Zips Return Home For A Pair Of MAC Contests

Thursday, October 19

Akron, OH

7 pm

University of Akron

Miami (Ohio)

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

October 18 | Women's Soccer

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Match Notes (PDF)

Akron (1-13-2, 0-5-1 MAC) vs. Miami (2-12-1, 2-5-1 MAC)
Thursday, Oct. 13
FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field • 7 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch: ESPN3

Akron (1-13-2, 0-7-1 MAC) vs. Ball State (8-6-1, 6-1-1 MAC)
Sunday, Oct. 22
FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field • 1 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch: ESPN3

Whats Ahead

With the 2017 regular season winding down, the Akron women's soccer team returns home to FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field for the first two games of a three-game homestand to close out the season starting on Thursday, Oct. 19, against Miami at 7 p.m., followed by a match with Ball State on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m.

ESPN3

Both of Akron's contests this week will be aired live on ESPN3 and the WatchEspn app with Dave Bacon calling the play-by-play, and Otto Orf providing color commentary.

Scouting the Redhawks

Miami is coming off a successful weekend after winning its first two games of the season and first two contests of league play against Central Michigan (2-0 OT) and Eastern Michigan (3-2 2OT). The Redhawks now stand 2-5-1 in the conference and 2-12-1 overall with three games left to play. Over the final stretch, the Redhawks face off against the Zips, Buffalo, and Ball State.

Prior to last weekend's contests, the Redhawks registered just four goals on the year, but Miami saw an offensive explosion with five goals in their last two matches. Three players on the Redhawks roster have each scored a pair of goals on the year; Olivia Winnett, Katie Alexander, and Lydia Brosnahan. Winnett leads the squad in points (5), shots (26), shots on goal (15), and shot on goal percentage (.577). Alexander posted a team-best .105 shot percentage on the strength of 19 shots and six shots on goal.

In the net for the Redhawks is Patricia Koutoulas who has made all 15 starts for Miami. In 1,395 minutes of play, Koutoulas has garnered a 1.68 goals against average, allowed 26 goals, made 79 saves, and holds a .752 save percentage. Within the 12 teams of the MAC, Koutoulas ranks second in saves per game (5.27), fourth in saves, and seventh in save percentage, while throughout the NCAA the Miami keeper is rated tied for 40th in saves and tied for 56th in saves per game.

Scouting the Cardinals

After being named the 2017 preseason MAC champion by the league's head coaches, Ball State has lived up to expectations and have posted a 6-1-1 MAC record and sit in first place of the MAC West Division. Overall, the Cardinals own an 8-6-1 mark. Ball State currently holds the second seed in the MAC tournament and with three games left against Akron, Buffalo, and Miami, as the Cardinals look to make a push for the number one overall seed.

The Cardinals offense does a good job of spreading the ball around the field allowing for good looks from multiple angles and from a variety of players. Ball State has tallied 21 goals on the year that have come from nine different Cardinals, six of which have had multi-goal seasons. Julia Elvbo and Sam Kabol have each scored a team-high four goals on a combined 45 shots and 21 shots on goal, while both have garnered three game-winning scores.

Ball State has split its goaltending duties between Alyssa Heintschel,nine games played and nine starts, and Tristin Stuteville, nine games played and seven starts. In 716 minutes of action, Heintschel has posted a 5-3-0 record, a goals against average of 0.75, made 35 saves and allowed only six goals, while posting a pair of shutouts. Stuteville owns a 3-3-2 record on the year with a 1.18 goals against average, 10 goals allowed and 21 saves. Heintschel's goals against average and save percentage rank second in the MAC, while her 3.89 saves per game rank eighth.

Series History

Akron and Miami are scheduled to meet for the 20th time since the program began in 2001. In 19 matches, the Redhawks lead the all-time series 11-5-3 over the Zips. A year ago, Akron and Miami played to a 0-0 double-overtime draw.

Ball State has seen success against the Zips owning an 11-2-4 against Akron in 17 previous meetings between the two schools.

Coaches

Miami: Hugh Seyfarth was named the interim head coach of the Redhawks prior to the 2017 season after two stints as an assistant coach spanning over 12 years.

Ball State: Craig Roberts who is in his eighth season at the helm of the Cardinals program has led Ball State to back-to-back regular-season championships and is the winningest coach in program history with 82 wins.

Akron: Noreen Herlihy is in her third season on the sidelines as the head coach of The University of Akron's women's soccer program. She owns an 11-37-8 record leading the Zips since taking over the program. In her first year in charge of the program, Herlihy and her staff led the 2015 Akron Zips to the Mid-American Conference tournament for the first time since 2009 and advanced to the semi-final round for the initial time in program history.

2017 Zips Tidbits

Akron predicted to place fifth in the MAC East in the 2017 preseason poll
Eight freshmen earned their first career start in the Zips 2017 season opener; Amani Jiu, Abigail Brown, Erin Babcock, Annamarie Alfery, Angela Boyce, Ryley Watt, Rylie Howman, Ally Brown
Amani Jiu notched her first career clean sheet against Milwaukee, 0-0, and her first career victory with a 3-0 shutout over Green Bay.
Erin Babcock notched her first career goal and first game-winning goal against Green Bay with a header off a corner kick.
Eliese LaCourt tallied her first collegiate assist against Milwaukee and scored her first career goal against Loyola.
Rachel Baughman and Catie Corrigan each scored their first goal of the 2017 campaign against Green Bay with each tallying their second career goal.
Erica Schrader assist to Babcock against Green Bay off a cornerkick was the juniors first of the season and second career assist.
Akron has been called for two yellow cards in 2017
Ashley Amato made her first start of the season after returning from a preseason injury. In her first start, the sophomore quickly impacted the game scoring her first two goals of the season and her first multi-goal game of her career.
Akron needs two wins to reach the 100-win milestone in program history.
Ashley Amato posted her second multi-goal game of the year in a 4-2 loss at Toledo (10/13)

Where They Rank In The MAC

Ashley Amato ranks fifth in the conference in shots per game (3.18) and goals per contest (0.45), sixth in points per game (0.91), tied for seventh in goals (5), and 10th in shots (35).
In the net, Amani Jiu is rated first in the conference in saves (84), third in saves per game (5.25), tied for ninth in shutouts (2), and ninth in shutouts per game (0.18).

Where They Rank In The Country

Amani Jiu is tied for 28th in the NCAA with 84 total saves, ranks 33rd in goalie minutes played (1,471), and is tied for 54th in saves per game (5.25).

Where They Rank In The Program

Erica Schrader's three assists in the season are tied for 10th on the single-season list
Amani Jiu's 84 saves are the seventh-most saves in a Akron keeper's career and tied for the third-most saves in a single-season.
Ashley Amato's two multi-goal and two four-point game performances are the first in a season since 2014.