Midfielder – Alex Marrello, Buffalo
Forward – Steve Zakuani, Akron
Forward – Matt Tutich, Akron
Forward – J.P. Boyle, Hartwick
Defender – Kofi Sarkodie, Akron
Defender – Daniel Gwyther, Buffalo
Defender – Liam Parrington, Hartwick
Goalkeeper – Evan Bush, Akron

All-MAC Second Team
Midfielder –Ben Zemanski, Akron
Midfielder – Dominic Oppong, Buffalo
Midfielder – Drew Jekey, Northern Illinois
Midfielder – Brad Horton, Northern Illinois
Forward – Daniel Bulley, Buffalo
Forward – Shire Standnes, Florida Atlantic
Forward – Ben Thomas, Northern Illinois
Defender – Joshua Garcia Torres, Hartwick
Defender – Steffen Thoresen, Buffalo
Defender – Ossie Michalsen, Akron
Goalkeeper – Bobby Shuttleworth, Buffalo