The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
UCLA
Zips Clash with UCLA in Non-Conference Showdown
October 30 | Men's Soccer
Follow Akron Men's Soccer on Twitter and Facebook
MATCH NOTES NO. 17 VS. UCLA (PDF)
No. 6 Akron (12-2-2) vs. No. 25 UCLA (7-7-1)
Sunday, Nov. 1
FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field (5,000)
Akron, Ohio • 1 p.m.
Live Stats: www.gozips.com
Webstream: www.gozips.com
Radio: www.sportsradio1350.com
WHAT'S AHEAD
In a highly anticipated match-up among two of the premier programs in men's college soccer, Akron welcomes four-time national champion and 25th-rated UCLA to FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field for a 1 p.m. showdown on Sunday, Nov. 1. The contest will also be carried live on the radio on Akron Fox Sports 1350-AM with Steve French providing the play-by-play.
HELPING THE 'DAN THE MAN' FUND
Akron will pay it forward before the Zips' home game with No. 25 UCLA on Sunday, Nov. 1, as the squad will don special t-shirts to promote awareness and help raise funds for Ashland head women's soccer coach Danny Krispinsky, who is currently battling colon cancer.
The Akron men's soccer coaching staff has gotten to know Coach Krispinsky quite well over the past few years as he has served as a coaching staff member at the Zips' summer camp programs.
Akron players will wear t-shirts during pre-game warm-ups that will then be signed by the player who wore them and be raffled off at the game. Tickets for the raffle will be $5 and will be available for purchase during the first-half of the Zips' game against UCLA. All funds raised will go directly to the Coach Krispinsky, "Dan The Man Fund".
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
UCLA (7-7-1), the top-rated team in the nation entering the campaign, comes into play against Akron on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2-2-1 in its last five games following a 4-3 setback at California on Sunday, Oct. 25. Sophomore Seyi Adekoya and freshman Jose Hernandez lead the Bruins with nine goals apiece, while sophomore Abu Danladi and freshman Jackson Yueill have added six and four tallies, respectively. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Juan Cervantes holds the majority of minutes in goal for UCLA this fall recording 22 saves and owning three shutouts and a 1.47 goals against average. As a team, the Bruins are rated sixth, 10th, 10th, 12th, 26th, 28th, 30th and 33rd respectively, in the NCAA in scoring offense (2.33), points per game (6.47), total goals (35), total points (97), assists per game (1.80), total assists (27), shots per game (14.80) and shots on goal per contest (6.47).
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday afternoon's game is only the third meeting between Akron and UCLA and the first at home since Sept. 1, 1989. The Bruins lead the all-time series, 2-0. The two sides will be meeting for the first time since Oct. 20, 1991, when UCLA earned a 2-0 victory over the Zips in Los Angeles, Calif.
THE COACHES
UCLA: Jorge Salcedo is in his 12th season as head coach of the UCLA program, owning a 151-60-39 (.682) record.
Akron: In his third year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, and ninth season overall, is Jared Embick, who has a 42-12-5 mark (.754), including 89-33-15 (.704) overall, in his seventh year as a head coach.
AKRON HEAD COACH JARED EMBICK
Jared Embick, who had previously served as the Zips' associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, officially became the seventh head coach in the history of The University of Akron men's soccer program in December of 2012.
The 2015 campaign marks his third year leading the Zips and the squad has registered a 42-12-5 (.754) ledger after going 13-6-2 a season ago.
During Embick's time at Akron, the Zips have posted the highest winning percentage in the nation with an overall record of 152-25-21 (.821), including a 47-2-2 (.941) mark in Mid-American Conference play, while securing seven conference tournament titles, eight trips to the NCAA Tournament and two appearances in an NCAA final.
Akron entered the 2014 season seeking to reload the Zips' talented foundation with a young squad following the departure of six starters from a 2013 team that posted a 17-4-1 record and a No. 7 national ranking.
Recording their 14th consecutive double-digit victory campaign, the Zips finished the season with a 13-6-2 ledger, including 4-1-0 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Akron's efforts were rewarded as the Zips earned the MAC's regular season and tournament crowns en route to collecting a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time in program history.
The Zips became one of just six Division I programs to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past eight seasons with their 29th overall selection.
Led by Adam Najem, Saad Abdul-Salaam, Jake Fenlason and Andrew Souders, who were selected as first-team All-MAC men's soccer selections, seven Akron student-athletes garnered All-MAC accolades a year ago. Additionally, Stuart Holthusen, Richie Laryea and Victor Souto were recognized as second-team selections.
The Zips came into the campaign maintaining a No. 13 preseason ranking by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as well as being tabbed preseason No. 14, 15 and 23 by TopDrawerSoccer.com, College Soccer News and Soccer America, respectively.
Akron's opening night line-up featured seven players making their initial collegiate starts for the Zips, while six first-year players took to the field at No. 5 New Mexico.
Individually, Najem, who garnered first-team All-Great Lake Regional honors, ranked fourth, fifth, eighth, eighth and 24th in the NCAA in goals scored (14), total points (32), goals per game (0.67), points per match (1.52) and game-winning goals (4). Jake Fenlason was equally impressive in goal rating 27th, 32nd and 53rd nationally in goals against average (.785), save percentage (.811) and total saves (73).
In January, 2015, Abdul-Salaam became the 10th Zip to have his name called during the first round of the MLS SuperDraft with his selection 12th overall in the MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City.
Due in large part to Embick's recruiting efforts, Akron identified and secured some of the best prospects in the country – and around the world – with top-five recruiting classes in each of the past five seasons. The Zips' classes of 2012 and 2009 were ranked No. 1 in the country, while the classes of 2011 and 2010 each received a No. 2 designation.
More importantly, Akron's recruits have flourished in the Zips' system, which features a style of play that is attractive and attack-oriented, yet effective on both sides of the ball. In total, Embick recruited or helped develop 24 players who have gone on to play professionally either in MLS or overseas since 2007.
The success of this formula was no more evident than at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft where seven Zips had their names called, including five with the first eight selections overall, to set a pair of MLS records.
Embick has also served as a staff coach with the Under-16 and Under-18 U.S. Soccer Development Academy's Cleveland Internationals club team for the past five years.
Prior to joining the Zips, Embick spent four seasons (2003-06) as the head men's soccer coach at Missouri Baptist University where he led the Spartans to a record of 47-21-8 and the program's first NAIA regional tournament berth in 2003. In all, Embick spent six seasons at MBU, including two seasons as a graduate assistant (2000-01) and one season as an assistant coach (2002).
During his time at Missouri Baptist, Embick also served as assistant coach for River Cities FC of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) whom he helped lead to a 13-2-1 record in its inaugural season and an appearance in the WPSL national final.
A 2000 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan, Embick was named an All-American by the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) in 1998 and 1999 as a player. He was also an NAIA honorable mention All-America honoree in 1999 and was twice named to the All-Mid-Central Conference squad.
ZIPS SECURE SHARE OF MAC TITLE WITH 2-0 WIN AT WEST VIRGINIA
For the sixth-ranked Akron men's soccer team it was only fitting that redshirt junior team captain Brad Ruhaak (Akron, Ohio) netted what proved to be the game-winning goal propelling the Zips to at least a share of their 18th Mid-American Conference regular season title with a 2-0 victory at West Virginia on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The triumph extended the Zips' unbeaten streak to nine straight games.
The game-winning tally came courtesy of Ruhaak at the 3:00 mark. Junior Adam Najem (Clifton, N.J.) served the ball into sophomore Stuart Holthusen (Auckland, New Zealand) on the play, who flicked the ball to Ruhaak for his second goal of the season. Ruhaak also scored in Akron's 2-1 victory at Buffalo on Oct. 9.
The Zips outshot the Mountaineers on the evening, 9-8, despite being outshoot on goal, 4-3.
Junior Victor Souto (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and redshirt sophomore Sam Gainford (Liverpool, England) directed Akron's offensive attack with two shots apiece, while five other Zips registered one shot each.
Senior goalkeeper Jake Fenlason (San Diego, Calif.) pulled in a game-best three saves for Akron en route to earning his sixth shutout of the year.
The Zips entered the intermission maintaining a 1-0 lead on the strength of outshooting the Mountaineers in the initial stanza, 5-1, including 1-0 on goal.
Gainford extended Akron's margin to 2-0 at the 66:38 mark collecting his seventh goal on the campaign on the Zips' first shot of the final period. Diaz came out of the box to pull in the cross on the play but slipped allowing Gainford to net the tally off an assists from Souto and senior Sean Sepe (West Islip, N.Y.).
The Mountaineers nearly spoiled the shutout bid in the 68th minute (67:35) if not for a pivotal defensive play by senior Andrew Souders (Amherst, Ohio), who cleared out Joey Piatczyc's shot for a team save.
AKRON AND WESTERN MICHIGAN BATTLE TO 1-1 DOUBLE-OT DRAW
The No. 5 Akron men's soccer team withstood a furious late charge from Western Michigan to collect a 1-1 double-overtime draw and a key point in the Mid-American Conference regular season race on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Zips were outshot in overtime, 6-0, but were able to extend their unbeaten streak to eight straight games on the strength of a season-high nine saves from senior goalkeeper Jake Fenlason, including one stop in the waning minutes of the second overtime period.
The Broncos posted a 20-7 advantage in shots in the affair, including a 10-4 margin on goal.
Adam Najem and Sean Sepe led Akron's offensive efforts with a team-high two shots apiece.
Najem gave the Zips an early 1-0 lead at the 22:01 mark serving a ball over Drew Shepherd for his seventh goal of the season.
The lead was short lived as Sean Conerty served a free kick into the box that found the back of the net in the 28th minute (27:40).
Akron was outshot in the initial 45 minutes, 9-1, including 6-1 on goal, but the Zips entered the intermission locked in a 1-1 tie with the Broncos.
A team save in front of the goal by the Broncos prevented Najem from netting his second goal of the afternoon at the 76:26 mark.
Sophomore Nate Shultz (Mayfield, Ohio) nearly gave the Zips the go-ahead goal eight seconds later at the 76:34 mark delivering a strike on goal that Shepherd was able corral for the save.
The Zips countered again with sophomore Richie Laryea's (Toronto, Ontario (Canada)) placing a shot on goal in the 80th minute (79:05) that was thwarted by a Shepherd save.
Fenlason pulled in his sixth save of the afternoon at the 80:55 mark off a shot from Brandon Bye before stopping Suarez's strike in the 82nd minute (81:50) for his seventh stop.
A diving save by Fenlason off a Conerty' strike at the 86:57 mark kept the contest square at one apiece. Fenlason posted all three of his second-half saves over the final 10 minutes of regulation.
Fenlason made his ninth and final stop in the 110th minute (109:46) denying a game-winning goal from Suarez.
SOUTO PULLS IN WEEKLY ACCOLADES
Victor Souto was selected by the Mid-American Conference as the MAC Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Monday, Oct. 26. Additionally, he was named by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its National Team of the Week.
The conference award was the first in Souto's career and marked the sixth weekly conference accolade for a Zip in 2015.
Souto played an integral role in the Zips posting a 1-0-1 mark this past week, registering three goals, while assisting on another.
QUARTET OF ZIPS EARN MID-SEASON RECOGNITION FROM TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM
Four Zips were recognized by TopDrawerSoccer.com for their play at the halfway point of this season with their selections to its mid-season Men's Top 100 Player and Freshmen lists.
Richie Laryea was the top-rated Akron player coming in at No. 10 nationally, while Adam Najem and Victor Souto were tabbed 19th and 50th, respectively.
On the Men's Freshman Top 100 list, Pau Belana (Barcelona, Catalonia) checked in at No. 23.
LARYEA GARNERS NATIONAL ACCLAIM
Richie Laryea continued to gain recognition for his outstanding play this fall as he was chosen by College Soccer News and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America on Oct. 19 as their respective National Player of the Week for the period spanning Oct. 12-18.
The honor marks the third and fourth time, respectively, this season in which Laryea has been tabbed as the National Player of the Week after earning accolades from TopDrawerSoccer.com and the NSCAA on Sept. 15.
Additionally, he was selected by the Mid-American Conference as the MAC Men's Soccer Athlete of the Week on Oct. 19.
The conference award represented the second straight and third of the season/career for Laryea.
Laryea turned in a dominating performance in a battle of MAC league leaders on Oct. 17 as he netted his first career hat trick to lead the Zips to their sixth straight victory, a 4-0 home decision past Northern Illinois.
ZIPS TIDBITS
• Akron is one of two schools in the NCAA (as of Oct. 29) to have three players owning seven or more goals this season joining Seattle. The Zips' trio of Richie Laryea (9), Adam Najem (7) and Sam Gainford (7) have combined to register 23 goals, the same total as Seattle.
• Victor Souto's three-goal explosion against Michigan State represented the first multi-goal game of his Akron career.
• On the strength of hat tricks in back-to-back games from Richie Laryea (Northern Illinois) and Victor Souto (Michigan State), the Zips posted hat tricks in consecutive games from different players for the first time since the 2010 campaign. Oct. 16, 2010, in a 4-0 home win over Buffalo, Darren Mattocks netted three goals before four days later on Oct. 20, 2010, Kofie Sarkodie recorded three goals of his own in a 7-1 home triumph past Michigan.
• Richie Laryea's three multi-goal games this season mark the most in a campaign for a Zip since Darren Mattocks registered six multi-goal efforts during the 2011 season.
• Akron's seven-game winning streak was the longest since the Zips rolled off 15 straight wins from Sept. 16 - Nov. 18, 2012.
• Richie Laryea has established career high marks in goals (9), shots (41), shots on goal (20), points (22), game-winners (3) and assists (4).
• Akron's victory over Northern Illinois marked the 150th win for the Zips since 2007, tops in the nation.
• Richie Laryea is now Akron's active leader in multi-goal games owning three in his career, all this season.
• Akron posted a season-best 13 shots on goal in the Zips' 4-0 victory over Northern Illinois on Oct. 17.
• The Zips registered a season-high 26 shots in a 2-1 win past Buffalo.
• Since 2007, the Zips own a 31-2-3 mark in the month of October in games played at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field
• The Zips' contest at Buffalo marked the opening game in Akron's five-game conference slate in this the Zips' 23rd season in the MAC. Following a 2-1 victory over the Bulls, Akron owns a 21-1-1 mark.
• Victor Souto's game-winning tally at Buffalo was the first in his Akron career.
• The Zips have finished halves strong this season as 15 of Akron's 35 goals have occurred during the final 15 minutes of the first and second periods. The Zips own eight tallies over the final 15 minutes of the first half and seven during the final 15 minutes of regulation.
• Richie Laryea netted his third career multi-goal game knocking in a trio of tallies in Akron's 4-0 win past Northern Illinois. He earlier added two goals in a 3-2 victory at No. 6 Maryland and in a 2-0 decision over Santa Clara.
• Over the Zips' last five contests, Victor Souto has paced the Akron attack registering five goals, while Richie Laryea, Sam Gainford and Brad Ruhaak have added three, two and two tallies, respectively. As a team, the Zips are averaging 2.60 goals per game en route to a 4-0-1 ledger.
• Sam Gainford, Richie Laryea and Adam Najem have played a major role in the offensive exploits of the Zips this season as the trio has played a scoring role in 28 of Akron's 35 goals this fall.
• Jake Fenlason, Adam Najem, Brad Ruhaak, Andrew Souders and Victor Souto have started each of Akron's 16 games this season.
• Four Zips currently owns starting streaks of 30 or more games in which they have played led by Adam Najem (50), Jake Fenlason (41), Andrew Souders (39) and Richie Laryea (35).
• The Zips are rated 12th nationally in attendance averaging 2,405 fans per contest.
• Adam Najem is currently ranked 14th, 17th and 19th, respectively, among active NCAA career leaders in total assists (19), total goals (25) and goals per game (0.42).
• With its win over No. 4 Georgetown on Sept. 4 and No. 6 Maryland on Sept. 7, Akron posted back-to-back regular season road victories over top 10 opponents for the first time since defeating No. 4 North Carolina (3-0) and No. 3 Wake Forest (2-0) to open the 2010 National Championship campaign.
• In Akron's 12 victories this season, Richie Laryea, Sam Gainford, Adam Najem, Victor Souto and Sean Sepe have recorded 34, 34, 32, 18 and 14 shots, respectively.
• Former Zips Saad Abdul-Salaam was a part of Sporting KC's victory on Sept. 30, in the U.S. Open Cup as his squad prevailed in penalty kicks, 7-6, over the Philadelphia Union.
• The Zips have posted a winning record in the month of September in each of the last 13 seasons, including 5-1-1 this season.
• Jake Fenlason recorded a season-high seven saves in Akron's 2-1 setback versus Wake Forest.
• Akron has benefited from scoring contributions from 12 players this season, led by 22, 20 and 19 points from Richie Laryea, Sam Gainford and Adam Najem.
• Sam Gainford has already amassed a career-best seven goals through 16 games this season, and with his three assists versus Ohio State, he surpassed set a new career-high for points (11) after collecting nine a year ago. He will enter the showdown with UCLA owning 20 points.
• Richie Laryea's nine goals and four assists represent career-high marks.
• Despite having only registered four shots on the campaign, sophomore Nate Shultz owns a pair of assists on the year.
• The Zips' game at UC Santa Barbara marked a homecoming for assistant coach Leo Chappel, who played a key role in transforming the Gauchos into a national powerhouse serving as an assistant coach from 2001-06 and again from 2009-10.
• Akron returned to the site of its greatest triumph when it battled UC Santa Barbara as the Zips claimed the 2010 National Championship with a 1-0 victory past Louisville in the championship game of the 2010 College Cup at Harder Stadium.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 14 of the squad's last 22 matches, including on 12 occasions this season.
• Sam Gainford registered the Zip' first multi-goal performance of the season with his two tallies versus VCU (Aug. 28). A year ago, only Adam Najem with his three-goal effort against Cleveland State logged a multi-goal game.
• The Zips own four victories over ranked opponents this season having defeated No. 4 Georgetown (1-0 on Sept. 4), No. 6 Maryland (3-2 on Sept. 7), No. 14 Saint Louis (3-2 on Sept. 11) and No. 25 UC Santa Barbara (2-0 on Sept. 25).
• Najem and Brad Ruhaak have been named as team captains for the 2015 campaign.
• Najem was selected by United State's Under-23 men's national team head coach Andi Herzog to attend a college identification training camp that allowed the coaching staff to evaluate collegiate players as the team continues preparations ahead of October qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The four-day camp ran Aug. 5-8 at the U.S. National Training Center in Carson, California.
• Akron owns a 21-2-2 record in its last 25 home matches.
• Since 2007, Akron owns a league record of 47-2-2 (.941) mark in the MAC. Furthermore, the Zips have won 10 consecutive MAC regular season championships and seven of the last eight MAC Tournament titles.
• In all, Akron leads all league members with 18 regular-season and 11 tournament championships since joining the MAC in 1993, and has won both titles in the same season 10 times after doing so in 2014.
• In 22 seasons in the MAC, the Zips have produced 161 All-MAC honorees, including a conference-record nine first-team selections in 2010.
• In all, the Zips have produced 20 Academic All-American honors in its history, dating back to the 1998 season.
• Akron has long been associated with academic excellence. In addition to posting a team GPA of better than 3.37 in 2014, the Zips finished second in Division I in 2011-12 with a cumulative mark of 3.44. The remarkable feat follows years that saw the Zips post GPAs of 3.43 in 2010-11 and 3.33 in 2009-10.
• Najem is Akron's active career leader in goals (25), assists (19), points (67), shots (135) and shots on goal (67). Andrew Souders leads active Zips on the roster in games played (76) and in contests started (64).
• Saad Abdul-Salaam became the 10th Zip to have his name called during the first round of the MLS SuperDraft with his selection 12th overall in the MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City in January.
NAJEM EARNS NATIONAL AND CONFERENCE HONORS
Akron junior Adam Najem received national recognition for his play as TopDrawerSoccer.com named him as the National Player of the week, while College Soccer News named him to its National Team of the Week on Oct. 5.
Najem also earned recognition by the Mid-American Conference named him as its Athlete of the Week as well as being named the Zips' Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by The University of Akron, Ohio's Polytechnic University.
The conference award is the second of the season and sixth of the career for Najem. The honor marked the third weekly conference accolade for a Zip in 2015.
Najem led the Zips to victories over Penn State (1-0) and at UAB (2-1, OT) as he played a hand in every goal for Akron recording a pair of goals, while adding an assist.
AKRON NO. 4 IN LATEST RPI REPORT
The NCAA released its fifth RPI report of the 2015 campaign on Monday, Oct. 26, and the Zips sit at No. 4 nationally. Atop this list is Wake Forest, whom Akron played on Sept. 22 at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field. The NCAA RPI is one of the strongest indicators used in the selection and seeding for the NCAA Tournament every year.
ZIPS EARN NSCAA COLLEGIATE TEAM ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
Akron was one of 215 school nationwide to have its men's and women's soccer teams recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as 2014-15 Collegiate Team Academic Award winners.
The Zips were also one of only two schools in the Mid-American Conference to have both of their respective soccer programs honored.
Under third-year head coach Jared Embick was recognized for the eighth consecutive year and ninth time overall after registering a cumulative 3.37 grade point average for the 2014-15 academic year.
LARYEA GARNERS NATIONAL ACCOLADES
Akron sophomore Richie Laryea continued to garner national recognition for his play as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and TopDrawerSoccer.com named him as their National Player of the Week on Sept. 15.
Laryea also earned recognition by College Soccer News as a member of its National Team of the Week. Additionally, the Mid-American Conference named him as its Athlete of the Week.
In the Zips' 3-2 road win over No. 6 Maryland on Sept. 7, Laryea registered two goals, including the game-winner, while adding an assist. He connected on four shots in the contest, with three falling on goal, and played a role in each of Akron's three goals.
Laryea earned the assist on Adam Najem's 22nd-minute (21:41) tally before giving the Zips a 2-0 lead registering his first goal of the season at the 38:30 mark on what proved to be the game-winning tally. He later extended Akron's margin to 3-1 on his second goal of the match at the 82:49 mark.
In the Zips' 3-2 come-from-behind win past No. 14 Saint Louis on Sept. 11, Laryea netted a pair of assists, including on Sam Gainford's game-winning goal in the 71st minute (70:27). His first assist was also on a Gainford goal at the 38:58 mark.
A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.821) through games of Oct. 28 with an overall record of 152-25-21. The Zips are followed by Creighton, 126-33-23 (.755), Maryland, 138-37-26 (.751), North Carolina, 129-40-28 (.726), Connecticut, 118-35-37 (.718), Wake Forest, 120-43-27 (.703) and New Mexico, 111-45-21 (.686). Akron has made eight straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2007-14), earning a first-round bye in six seasons. The Zips have advanced to the NCAA's Round of 16 in five of the last seven years. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 29 times, including each of the past eight seasons and 13 of the past 14.
PROTECTING OUR HOUSE
Since 2007, the Zips have recorded an 88-6-12 (.887) ledger in home matches at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field. Akron owns four unbeaten campaigns during that span, including posting home marks of 12-0-1, 13-0-0, 12-0-1 and 10-0-2 during the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 seasons, respectively.
ZIPS WELL REPRESENTED IN MLS PLAYOFFS
Akron was well represented when the MLS Playoffs began on Wednesday, Oct. 28, as 12 former Zips had their teams qualify for the playoffs. Sporting KC (Saad Abdul Salaam) battled Portland (Darlington Nagbe, Michael Nanchoff and Ben Zemanski) to a 2-2 draw in the knockout round before the Timbers advanced on penalty kicks, 7-6. D.C. United (Perry Kitchen and Chris Korb) defeated the New England Revolution (Teal Bunbury and Scott Caldwell), 2-1, also in the knockout round. D.C. United advances to battle the New York Red Bulls in the conference semifinal round in a home-and-away, aggregate-goal series (Nov. 1 and Nov. 8), while Vancouver (Darren Mattocks) will play Portland. Montreal (Evan Bush) will square off against Columbus (Wil Trapp and Chad Barson) also in the semifinal round.
SERNA AND TRAPP PLAY FOR U.S. NATIONAL SQUAD AT CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFYING
A pair of former Akron men's soccer players in Dillon Serna and Wil Trapp were among the 20 players selected by U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team head coach Andi Herzog for the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, which was played from Oct. 1-13.
The Americans opened tournament play downing Canada, 3-1, on Oct. 1, at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The United States then registered a 6-1 win over Cuba on Oct. 3, also at Sporting Park. The victory, combined with the USA's tournament opening triumph against Canada secured a top two spot for the team in Group A. The squad concluded group play at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on Oct. 6, with a 4-0 win against Panama.
The United States dropped a 2-0 decision to Honduras in the semifinal round on Oct. 10 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The United States logged a pair of second-half goals to beat Canada 2-0 in the third-place match on Oct. 13 to keep alive its quest to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The USA now advances to a March playoff against Colombia for the right to attend the 2016 Olympics.
NAJEM NAMED TO MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Adam Najem added another accolade to his growing resume with his selection to the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List.
Najem is one of 30 men tabbed for consideration for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer presented annually to one male and one female athlete. The winners will be announced Jan. 8, 2016, at the trophy presentation banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
Near the end of the collegiate regular season, NCAA Division I coaches whose programs are current NSCAA College Services members will vote on their top choices and the lists will be narrowed down to the top 15 players.
College soccer fans will also have the opportunity to participate in the selection process, by voting for their favorite semifinalist in November at the MAC Hermann Trophy website, managed by LockerDome.
From that pool of 30, six finalists (three men, three women) will be chosen for the award. The winners will be announced in January.
ZIPS PRIMED FOR BIG THINGS IN 2015
The Zips entered the 2015 campaign looking to build upon an 13-6-2 mark last season, including a 4-1-0 ledger in the Mid-American Conference.
Akron is seeking to integrate six newcomers Pau Belana, Alonzo Clarke (New Carrollton, Md.), Nick Costa (North Royalton, Ohio), Skye Harter (Copley, Ohio), Barth-Luther Mouafo (Potomac, Md.) and Goncalo Soares (Lisbon, Portugal) this season onto a roster that boasts nine returning starters from a year ago.
Included among the returnees are nine starters from the close of the 2014 campaign is a trio of first-team All-MAC performers in junior Adam Najem and seniors Jake Fenlason and Andrew Souders.
Sophomores Stuart Holthusen and Richie Laryea along with junior Victor Souto were tabbed as second-team All-MAC honorees in 2014.
Complimenting that quartet is the return of sophomore Jesse Garcia-Aguilar (Portland, Ore.), junior Brad Ruhaak and senior Sean Sepe, who were each starters in 2014.
AKRON TABBED TO CAPTURE MAC REGULAR AND POSTSEASON TITLES
Akron was tabbed to capture the Mid-American Conference regular and postseason titles in a preseason poll of six conference coaches.
The Zips under third-year head coach Jared Embick, were picked to repeat as conference champions in the MAC Coaches Preseason poll with three first-place votes. Akron (32 points) was followed by Western Michigan (28 points), who received two first-place votes, while West Virginia (28 points) also garnered a first-place tally.
Rounding out the rest of the poll was 2014 MAC Tournament runner-up Bowling Green (16 points), Buffalo (13 points) and Northern Illinois (nine points).
Also voted on by the coaches was the predicted 2015 MAC Tournament Champion. Akron received three of the six first-place votes. Western Michigan collected two championship votes and West Virginia garnered the final tally.
MLS TOP 24 UNDER 24
The annual MLSsoccer.com's "24 Under 24" list was released on Sept. 22 and a number of familiar names on it, including Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew) and Perry Kitchen (DC United). The duo was rated fourth and eighth, respectively. Trapp was tabbed as the ninth-best prospect on the 24 under 24 list a year ago, while Kitchen was 18th.
Trapp, who was a two-time first-team All-MAC selection in 2011 and 2012 and a third-team NSCAA All-American in 2012, moved up five spots after being tabbed as the ninth-best prospect on the 24 under 24 list a year ago.
Moving up 10 spots from his No. 18 ranking in 2014 was Kitchen, who as a freshman in 2010, started 25 games, scoring six goals and adding one assist. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and helped Akron to the 2010 National Championship. He scored an unassisted goal on an emphatic right-footed blast from 30 yards out during Akron's 2-1 win over Michigan in the national semifinal of the College Cup
MLS TOP 24 UNDER 24 PREVIEW
The annual MLSsoccer.com's "24 Under 24" list has become an annual staple for soccer enthusiasts. Will Parchman of TopDrawerSoccer.com has revealed his award for the competition and a number of familiar names on it, including the No. 1 selection midfielder Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew), No. 11 Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids) and No. 14 Perry Kitchen (DC United).
As a freshman in 2012, Serna was named by College Soccer News and TopDrawerSoccer.com to its All-Freshmen Teams as well as being chosen as the MAC Player of the Year and first-team all-conference honoree. He was signed as an MLS Homegrown Signee by the Colorado Rapids following the 2012 campaign after registering a pair of goals and adding eight assists on 48 shots to lead the Zips to a 18-1-3 record in 2012.
EMBICK RECEIVES CONTRACT EXTENSION
Akron men's soccer head coach Jared Embick received a three-year contract extension, interim Director of Athletics Nathan J. Mortimer announced on July 17. The extension will keep Embick at the helm of the storied program through the 2018 season.
ZIPS WELCOME BACK ALUMNI
Akron held its annual alumni reunion in conjunction with the Zips' clash against Saint Louis at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field on Friday, Sept. 11.
Akron head coach Jared Embick and the current Zips welcomed back all of the proud alumni that have contributed to the growth and development of the Akron men's soccer tradition over the course of the program's 61 years.
A pre-game tailgate and March to the Match festivities preceded the match. On Saturday, Sept. 12, the alums gathered to watch team training at 11 a.m. before a Varsity "A" Tailgate.
ON THIS DATE IN ZIPS HISTORY
The Zips will be playing for the 14th time in program history on Nov. 1 when Akron hosts UCLA on Sunday. The Zips own a 12-1 mark in the previous 13 matches on the date registering victories over Dennison (3-1 in 1958), Oberlin (3-1 in 1960), Ohio Wesleyan (4-1 in 1961), West Virginia (3-0 in 1969), Western Michigan (1-0 in 1980), Dayton (5-0 in 1984), Green Bay (8-0 in1986), Florida International (3-1 in 1987), Eastern Michigan (5-1 in 1992), Kentucky (3-1 in 2002), Hartwick (2-1 in 2008) and Northern Illinois (2-1 in 2014).
ZIPS LIVE RADIO SHOW
Every Thursday throughout the season from 7-8 p.m. ET, Akron head coaches can be heard on the weekly radio program Zips Live, presented by Lee Hyder and Associates. The show airs locally on 1350 AM (WARF) and originates from Johnny J's Pub and Grill in the Valley (1282 Weathervane Lane). A free audio stream is available on SportsRadio1350.com.
WHAT IS A ZIP?
• One of the unique nicknames in collegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron.
• Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth "Red" Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletics teams.
• Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
• The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for Zippers, a $6 pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company.
• The evolution of Zippy, UA's mascot, began 40 years ago when the student council decided the University needed a mascot.
• "Zippy" the kangaroo was officially declared the school's mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as "Zippy" was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name "Zippy" came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing "Mascot - 'Zippy' - Charles Huettner."
• In 2007, Zippy was named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Redshirt sophomore MF/D Robby Dambrot (Akron, Ohio) is the son of Zips' men's basketball coach Keith Dambrot.
• Akron men's soccer has produced 20 Academic All-Americans since 1998.
• Nine Zips have had their names called during the first round of the MLS SuperDraft, including a league record five selections in the first eight picks in 2011 following the Zips' national championship season.
• Akron broke a second MLS record that day as seven Akron players were chosen in the first two rounds, the most from a single team in draft history.
• Zippy is just one of five female-gendered college mascots in Division I athletics. Do you know the other four? (YoUDee, the Delaware Blue Hen; Mrs. Wuf of N.C. State; Lucy Lobo of New Mexico; and Wilma Wildcat of Arizona).
UP NEXT
The Zips close out the regular season hosting Bowling Green on Senior Night on Nov. 7. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
