The University of Akron Athletics
#23 Akron Men's Soccer Travels to #25 Penn State on Wednesday
November 04 | Men's Soccer
GAMENOTES IN PDF
Match #17: #23 Akron (10-5-1) at #25 Penn State (11-4-1)
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014 • 7 p.m. ET
Jeffrey FIeld • University Park, Pa.
Webstream • Live Stats
THIS WEEK
Akron closes out its regular-season campaign with a pair of games this week. In their final road tilt on the campaign, the Zips travel to University Park, Pa., to battle 25th-rated Penn State on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Akron then caps its regular season hosting Buffalo on Senior Night on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field.
Under the guidance of second-year head coach Jared Embick, the Zips stand 10-5-1 overall and 3-1 in MAC play after a 2-1 victory past Northern Illinois on Nov. 1.
After 16 matches, sophomore MF Adam Najem (Clifton, N.J.) is the Zips' leading scorer with 10 goals, two assists, and 22 points. Freshman F Stuart Holthusen (Auckland, New Zealand) follows with four goals, three assists, and 11 points. In goal, junior Jake Fenlason (San Diego, Calif.) has started all 16 games and has a 0.79 goals-against average. He has six shutouts, 62 saves in nearly 1,480 minutes of action.
The Penn State Nittany Lions, under the tutelage of fifth-year head coach Bob Warming, stand 11-4-1 overall after a 2-1 double-overtime loss at Northwestern on Nov. 2.
After 15 matches, sophomore F Connor Maloney paces the Nittany Lions' attack registering team highs in goals (9), points (21) and game-winning goals (5), while ranking second in shots (38) and shots on goal (22). Redshirt senior F Mikey Minutillo follows with six goals and four assists on a team-best 53 shots. Senior GK Andrew Glaeser has 48 saves and a 0.84 GAA in 15 games.
AKRON-PSU: THE SERIES
Wednesday night's game is the 34th meeting between Akron and Penn State in series history (since 1978). The Zips lead, 16-12-5.
Last season, the No. 9 Zips won with a hard-fought 2-1 double-overtime victory over 11th-rated Penn State at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field on Nov. 6, 2013.
Senior Aodhan Quinn registered two goal in the victory, including the game-winning tally in the 106th minute (105:24).
LAST GAME: AKRON 2, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1
Akron claimed its 10th win of the season with a 2-1 victory at Northern Illinois in Mid-American Conference play on Nov. 1.
Junior forward Sean Sepe (West Islip, N.Y.) put the Zips on the scoreboard in the 17th minute with an unassisted goal.
Akron led 1-0 at halftime.
In the 78th minute, NIU's Richard Hall tied the game at 1-1.
In the 82nd minute, Najem put the Zips ahead 2-1 on a penalty kick goal, his 10th goal of the season and fourth game-winner.
Overall, Akron had 16 shots to NIU's nine. The Zips posted eight shots on goal to the Huskies' six. Akron had five corner kicks to NIU's three in the second half.
Fenlason recorded four saves in 90 minutes of action.
IN THE POLLS
After being ranked at No. 19 by NCAA.com, No. 22 by Top Drawer Soccer, and No. 29 by College Soccer News (Oct. 21), Akron checks in at No. 23 in the lastest Top Drawer Soccer national poll, while the Zips are rated 28th and 30th, respectively, by College Soccer News and the NSCAA.
NAJEM NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Akron sophomore midfielder Adam Najem was named the Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer co-Player of the Week on Nov. 3.
The team captain helped Akron to two wins on the week.
In the 5-0 shutout over Cleveland State, Najem netted the first hat trick of his career. He scored the game-winner, and eight minutes later, added an insurance goal. Before halftime, he added his third goal on the night. Najem became the first Zip to tally a hat trick since Reinaldo Brenes did it in the 4-0 win over Buffalo on Sept. 29, 2012.
In the 2-1 win at Northern Illinois, Najem booted in the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute.
Najem has started all 15 games this fall. He is the team scoring leader with 10 goals, two assists, and 22 points. He is a perfect 3-for-3 in penalty kicks.
Najem earned the MAC honor for the second time this season and is the fourth Zip honoree this fall. Freshman forward Stuart Holthusen (Oct. 20) and junior goalkeeper Jake Fenlason (Oct. 13) also earned MAC accolades this fall. Najem was also recognized on Oct. 6.
Najem shared weekly honors with West Virginia's Andy Bevin who had a hat trick in the win over Buffalo.
NAJEM GARNERS NATIONAL ACCOLADES
Akron sophomore midfielder Adam Najem garnered national recognition for his efforts in a pair of Zips' victories last week as he was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com and the College Soccer News National Men's Soccer Teams of the Week on Nov. 4.
UP NEXT
Akron hosts Buffalo for Senior Night on Saturday, Nov. 8. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
