The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio State
Zips set for in-state showdown versus Ohio State
September 15 | Men's Soccer
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MATCH NOTES NO. 6 VS. OHIO STATE (PDF)
No. 7 Akron (4-1) vs. Ohio State (1-4)
Wednesday, Sept. 16
FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field (5,000)
Akron, Ohio • 7 p.m.
Live Stats: www.gozips.com
Webstream: www.gozips.com
Radio: www.sportsradio1350am.com (Steve French and David Suntup)
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Zips go in search of their fourth consecutive victory on Wednesday, Sept. 16, as Akron welcomes Ohio State to FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field for a 7 p.m. contest. The match will be a rematch of the 2014 NCAA Tournament showdown in which the Zips and Buckeyes battled to a 1-1 double-overtime tie before Ohio State advanced on penalty kicks, 13-12.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State (1-4) enters its in-state battle with Akron on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the midst of a four-game losing streak after dropping a 2-1 decision at Northwestern in the Buckeye's Big Ten Conference opener last Friday, Sept. 11. Seniors Liam Doyle and Kyle Culbertson are responsible for two of Ohio State's three goals this season. Junior Danny Jensen paces Ohio State in shots (8) and shots on goal (4). Senior goalkeeper Chris Froschauer owns 14 saves in net en route to posting a 1.41 goals against average.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday evening's game is the 39th meeting between Akron and Ohio State in series history. The Zips lead, 28-6-4, and are unbeaten in the last 10 encounters. A year ago, Akron registered a 3-1 road triumph past the Buckeyes on Sept. 24, 2014 before battling to a 1-1 double-overtime tie in the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 19, also in Columbus, Ohio.
THE COACHES
Ohio State: John Bluem is in his 19th season as head coach of the Ohio State program, owning a 181-135-53 (.562) record. He is 267-165-65 (.603) overall as a head coach over his 25-year career.
Akron: In his third year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, and ninth season overall, is Jared Embick, who has a 34-11-3 mark (.740), including 81-32-13 (.694) 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 34-11-3 (.740) 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 144-24-19 (.821), including a 44-2-1 (.947) 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 NET 3-2 COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORY OVER NO. 14 SAINT LOUIS
Overcoming a two-goal first-half deficit, No. 22 Akron registered a come-from-behind 3-2 triumph over No. 14 Saint Louis in the 1,000th match in program history on a rain-soaked Friday, Sept. 11, at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.
The Zips fell behind early in the affair as Anthony Brown gave the Billikens a 1-0 advantage netting his first goal of the season in the game's third minute (2:22).
Saint Louis pushed its margin to 2-0 at the 6:58 mark when Filip Pavisic redirected his initial shot that deflected off of the save of senior goalkeeper Jake Fenlason (San Diego, Calif.) and found the back of the net for his second tally on the year.
Faced with a 2-0 deficit, the Zips dug in defensively and ratcheted up their game on the offensive end attacking the Billiken's defensive third with 13 first-half shots.
Akron's persistence paid off in the 39th minute (38:58) when redshirt sophomore Sam Gainford (Liverpool, England) took a ball slid into the box from sophomore Richie Laryea (Toronto, Ontario (Can.)) and lifted it into the net to cut the Zips' deficit to 2-1. Playing the ball to Laryea to garner a second assist on the score was junior Victor Souto (Sao Paolo, Brazil).
Despite being outshot on net in the initial stanza, 4-2, the Zips posted a 13-6 advantage in shots over the first 45 minutes.
Both teams returned from the intermission with rain showers increasing in intensity forcing both sides to play through a persistent and at times heavy precipitation.
Just over seven minutes into the final period, in the 53rd minute (52:17), Saint Louis was whistled for a foul just outside the far side of the box that resulted in an Akron free kick. Stepping over the ball and delivering a strike that resulted in his second goal of the year and more importantly the equalizer was junior Adam Najem (Clifton, N.J.).
The momentum clearly had swung back in the Zips' favor and spirited crowd of 2,734 helped lift the Akron efforts as the squad looked to net the go-ahead goal.
Taking the ball in the midfield and sliding a pass towards a streaking Gainford in the 71st minute was Laryea. Gainford capitalized on Laryea's effort recording what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 70:27 mark. The assist was the second of the evening and third of the season for Laryea.
The Billikens had strong scoring opportunities from Brown at the 83:46 mark which narrowly missed the net and a strike from Tyler David in the 90th minute (89:07) that was corralled for a save by Fenlason.
The Zips owned a 23-12 advantage on the evening in shots, including 8-6 on goal.
Najem collected a game-high six shots, including three on frame, while adding five, two, two, two, two and two shots, respectively, was Gainford, senior Andrew Souders (Amherst, Ohio), senior Sean Sepe (West Islip, N.Y.), Laryea, Souto and redshirt junior Brad Ruhaak (Akron, Ohio). Brown and Jair Minors paced the Saint Louis attack with three shots apiece.
Fenlason finished the contest recording four saves for the Zips.
AKRON EARNS 3-2 VICTORY OVER NO. 6 MARYLAND
Richie Laryea scored a pair of goals and assisted on a third to spark the Zips to a 3-2 men's soccer victory past No. 6 Maryland on Sept. 7.
Akron registered a pair of first-half goals from Laryea and Adam Najem and withstood a late second-half charge from Terrapins to register the Zips' first-ever road victory over Maryland.
After having their initial two shots of the evening blocked, Najem gave the Zips an early 1-0 advantage connecting on a through ball from Laryea at the 21:41 mark.
In the 39th minute (38:30) Laryea converted a Maryland turnover into his first goal of the season to push Akron's advantage to 2-0.
Each side registered five shots apiece in the initial stanza with the Zips owning and scoring on each of the two shots on goal.
The Terrapins posted the first two shots of the second half with Maryland cutting Akron's lead to 2-1 on Sebastian Elney's goal at the 66:28 mark. Mael Corbez delivered the ball into the box off the corner kick to Elney, who headed the ball past senior goalkeeper Jake Fenlason.
Laryea registered the Zips' first shot of the second half at the 82:40 mark, a strike that was saved by Dayne St. Clair.
Nine seconds later, Laryea connected on his second goal of the evening chipping in a ball from five yards out to extend Akron's lead to 3-1 in the 83rd minute (82:49).
Twenty-five seconds at the 83:14 mark, David Kabelik brought Maryland to within a goal at 3-2, scoring off an assist from Corboz.
The Terrapins were unable to get off a shot over the final 6:46 and suffered their first loss of the season.
The Zips were outshot in the affair, 13-8, but Akron was able to outshoot the Terrapins on goal, 4-3.
Laryea registered a match-high four shots, including four on goal, while Najem added three shots to Akron's offensive attack.
Laryea's first career multi-goal game marked the second time this season that a Zips had netted a pair of goals in a match. He joined Sam Gainford, who tallied a pair of scores in a 3-2 victory at VCU. Fenlason recorded a save in the game for Akron.
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 Tuesday, 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 Friday, 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.
On the season, Laryea leads the Zips in assists (3) and game-winning goals (1), while ranking second in points (7) and shots on goal (6) and third in goals (2) and shots (10).
ZIPS TIDBITS
• Akron owns a 95-63-15 overall record against the current men's soccer members of the Big Ten Conference. The Zips earlier this season bested No. 6 Maryland, 3-2, on Sept. 7.
• Akron has benefited from scoring contributions from seven players this season, led by eight, seven and seven points from Sam Gainford, Adam Najem and Richie Laryea.
• Sam Gainford has already amassed a career-best four goal through five games this season and is one point away from matching a career-high nine points he collected a year ago.
• Richie Laryea's two goals and three assists represent career-high marks.
• Despite having only registered one shot on the campaign, sophomore Nate Shultz (Mayfield, Ohio) owns a pair of assists on the year.
• Adam Najem is currently ranked 10th and 18th, respectively, among active NCAA career leaders in goals per game (0.44) and total goals (21).
• 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.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in seven of the squad's last 11 matches, including on four 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.
• Richie Laryea netted his first career multi-goal game knocking in a pair of tallies in Akron's 3-2 victory at No. 6 Maryland.
• The Zips own a trio of victories over ranked opponents this season having defeated No. 4 Georgetown (1-0 on Sept. 4), No. 6 Maryland (3-2 on Sept. 7) and No. 14 Saint Louis (3-2 on Sept. 11).
• Najem and Brad Ruhaak (Akron, Ohio) have been named as team captains for the 2015 campaign.
• Akron finished the 2014 campaign with a 7-2-1 mark in its last 10 matches en route to winning the 2014 Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament championships.
• Senior goalkeeper Jake Fenlason, a first-team All-MAC honoree in 2014, registered 73 saves a season ago and posted a 0.78 goals against average and seven shutouts.
• 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 17-1-1 record in its last 19 home matches.
• Since 2007, Akron owns a league record of 44-2-1 (.947) 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 17 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 (21), assists (15), points (57), shots (109) and shots on goal (54). Andrew Souders leads active Zips on the roster in games played (65) and in contests started (53).
• 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.
IN OUR LAST MEETING
Akron tied Ohio State, 1-1 (Nov. 19, 2014)
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Akron was denied in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship as Ohio State advanced on penalty kicks, 13-12, in 15 rounds, in what will go down in the record books as a 1-1 double-overtime tie at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
With the contest completed as a 1-1 draw, the outcome came down to 15 rounds of penalty kicks to decide the winner with the goalkeepers from each side coming up with key saves.
Each team made their first two shots before Alex Ivanov and goalkeeper Jake Fenlason both thwarted shot attempts in the third round.
Akron and Ohio State delivered on each of its next eight penalty shots to see the shootout all square at 10 after 11 rounds.
In the 11th round both sides saw their shots saved by the opposing goalkeeper.
Two more successful rounds went by before an Ivanov save on the first shot of the 15th round denied the Zips.
Ohio State capitalized on the second attempt as junior Zach Mason found the back of the net to lift the Buckeyes past the Zips.
The two teams registered 13 shots each in the affair, with Akron posting a 5-3 advantage on goal. Sean Sepe led all players with a game-high four shots, while Adam Najem added two shots.
Najem took the Zips' second corner kick at the 30:07 mark and delivered a ball into the box that was collected by Ivanov. On the play, the Buckeyes were whistled for a foul for falling into Abdul-Salaam that resulted in a penalty kick for Akron.
Stepping to the line and delivering his team-leading 14th goal of the season was Najem, to give the Zips a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute (30:37).
Akron recorded a 4-1 advantage in shots in the first half, including 2-1 on goal.
Kyle Culbertson evened the affair at one in the 67th minute (66:40) striking in a free kick by junior Liam Doyle
A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.821) through games of Sept. 14 with an overall record of 144-24-19. The Zips are followed by Maryland, 134-34-24 (.760), Connecticut, 114-30-35 (.735), North Carolina, 119-39-28 (.715) and New Mexico, 107-41-19 (.698). 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 84-5-11(.895) 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.
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 Friday, 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 enter 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 (Barcelona, Catalonia), 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 (Auckland, New Zealand) 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 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) who was a two-time first-team All-MAC selection in 2011 and 2012 and a third-team NSCAA All-American in 2012.
At No. 11 is Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids). 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.
At No. 14 in Perry Kitchen (DC United). As a freshman in 2010, Kitchen 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.
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 Sept. 16 when Akron hosts Ohio State on Wednesday. The Zips own a 9-2-2 mark in the previous 13 matches on the date registering victories over Ohio (3-0 in 1967), Dayton (1-0 in 1978), Wooster (7-0 in 1980 and 5-0 in 1981), Green Bay (4-0 in 1984), Miami (3-0 in 1987), Cleveland State (3-2 in 1997), St. Francis (Pa.) (4-0 in 2007) and South Florida (5-0 in 2012). All but one of Akron's wins on the date have been of the shutout variety.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Zips are nationally-ranked in several categories this season as of Sept. 15. As a team, Akron is rated 19th in scoring offense (2.20), 21st in total goals (11), 25th in points per contest (6.00) and total points (30), 26th in winning percentage (.800), 44th in total assists (8) and 45th in assists (1.60), shots (14.20) and shots on goal (6.20) per game. Individually, Richie Laryea is ranked 12th in assists per game (0.75), 16th in total assists (3), 33rd in points per contest (1.75), 50th in game-winning goals (1), 54th in total points (7) and 67th in shots on goal per game (1.50). Adam Najem is rated 41st in total goals (3), 50th in game-winning goals (1), 54th in total points (7), 56th in goals per game (0.60), 57th in shots on goal per outing (1.60), 58th in shots per contest (3.20), 64th in points per tilt (1.40). Additionally, Anthony Macchione (Camas, Wash.) is ranked 50th in game-winning goals (1), Sam Gainford is 15th in total goals (4), 19th in goals per game (0.80), 35th in total points (8), 43rd in points per outing (1.60) and 50th in game-winning tallies (1). Goalkeeper Jake Fenlason is rated 53rd in total saves (19) and 66th in saves per game (3.80).
SEASON AND INDIVIDUAL-GAME TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Limited Reserved Bleacher Back ($110) and General Admission ($60) season tickets as well as individual-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by logging on to GoZips.com/tickets, calling 1-888-99-AKRON (25766) or visiting The C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field (located at 375 E. Exchange Street, near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of the venue, at the corner of E. Exchange and S. Union streets) Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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
Akron closes out a three-match homestand welcoming No. 7 Wake Forest to FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field for a 7 p.m. tilt on Sept. 22.
