The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
Men's Soccer Claims MAC Championship with Double-Overtime Win at Western Michigan
November 09 | Men's Soccer
Follow Akron Men's Soccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram | Buy Tickets
2013 MAC Tournament Bracket in PDF Format
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The No. 9 University of Akron men's soccer team claimed its ninth-consecutive regular-season Mid-American Conference championship on Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 double-overtime victory over Western Michigan at WMU Soccer Complex.
Akron (14-3-1, 5-1-0 MAC) senior Robbie Derschang knocked in a corner kick taken by freshman Adam Najem in the 105th minute to extended the Zips' win streak to four matches and unbeaten stretch to eight (7-0-1). It was Derschang's fourth goal of the season and third gamewinner.
Najem tallied his fourth and fifth assists of the year as he also helped out on UA's other goal, which came from senior Reinaldo Brenes in the 36th minute. Western Michigan (8-8-1, 4-1-1 MAC) tied it in the 80th minute thanks to a header from Oliver Mayer.
Akron dominated the shots category, 20-7, and led in shots on goal as well, 9-2. Six of the Zips' shots came during overtime (five in the first extra period), while the Broncos managed zero.
UA goalkeeper Fernando Pina earned the victory and had one save, while Chase Rau defended the WMU net and made seven stops.
The Broncos played down a man from the 60th minute after Kyle Farris was issued a red card.
The top-seeded Zips will play host to the MAC Tournament next Friday and Sunday (Nov. 15 and 17) at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. Following a 4 p.m. ET match on Friday between second-seeded Western Michigan and third-seeded Hartwick, Akron will face fourth-seeded West Virginia at 7 p.m. The winners of those two contests will meet in the title match on Sunday at 1 p.m., with the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Tickets are available by calling 1-888-99-AKRON (25766).
Zips Notebook: Akron won its second-straight double-overtime match after topping 11th-ranked Penn State 2-1 in the 106th minute on Wednesday ... Robbie Derschang's gamewinner was the seventh for UA this season that came after the 75th minute of play ... this was Akron's sixth overtime match of the season and the team improved its record to 4-1-1 in that situation ... in order to clinch the regular-season title Akron needed a victory over Western Michigan ... a draw would have given the Broncos their first-ever MAC championship.
