The University of Akron Athletics
Photo by: Jeff Liang/UCSB Photographic Services
Akron Men’s Soccer – A 2018 Recap
December 14 | Men's Soccer
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Photo courtesy of Jeff Liang/UCSB Photographic Services
2018 POSTSEASON DIGITAL GUIDE
AKRON, Ohio – The 2018 University of Akron men's soccer team provided an amazing story of perseverance and determination under sixth-year head coach Jared Embick that will long be remembered not for a 1-0 setback to Maryland in the title match of the NCAA College Cup on Dec. 9 in Santa Barbara, Calif., but for a group of 30 student-athletes that came together as one and lifted each other to the pinnacle of their sport while representing their team and school with dignity and class.
A successful penalty kick in the 57th minute (56:35) proved to be the deciding tally that propelled the Terrapins to capture the national title with a 1-0 triumph.
The setback snapped a nine-game winning streak for Akron that began when many outsiders doubted whether a team with a 6-6-2 record following a 2-1 loss at Northern Illinois on Oct. 20 might even make it into the NCAA Tournament, let alone reach the fourth title match in program history.
Refusing to be defined by expectations of others, the Zips came together and moved within one half of capturing the second national title in program history.
The story of the 2018 edition of the Akron men's soccer team began in early August when 18 newcomers joined a squad that was coming off its fifth appearance in the College Cup in 2017 on the strength of an 18-4-2 record.
The Zips opened the campaign with a three-match homestand at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. Akron posted a 1-1-1 mark in those contests, registering a 2-2 double-overtime draw versus then No. 9 Butler on Aug. 24 as sophomore David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria) recorded his first career multi-goal game in the affair.
The Zips dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 17 North Carolina State on Aug. 27 before closing their homestand with a 1-0 victory past Pittsburgh on Sept. 1 with Egbo connecting on the game-winning tally in the fifth minute (4:17).
Playing without talented freshman Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.), who was called up to the U-19 United States Men's National Team, Akron suffered 2-1 and 2-0 setbacks, respectively, at No. 24 Seattle (Sept. 7) and No. 9 Washington (Sept. 9), to see its ledger fall to 1-3-1 on the campaign.
Challenged by their coaching staff to respond like champions and play Akron Soccer the Zips responded with a dominating 10-0 home victory over Canisius on Sept. 15. The match was a replacement opponent after Connecticut was unable to make it to Akron for its scheduled match due to travel considerations associated with Hurricane Florence. The Hurricane also later claimed the Zips' slated contest at Notre Dame on Oct. 23.
The Zips broke open a tight contest with a pair of late first-half goals, before garnering a pair of second-half hat tricks from senior Ezana Kahsay (Asmeras, Eritrea) and Egbo en route to the triumph.
The win marked Akron's largest margin of victory in a match since downing Cleveland State, 12-2 during the 2005 campaign. The Zips' 10 goals, 12 assists and 32 points represented NCAA single-game highs across Division I this past season.
In addition, Egbo's eight-point effort in the triumph marked the most points in a match for a Zip since Ørjan Bjånesø tallied three goals and added a pair of assists in a 7-1 win against St. Bonaventure on Oct. 20, 2000.
Egbo again delivered in a 1-0 victory at Grand Canyon on Sept. 20 scoring the game-winning goal in the fifth minute (4:50).
After missing the first five matches of the season due to preseason surgery, redshirt sophomore Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) had a statement game registering three goals, including the game-winner in the 94th minute (93:55) of overtime to propel the Zips to a come-from-behind 4-3 win at VCU on Sept. 26.
Akron entered the month of October riding a three-match winning streak, the Zips hosted Syracuse on Oct. 1. Unfortunately, the Orange posted a 3-1 triumph to snap Akron's winning streak.
In a hard-fought contest played in wet and muddy conditions due to lingering rain and lightning, the Zips battled Bowling Green to a 0-0 draw in double overtime in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools on Oct. 6 in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Akron then stepped out of conference for a top-10 showdown at No. 8 Michigan State on Oct. 9. Coming off the bench in the 71st minute, Egbo scored what proved to be the game-winning tally at the 81:20 mark to give Akron a 2-1 lead, while redshirt junior Skye Harter (Copley, Ohio) accounted the other tally in the Zips' victory.
Akron suffered a 2-1 overtime setback to West Virginia on Oct. 13 at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field as Joey Piatczyc's golden goal at the 92:27 mark lifted the Mountaineers to a come-from-behind triumph.
The Zips appeared destined to secure a 1-0 victory over West Virginia as junior Marcel Zajac's (Mississauga, Ontario) tally in the 57th minute (56:22) maintained Akron's advantage until Piatczyc connected on a goal with only 13 seconds remaining in regulation to send the affair into overtime.
The Zips' final non-conference showdown of the season loomed on Oct. 16 as Akron welcomed eighth-rated Creighton to FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. The Zips responded parlaying a staunch defensive effort along with a goal from senior Morgan Hackworth (Bradenton, Fla.) in the 49th minute (48:49) to a 1-0 victory over the Bluejays.
Akron seemingly hit rock bottom on its campaign dropping a 2-1 decision at Northern Illinois on Oct. 20 to see its record fall to 6-6-2, including a 0-2-1 mark in conference play.
Responding to the adversity, the Zips garnered a pivotal 1-0 MAC road victory besting SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 27, on the strength of Egbo connecting on what proved to be the game-winning tally in the 64th minute (63:47).
The triumph was the start of a nine-match winning streak that culminated in Akron reaching the College Cup for the sixth time in program history.
An on-campus power outage that affected FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field denied the Zips' six seniors in Hackworth, Kahsay, Joe Korb (Willowick, Ohio), Ben Lundt (Berlin, Germany), Marco Micaletto (Rome, Italy) and Abdi Mohamed (Westerville, Ohio) the opportunity to be honored on Senior Night against Western Michigan on Nov. 3.
Needing a victory to keep hope alive for its 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, Akron opened MAC Tournament play with a 2-1 home triumph over SIU Edwardsville on the strength of Zajac's game-winning tally in the 33rd minute (32:51), as well as a goal from Hackworth in the eighth minute (7:59).
The Zips then traveled to Morgantown, W.Va., to encounter 12th-ranked and tournament host West Virginia on Nov. 9. Ritaccio picked an opportune time to collect his first two collegiate goals as his scoring efforts lifted the fourth-seeded Zips to a 3-1 victory over the Mountaineers in the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament. Despite surrendering a goal just 11 seconds into the match, Akron statistically dominated West Virginia on the evening, registering a 20-6 margin in shots, including 7-4 on frame.
Sparked by three-second half goals, including a pair from Zajac, the Zips captured their 15th MAC Tournament title and 33rd NCAA Tournament berth with a 3-0 victory over Western Michigan in the championship match of the MAC Tournament on Nov. 11, at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.
Led by the play of Zajac, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, as well as all-tournament performers Kahsay, Mohamed and Ritaccio, Akron earned its seventh consecutive league tournament title with the triumph.
With the win, Akron had positioned itself to be under strong consideration for a top-16 national seed and a home tournament match when the NCAA revealed its 48-team tournament pairings on Nov. 12. The selection committee didn't affirm this belief as the Zips were placed in the same draw as the No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest and opened the tournament with a home match versus Rider on Nov. 15.
The Akron players sat in stunned silence when its tournament road was unveiled. The squad hoped and believed their resume warranted a better fate, but the Zips' were determined not to be broken in their faith in what this team could still accomplish.
Akron registered three second-half goals, including a pair from Egbo, to garner a 3-1 victory over Rider in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament on a snow-swept evening at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field on Nov. 15. The Zips broke open a tightly-contested opening half outshooting the Broncs, 16-6, over the final 45 minutes of regulation, en route to posting a 22-12 advantage in shots, including 6-5 on goal.
A regular-season rematch awaited Akron in the second round as the Zips traveled to Syracuse, N.Y. to encounter the Orange on Nov. 18. An early-season snowstorm made the home pitch of Syracuse unplayable forcing the contest to be moved to the campus of Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. an hour East of the Syracuse campus. Undeterred, Akron took to the turf on a snowy Sunday looking to secure a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with a win.
Mohamed gave the Zips a 1-0 lead at the 36:43 mark connecting on his first goal of the season, while second-half goals from Zajac and Hackworth, along with a five-save effort in goal from Lundt, capped a 3-1 victory over Syracuse.
Akron headed into its match at top-seeded Wake Forest on Nov. 25 as a decided underdog. The Zips again proved unbreakable in the contest as Zajac's game-winning goal in the 46th minute (45:51) off assists from Egbo and Mohamed lifted Akron to a dramatic 1-0 triumph over the Demon Deacons.
The Zips nearly saw Wake Forest net the equalizer with a minute to play only to see a goal by Aristotle Zarris waved off by an offsides call. Lundt again was stellar in net for Akron recording five saves to post the clean sheet.
Advancing to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season and seventh time overall, the Zips were tasked with taking down three-time defending NCAA Champion Stanford on its home field on Nov. 30.
Traveling across the country for the third time of the season, Akron faced the daunting task of facing a Cardinal squad that had not surrendered an NCAA Tournament goal in 14 matches, dating back to a 2-1 win over Wake Forest in the Elite Eight in 2015.
Zajac gave Akron an early 1-0 lead scoring a tally off an assist from freshman Marco Milanese (Isernia, Italy) at the 14:09 mark. Zajac flashed a burst of speed strolling inside the corner of the 18-yard box where he struck a ball which hit the far post before bouncing back off the other post and into the net for his ninth goal of the season.
It was the first postseason goal Stanford had allowed since Dec. 5, 2015 at Wake Forest and ended the program's NCAA-record tournament shutout streak at 1,428:09 minutes.
Zajac extended Akron's lead to 2-0 collecting his third career multi-goal performance and second of the postseason connecting on a tally in the 44th minute (43:01) off assists from Kahsay and freshman Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.).
After Stanford squared the contest at two in the 68th minute, the Zips garnered a game-winning goal from freshman Colin Biros (Canton, Ohio) in the 81st minute (80:08) to end the reign of three-time defending NCAA Champion Stanford with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Cardinal.
Akron became the 10th team since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 48 teams in 2001 to earn a berth in the College Cup coming through the draw as an unseeded squad. Akron joined UMBC (2014), Charlotte (2011), UMass (2007), UC Santa Barbara (2006-NCAA Champion), SMU (2005), Duke (2004), Santa Clara (2003), Stanford (2002) and Creighton (2002). Michigan State later became the 11th member of this exclusive list with a win over James Madison.
Playing in the College Cup for the second straight season and sixth time in program history, the Zips took their second trip to California in a week to square off against Michigan State in the semifinal round on Dec. 7.
Garnering goals from Egbo, Ritaccio, Harter, Zajac and redshirt freshman Braden Petno (Hudson, Ohio) Akron registered a stunning 5-1 victory over the Spartans to become the fourth unseeded team to reach the championship match of the College Cup since the tournament expanded to 48 teams in 2001 joining Charlotte (2014), UC Santa Barbara (2006) and Stanford (2002).
Akron's five goals scored against Michigan State were the most in a College Cup tilt since UC Santa Barbara bested Duke, 5-0, in the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
During Akron's nine-match winning streak to reach the title game, the Zips outshot their opponents, 144-109, including 60-43 on goal, while Zajac collected a point in nine straight tilts and 11 of 12 overall.
In the title match, a second-half penalty kick from Maryland proved too much for the Zips to overcome as Akron fell in the title game, 1-0, to the Terrapins.
Following the match, Lundt was rewarded for an outstanding postseason run being named the Defensive Most Oustanding Player of the College Cup, while Harter and Mohamed were selected to the all-tournament squad.
Akron owned a MAC-best eight victories over opponents ranked in the top-50 of the final regular season NCAA RPI report. The Zips bettered No. 1 Wake Forest (1-0 on Nov. 25), No. 9 Stanford (3-2 on Nov. 30), No. 19 Syracuse (3-1 on Nov. 18), No. 21 West Virginia (3-1 on Nov. 9), No. 31 Creighton (1-0 on Oct. 16), No. 33 Michigan State (2-1 on Oct. 9 and 5-1 on Dec. 7) and No. 42 Pittsburgh (1-0 on Sept. 1).
The Zips finished the campaign with a 10-2-1 mark in their final 13 matches away from home on the strength of seven, five and three goals, respectively, from Zajac, Egbo, Pacheco and Ritaccio.
Egbo garnered Third-Team All-America accolades when the United Soccer Coaches unveiled its 2018 All-American teams on Dec. 6. Egbo captured All-America accolades for the first time, while the United Soccer Coaches All-America citation was the 59th in the Zips' storied men's soccer history.
As a team, the Zips rated second in the NCAA in total points (154), third in total assists (56), fourth in total goals (49), sixth in assists per game (2.33), seventh in corner kicks (6.67), 11th in points per contest (6.42), 14th in scoring offense (2.04), 31st in winning percentage (.667) and 45th in shots per game (13.63).
Individually, David Egbo ranked fifth in the NCAA in game-winning goals (6), 10th in total goals (13), 11th in total points (31), 32nd in goals per contest (0.57) and 45th in points per game (1.35). Zajac finished 14th in total points (30), 16th in points per game (1.58), 27th in total goals (11), 29th in total assists (8), 30th in goals per outing (0.58) and 41st in assists per game (0.42), while Lundt was rated sixth in minutes played (2,026:22), 26th in shutouts (7) and 38th in total saves (71).
Freshman Ritaccio, Milanese, Tojaga, Biros and Pol Hernandez (Teia, Spain) registered 22, 21, 21, 17 and 17 starts, respectively, for the Zips.
Egbo capped the campaign registering team-high marks in goals (13), points (31), shots (61), shots on goal (23) and game-winnners (6), while rating third in assists (5). Zajac added 11 goals and a team-best eight assists on the strength of 42 shots, including 22 on goal. Harter, Egbo, Hackworth, Kahsay, Micaletto and Mohamed also contributed seven, five, five, five, five and five assists, respectively.
Lundt capped his brilliant Zips career making 71 saves en route to finishing third, fifth, fifth, sixth and seventh on the Akron career list with 27 shutouts, 5,946:27 minutes played, 41 victories, a .938 career goals against average and a .695 winning percentage.
Led by Harter and Egbo, who were honored as First-Team All-MAC men's soccer selections, six Akron student-athletes garnered All-MAC accolades as announced by the league on Nov. 8.
Lundt, Ritaccio, Tojaga and Zajac were tabbed second-team honorees. All six Akron players collected All-MAC accolades for the first time in their respective careers.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Liang/UCSB Photographic Services
2018 POSTSEASON DIGITAL GUIDE
AKRON, Ohio – The 2018 University of Akron men's soccer team provided an amazing story of perseverance and determination under sixth-year head coach Jared Embick that will long be remembered not for a 1-0 setback to Maryland in the title match of the NCAA College Cup on Dec. 9 in Santa Barbara, Calif., but for a group of 30 student-athletes that came together as one and lifted each other to the pinnacle of their sport while representing their team and school with dignity and class.
A successful penalty kick in the 57th minute (56:35) proved to be the deciding tally that propelled the Terrapins to capture the national title with a 1-0 triumph.
The setback snapped a nine-game winning streak for Akron that began when many outsiders doubted whether a team with a 6-6-2 record following a 2-1 loss at Northern Illinois on Oct. 20 might even make it into the NCAA Tournament, let alone reach the fourth title match in program history.
Refusing to be defined by expectations of others, the Zips came together and moved within one half of capturing the second national title in program history.
The story of the 2018 edition of the Akron men's soccer team began in early August when 18 newcomers joined a squad that was coming off its fifth appearance in the College Cup in 2017 on the strength of an 18-4-2 record.
The Zips opened the campaign with a three-match homestand at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. Akron posted a 1-1-1 mark in those contests, registering a 2-2 double-overtime draw versus then No. 9 Butler on Aug. 24 as sophomore David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria) recorded his first career multi-goal game in the affair.
The Zips dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 17 North Carolina State on Aug. 27 before closing their homestand with a 1-0 victory past Pittsburgh on Sept. 1 with Egbo connecting on the game-winning tally in the fifth minute (4:17).
Playing without talented freshman Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.), who was called up to the U-19 United States Men's National Team, Akron suffered 2-1 and 2-0 setbacks, respectively, at No. 24 Seattle (Sept. 7) and No. 9 Washington (Sept. 9), to see its ledger fall to 1-3-1 on the campaign.
Challenged by their coaching staff to respond like champions and play Akron Soccer the Zips responded with a dominating 10-0 home victory over Canisius on Sept. 15. The match was a replacement opponent after Connecticut was unable to make it to Akron for its scheduled match due to travel considerations associated with Hurricane Florence. The Hurricane also later claimed the Zips' slated contest at Notre Dame on Oct. 23.
The Zips broke open a tight contest with a pair of late first-half goals, before garnering a pair of second-half hat tricks from senior Ezana Kahsay (Asmeras, Eritrea) and Egbo en route to the triumph.
The win marked Akron's largest margin of victory in a match since downing Cleveland State, 12-2 during the 2005 campaign. The Zips' 10 goals, 12 assists and 32 points represented NCAA single-game highs across Division I this past season.
In addition, Egbo's eight-point effort in the triumph marked the most points in a match for a Zip since Ørjan Bjånesø tallied three goals and added a pair of assists in a 7-1 win against St. Bonaventure on Oct. 20, 2000.
Egbo again delivered in a 1-0 victory at Grand Canyon on Sept. 20 scoring the game-winning goal in the fifth minute (4:50).
After missing the first five matches of the season due to preseason surgery, redshirt sophomore Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) had a statement game registering three goals, including the game-winner in the 94th minute (93:55) of overtime to propel the Zips to a come-from-behind 4-3 win at VCU on Sept. 26.
Akron entered the month of October riding a three-match winning streak, the Zips hosted Syracuse on Oct. 1. Unfortunately, the Orange posted a 3-1 triumph to snap Akron's winning streak.
In a hard-fought contest played in wet and muddy conditions due to lingering rain and lightning, the Zips battled Bowling Green to a 0-0 draw in double overtime in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools on Oct. 6 in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Akron then stepped out of conference for a top-10 showdown at No. 8 Michigan State on Oct. 9. Coming off the bench in the 71st minute, Egbo scored what proved to be the game-winning tally at the 81:20 mark to give Akron a 2-1 lead, while redshirt junior Skye Harter (Copley, Ohio) accounted the other tally in the Zips' victory.
Akron suffered a 2-1 overtime setback to West Virginia on Oct. 13 at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field as Joey Piatczyc's golden goal at the 92:27 mark lifted the Mountaineers to a come-from-behind triumph.
The Zips appeared destined to secure a 1-0 victory over West Virginia as junior Marcel Zajac's (Mississauga, Ontario) tally in the 57th minute (56:22) maintained Akron's advantage until Piatczyc connected on a goal with only 13 seconds remaining in regulation to send the affair into overtime.
The Zips' final non-conference showdown of the season loomed on Oct. 16 as Akron welcomed eighth-rated Creighton to FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. The Zips responded parlaying a staunch defensive effort along with a goal from senior Morgan Hackworth (Bradenton, Fla.) in the 49th minute (48:49) to a 1-0 victory over the Bluejays.
Akron seemingly hit rock bottom on its campaign dropping a 2-1 decision at Northern Illinois on Oct. 20 to see its record fall to 6-6-2, including a 0-2-1 mark in conference play.
Responding to the adversity, the Zips garnered a pivotal 1-0 MAC road victory besting SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 27, on the strength of Egbo connecting on what proved to be the game-winning tally in the 64th minute (63:47).
The triumph was the start of a nine-match winning streak that culminated in Akron reaching the College Cup for the sixth time in program history.
An on-campus power outage that affected FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field denied the Zips' six seniors in Hackworth, Kahsay, Joe Korb (Willowick, Ohio), Ben Lundt (Berlin, Germany), Marco Micaletto (Rome, Italy) and Abdi Mohamed (Westerville, Ohio) the opportunity to be honored on Senior Night against Western Michigan on Nov. 3.
Needing a victory to keep hope alive for its 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, Akron opened MAC Tournament play with a 2-1 home triumph over SIU Edwardsville on the strength of Zajac's game-winning tally in the 33rd minute (32:51), as well as a goal from Hackworth in the eighth minute (7:59).
The Zips then traveled to Morgantown, W.Va., to encounter 12th-ranked and tournament host West Virginia on Nov. 9. Ritaccio picked an opportune time to collect his first two collegiate goals as his scoring efforts lifted the fourth-seeded Zips to a 3-1 victory over the Mountaineers in the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament. Despite surrendering a goal just 11 seconds into the match, Akron statistically dominated West Virginia on the evening, registering a 20-6 margin in shots, including 7-4 on frame.
Sparked by three-second half goals, including a pair from Zajac, the Zips captured their 15th MAC Tournament title and 33rd NCAA Tournament berth with a 3-0 victory over Western Michigan in the championship match of the MAC Tournament on Nov. 11, at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.
Led by the play of Zajac, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, as well as all-tournament performers Kahsay, Mohamed and Ritaccio, Akron earned its seventh consecutive league tournament title with the triumph.
With the win, Akron had positioned itself to be under strong consideration for a top-16 national seed and a home tournament match when the NCAA revealed its 48-team tournament pairings on Nov. 12. The selection committee didn't affirm this belief as the Zips were placed in the same draw as the No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest and opened the tournament with a home match versus Rider on Nov. 15.
The Akron players sat in stunned silence when its tournament road was unveiled. The squad hoped and believed their resume warranted a better fate, but the Zips' were determined not to be broken in their faith in what this team could still accomplish.
Akron registered three second-half goals, including a pair from Egbo, to garner a 3-1 victory over Rider in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament on a snow-swept evening at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field on Nov. 15. The Zips broke open a tightly-contested opening half outshooting the Broncs, 16-6, over the final 45 minutes of regulation, en route to posting a 22-12 advantage in shots, including 6-5 on goal.
A regular-season rematch awaited Akron in the second round as the Zips traveled to Syracuse, N.Y. to encounter the Orange on Nov. 18. An early-season snowstorm made the home pitch of Syracuse unplayable forcing the contest to be moved to the campus of Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. an hour East of the Syracuse campus. Undeterred, Akron took to the turf on a snowy Sunday looking to secure a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with a win.
Mohamed gave the Zips a 1-0 lead at the 36:43 mark connecting on his first goal of the season, while second-half goals from Zajac and Hackworth, along with a five-save effort in goal from Lundt, capped a 3-1 victory over Syracuse.
Akron headed into its match at top-seeded Wake Forest on Nov. 25 as a decided underdog. The Zips again proved unbreakable in the contest as Zajac's game-winning goal in the 46th minute (45:51) off assists from Egbo and Mohamed lifted Akron to a dramatic 1-0 triumph over the Demon Deacons.
The Zips nearly saw Wake Forest net the equalizer with a minute to play only to see a goal by Aristotle Zarris waved off by an offsides call. Lundt again was stellar in net for Akron recording five saves to post the clean sheet.
Advancing to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season and seventh time overall, the Zips were tasked with taking down three-time defending NCAA Champion Stanford on its home field on Nov. 30.
Traveling across the country for the third time of the season, Akron faced the daunting task of facing a Cardinal squad that had not surrendered an NCAA Tournament goal in 14 matches, dating back to a 2-1 win over Wake Forest in the Elite Eight in 2015.
Zajac gave Akron an early 1-0 lead scoring a tally off an assist from freshman Marco Milanese (Isernia, Italy) at the 14:09 mark. Zajac flashed a burst of speed strolling inside the corner of the 18-yard box where he struck a ball which hit the far post before bouncing back off the other post and into the net for his ninth goal of the season.
It was the first postseason goal Stanford had allowed since Dec. 5, 2015 at Wake Forest and ended the program's NCAA-record tournament shutout streak at 1,428:09 minutes.
Zajac extended Akron's lead to 2-0 collecting his third career multi-goal performance and second of the postseason connecting on a tally in the 44th minute (43:01) off assists from Kahsay and freshman Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.).
After Stanford squared the contest at two in the 68th minute, the Zips garnered a game-winning goal from freshman Colin Biros (Canton, Ohio) in the 81st minute (80:08) to end the reign of three-time defending NCAA Champion Stanford with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Cardinal.
Akron became the 10th team since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 48 teams in 2001 to earn a berth in the College Cup coming through the draw as an unseeded squad. Akron joined UMBC (2014), Charlotte (2011), UMass (2007), UC Santa Barbara (2006-NCAA Champion), SMU (2005), Duke (2004), Santa Clara (2003), Stanford (2002) and Creighton (2002). Michigan State later became the 11th member of this exclusive list with a win over James Madison.
Playing in the College Cup for the second straight season and sixth time in program history, the Zips took their second trip to California in a week to square off against Michigan State in the semifinal round on Dec. 7.
Garnering goals from Egbo, Ritaccio, Harter, Zajac and redshirt freshman Braden Petno (Hudson, Ohio) Akron registered a stunning 5-1 victory over the Spartans to become the fourth unseeded team to reach the championship match of the College Cup since the tournament expanded to 48 teams in 2001 joining Charlotte (2014), UC Santa Barbara (2006) and Stanford (2002).
Akron's five goals scored against Michigan State were the most in a College Cup tilt since UC Santa Barbara bested Duke, 5-0, in the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
During Akron's nine-match winning streak to reach the title game, the Zips outshot their opponents, 144-109, including 60-43 on goal, while Zajac collected a point in nine straight tilts and 11 of 12 overall.
In the title match, a second-half penalty kick from Maryland proved too much for the Zips to overcome as Akron fell in the title game, 1-0, to the Terrapins.
Following the match, Lundt was rewarded for an outstanding postseason run being named the Defensive Most Oustanding Player of the College Cup, while Harter and Mohamed were selected to the all-tournament squad.
Akron owned a MAC-best eight victories over opponents ranked in the top-50 of the final regular season NCAA RPI report. The Zips bettered No. 1 Wake Forest (1-0 on Nov. 25), No. 9 Stanford (3-2 on Nov. 30), No. 19 Syracuse (3-1 on Nov. 18), No. 21 West Virginia (3-1 on Nov. 9), No. 31 Creighton (1-0 on Oct. 16), No. 33 Michigan State (2-1 on Oct. 9 and 5-1 on Dec. 7) and No. 42 Pittsburgh (1-0 on Sept. 1).
The Zips finished the campaign with a 10-2-1 mark in their final 13 matches away from home on the strength of seven, five and three goals, respectively, from Zajac, Egbo, Pacheco and Ritaccio.
Egbo garnered Third-Team All-America accolades when the United Soccer Coaches unveiled its 2018 All-American teams on Dec. 6. Egbo captured All-America accolades for the first time, while the United Soccer Coaches All-America citation was the 59th in the Zips' storied men's soccer history.
As a team, the Zips rated second in the NCAA in total points (154), third in total assists (56), fourth in total goals (49), sixth in assists per game (2.33), seventh in corner kicks (6.67), 11th in points per contest (6.42), 14th in scoring offense (2.04), 31st in winning percentage (.667) and 45th in shots per game (13.63).
Individually, David Egbo ranked fifth in the NCAA in game-winning goals (6), 10th in total goals (13), 11th in total points (31), 32nd in goals per contest (0.57) and 45th in points per game (1.35). Zajac finished 14th in total points (30), 16th in points per game (1.58), 27th in total goals (11), 29th in total assists (8), 30th in goals per outing (0.58) and 41st in assists per game (0.42), while Lundt was rated sixth in minutes played (2,026:22), 26th in shutouts (7) and 38th in total saves (71).
Freshman Ritaccio, Milanese, Tojaga, Biros and Pol Hernandez (Teia, Spain) registered 22, 21, 21, 17 and 17 starts, respectively, for the Zips.
Egbo capped the campaign registering team-high marks in goals (13), points (31), shots (61), shots on goal (23) and game-winnners (6), while rating third in assists (5). Zajac added 11 goals and a team-best eight assists on the strength of 42 shots, including 22 on goal. Harter, Egbo, Hackworth, Kahsay, Micaletto and Mohamed also contributed seven, five, five, five, five and five assists, respectively.
Lundt capped his brilliant Zips career making 71 saves en route to finishing third, fifth, fifth, sixth and seventh on the Akron career list with 27 shutouts, 5,946:27 minutes played, 41 victories, a .938 career goals against average and a .695 winning percentage.
Led by Harter and Egbo, who were honored as First-Team All-MAC men's soccer selections, six Akron student-athletes garnered All-MAC accolades as announced by the league on Nov. 8.
Lundt, Ritaccio, Tojaga and Zajac were tabbed second-team honorees. All six Akron players collected All-MAC accolades for the first time in their respective careers.
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/ Men's Soccer2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer Post-Game Press Conference vs. Western Michigan - 9/9/2025
Wednesday, September 10
2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer Post-Game Press Conference vs. Cleveland State - 9/1/2025
Tuesday, September 02
2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer - Post-Game Press Conference vs Northern Kentucky - 8/24/25
Monday, August 25
2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer - Season Preview with Student-Athletes - 8/19/25
Tuesday, August 19
