Akron Offense Dominates Against Central Michigan In A Tight 1-0 Defeat

Sunday, September 30

Akron, Ohio

1 PM

University of Akron

4-7-1 (1-3-0MAC)

Central Michigan University

5-7-0 (3-1-0MAC)

Central Michigan

Akron

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Akron Offense Dominates Against Central Michigan In A Tight 1-0 Defeat

September 30 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Video Highlights

AKRON, Ohio – In a game offensively dominated by the Akron women's soccer team including a game-high 14 shots and a plus-five shot-on-goal differential (7-to-2), the Zips were handed a 1-0 loss to Central Michigan on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Zips offense shared the wealth when it came to the shot category as 10 different Akron players tallied a shot in the match. Senior captain Shea O'Brien (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), sophomore Ryley Watt (Irwin, Pa.), redshirt freshman Charley Kale (Sylvania, Ohio), and freshman Sydney Worthy (Groveport, Ohio) each notched a pair of shots in the contest and posted a combined three shots on goal. An additional six other members of the squad registered one shot.

Freshman goalkeeper Erin McKinney (Belvidere, Ill.) and the Akron defense turned in another stellar performance for the Zips on the backline. McKinney needed to make just one save in the match.

The start of the match was a back and forth battle between the Zips and Chippewas before Akron began to dominate possession of the ball. The Zips went on to take the advantage in the shot category in the first stanza over CMU, 7-to-4, including 4-to-1 in shots on goal.

The Zips had several strong looks at the net by Alfery and Worthy. On the Zips second corner kick of the afternoon, Alfery ripped a shot to the low left corner of the net, however, a Chippewa defender stood tall at the line to turn the ball away.

Worthy was also robbed of a goal as the first half was winding down at the 43:11 mark. On the Zips seventh corner kick of the half, Kale curled a ball into the top of the box and found Worthy. The Zips forward rocketed a header towards the net, but again a CMU defender thwarted away the attempt.

Despite the advantage in possession and shots, the score remained 0-0 at the halftime break.

Just three minutes into the second half of play, Central Michigan broke the scoreless contest and claimed a 1-0 lead after a string of shots following a corner kick.

Akron was down, but not out and continued to apply pressure in its offensive third. Following the CMU goal, the Zips again outshot the Chippewas, 7-1 in the final 40 minutes of the tilt.

Watt, Kale, and sophomore Abigail Brown (Batavia, Ohio) each had good looks at the net but each shot was corralled in for a save by the Chipps, keeping the Zips off the scoreboard and holding on to their lead.

The Zips possessed the ball in their offensive end of the field for the final three minutes of play, including their 10^th corner kick of the match, but could not find the equalizer resulting in the 1-0 loss at the end of regulation.

The Zips continue Mid-American Conference action with a midweek road contest and an afternoon tilt at home on Cub Cadet Field. Akron travels to Athens, Ohio, on Thursday, Oct. 4, to take on Ohio at 4 p.m., before returning to FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 7, to square off against cross-town rival, Kent State, in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge.