The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Creighton
Men's Soccer Plays No. 10 Creighton to 1-1 Draw in Exhibition
August 20 | Men's Soccer
FT. WAYNE, Ind. – The University of Akron men's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw against No. 10 Creighton in an exhibition as part of the Shindigz National Soccer Festival Saturday.
The game served as a final tune-up for the Zips, who will officially kick off the season Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field against Cleveland State at 7:30 p.m.
"Considering we have been together for only 10 days and with so many new players, I was pleased," said UA head coach Caleb Porter. "There were many positives to build on and this young group has a ton of potential. Creighton is a very good team. They are athletic and their pressure is hard to deal with, especially on a slow field."
The Blue Jays jumped on top first when junior Andrew Ribeiro found the net, but Darren Mattocks, who finished third in the nation a year ago with 18 goals, scored the equalizer off a pass from freshman Wil Trapp (previously reported as Aodhan Quinn) before the half.
"We looked very naive at times in the first half and played right into their hands," Porter said. "We have to be able to adjust a lot quicker than we did. This probably cost us the first goal but we will learn from it. I liked our response after giving up the goal however. Many young teams would have not recovered."
The Zips had a number of chances in go ahead in the second half, including a breakaway and a point blank header, but couldn't convert. Nonetheless, Porter was encouraged with UA's resiliency.
"Our mentality was strong and in the end we looked to be the aggressor, which was good to see," Porter said. "Several players were tentative and still need time to settle in. This is a normal part of the process in building a team and our entire group will gain a lot from playing this caliber of game."
When the Zips host the Vikings next weekend, they will do so ranked No. 2 in the preseason NSCAA poll. With a positive result, UA will set the NCAA record for longest home unbeaten streak, which currently stands at 39 games (37-0-2).
For ticket information, click on GoZips.com/tickets, call 1-888-99-AKRON (25766) or visit the C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field (located at the southwest corner of the venue, near Gate 1, at the corner of East Exchange and South Union streets).
The C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
