Gainford and Holthusen Named to National Team of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer.com

Gainford and Holthusen Named to National Team of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer.com

November 28 | Men's Soccer

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TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK RELEASE

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's soccer tandem of seniors Sam Gainford (Liverpool, England) and Stuart Holthusen (Auckland, New Zealand) has been a nearly unstoppable force for the Zips in the postseason and the duo's efforts were rewarded on Nov. 28, as TopDrawerSoccer.com named the teammates to its National Men's Soccer Team of the Week.

College Soccer News tabbed Gainford as its Men's National Player of the Week on Nov. 27, as well him earning Akron Summa Health Student-Athlete of the Week accolades.

Gainford and Holthusen propelled fifth-seeded Akron to a 3-2 overtime victory over No. 13 Wisconsin on Nov. 25 scoring all three of the Zips' goals in the triumph.

Holthusen netted the game-winning tally in the 92nd minute (91:10) off an assist from sophomore Marcel Zajac (Mississauga, Ontario). He finished the affair with two shots en route to posting his 12th career game-winning tally.

Gainford registered his fifth career multi-goal performance against the Badgers, including a pair this season, while posting a game-high five shots.

The victory enabled the Zips to move into the Elite Eight for the seventh time in program history.

In the 14th minute (13:07), Gainford delivered a shot from 25 yards out off an assist from senior Pau Belana (Barcelona, Catalonia) that beat Wisconsin goalkeeper Philipp Schilling for his ninth goal of the year to give the Zips a 1-0 advantage.

Gainford netted his career-best 10th tally of the season, in the 67th minute (66:51) to push the Zips ahead by one, 2-1. Senior Manuel Cordeiro (Porto, Portugal) curled in a ball from left to right into the box where Gainford found the lower 90 to record the tally.

On the season, Gainford owns 10 goals and five assists on 46 shots, including a team-best 24 shots on goal, while adding a team-high five game-winners.

The third-ranked and fifth-seeded Zips (18-3-1) will travel to face fourth-seeded Louisville (13-2-4) in an Elite Eight tilt on Friday, Dec. 1, in a 7 p.m. tilt at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ky.

The showdown against the Cardinals will mark the first encounter between the two schools since Akron captured its first-ever NCAA title with a 1-0 victory over Louisville on Dec. 12, 2010, in Santa Barbara, Calif.