Top-10 Showdown Looms as No. 12 Akron Visits No. 9 Washington

Sunday, September 9

Seattle, Wash.

7:30 PM

University of Akron

Washington

Top-10 Showdown Looms as No. 12 Akron Visits No. 9 Washington

September 08 | Men's Soccer

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MATCH NO. 5 - AKRON AT WASHINGTON GAME NOTES (PDF) (9/9)

Akron (1-2-1) at Washington (4-1-0)
Sunday, Sept. 9
Husky Soccer Stadium (2,200)
Seattle, Wash. • 7:30 p.m. ET

Series History: Akron leads 2-1-0
Live Stats: www.gozips.com
Live Stream: Pac-12 Network
Television: Pac-12 Network

MATCH PREVIEW WITH HEAD COACH JARED EMBICK

WHAT'S AHEAD
The 12th-ranked University of Akron men's soccer team will conclude its two-match West Coast road swing squaring off against No. 9 Washington on Sunday, Sept. 9. Match time at Husky Soccer Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET with the tilt being streamed on the Pac-12 Network with Rich Burk and James Riley on the call. A valid cable/satellite subscription will be required to view the match on the Pac-12 Network as no per-match options to watch the contest are currently available.

AKRON VERSUS THE PAC-12 CONFERENCE
• The Zips are meeting a team from the Pac-12 Conference for the first time this season and the 16th time in program history.
• A season ago, Akron opened its home campaign registering a 2-0 victory over then No. 10 Washington on Sept. 1, at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field before falling 2-0 to No. 1 Stanford in the semifinals of the College Cup in Chester, Pa., on Dec. 8, 2017.
• In all, Akron is 6-7-2 (.467) versus teams from the Pac-12 Conference.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON
Washington enters action on Sunday, Sept. 9 with a 4-1-0 mark following a 2-1 victory over Cal State Northridge on Friday, Sept. 7. Senior Scott Menzies leads the Huskies' offensive efforts this season pacing the team in goals (4), shots (16) and shots on goal (10), while ranking second in points (8) and game-winners (1). Redshirt junior goalkeeper Saif Kerawala has recorded six saves and owns three shutouts on the strength of a 0.78 goals against average.

As a team, Washington is third in the NCAA in total assists (16), fifth in assists per game (3.20), eighth in shutout percentage (.600), 12th in total points (38), 18th in points per contest (7.60), 19th in total goals (11), 26th in scoring offense (2.20), 35th in winning percentage (.800) and 41st in shots on goal per game (6.60). Individually, Menzies is 12th in total goals (4), 15th in goals per game (0.80) and total points (8), 17th in shots on goal (2.00), 23rd in points per tilt (1.60), 34th in game-winning goals (1) and 38th in shots per outing (3.20), while Kerawala ranks second nationally in shutouts (3).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron is squaring off against Washington for the fourth time in program history and for the second consecutive campaign. A year ago, the Zips registered a 2-0 victory over then ranked No. 10 Huskies on Sept. 1, 2017 at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field. In the previous two encounters, Akron registered a 2-1 overtime victory past Washington on Sept. 26, 2004 in Seattle, Wash., while the Huskies bettered the Zips, 3-0, at the adidas Invitational in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2000.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 1, 2017 - AKRON, OHIO)
A first-half goal by senior Stuart Holthusen proved to be all the scoring the Akron men's soccer team needed as the 16th-rated Zips registered a 2-0 victory past No. 10 Washington on Sept. 1, 2017, at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.

Holthusen scored what proved to be the game-winning tally in the 31st minute (30:27) taking a pass at the top of the box from Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) and spinning past the defender before beating Washington goalkeeper Saif Kerawala from 15 yards out. The assist was the first collegiate point for Strachan.

Coming in as a defensive substitution in 33rd minute (32:08), Ezana Kahsay (Asmeras, Eritrea) fired a shot in the box which nearly found the back of the net if not for Garrett Jackson clearing the ball off the line for a team save.

Akron outshot Washington in the opening 45 minutes, 8-1, including posting a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal.

Sam Gainford, who was playing in his first game of the season, created his own offense in the 62nd minute (61:28) swinging a ball around the box and along the end line before connecting on a laser which bested Kerawala to the inside corner of the net.

The Zips finished the evening besting the Huskies in shots, 15-8, including a 6-2 margin in shots on goal.

Gainford led Akron with a game-high three shots. Quentin Pearson and Joey Parish each recorded two shots each for Washington.

Goalkeeper Ben Lundt (Berlin, Germany) pulled in a pair of stops en route to collecting the clean sheet. Kerawala registered a game-high three saves for the Huskies.

THE COACHES
Washington: Jamie Clark is in his eighth season as head coach of the Washington program, owning a 91-36-19 (.688) record.

Akron: In his sixth year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, and 12th season overall, is Jared Embick, who owns a 80-25-12 mark (.735), including 127-45-20 (.714) overall, in his 10th 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 2018 campaign marks his sixth year leading the Zips having registered a 80-25-12 (.735) ledger after posting an 18-4-2 record a season ago en route to earning the program's fifth College Cup berth. Akron also posted a perfect 12-0 ledger at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field in 2017.

During Embick's time at Akron, the Zips have posted the highest winning percentage in the nation with an overall record of 190-38-28 (.797), including a 55-4-3 (.911) mark in Mid-American Conference play, while securing 10 conference tournament titles, 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament and two appearances in the College Cup final.

Due in large part to recruiting efforts of Embick and his staff, Akron identified and secured some of the best prospects in the country – and around the world – with top-five recruiting classes. The Zips' classes of 2015, 2012 and 2009 were ranked No. 1 in the country, while the classes of 2016, 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 37 players who have gone on to play professionally either in MLS or overseas since 2007.

Since 2008, Akron leads the country with eight players selected among the top-five selections in the MLS SuperDraft. The Zips also boast the highest total of players chosen among the top-10 draftees over the same span with 12

LATE GOAL LIFTS SEATTLE PAST AKRON, 2-1
A 75th-minute (74:36) goal from Gabriel Ruiz lifted 24th-rated Seattle to a 2-1 victory over the 12th-ranked University of Akron men's soccer team on Friday, Sept. 7, in a rematch of the 2017 NCAA Tournament showdown won by the Zips, 3-0.

Senior Marco Micaletto (Reading, England) accounted for the Zips' offense on the evening netting his first Akron goal with a 26th-minute (25:56) tally off an assist from sophomore David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria).

Goalkeeper Ben Lundt finished the evening registering a career-high 10 saves to surpass his previous career-best mark of eight stops made against Seattle on Aug. 28, 2016.

The Zips garnered one shot apiece from freshman Colin Biros (Canton, Ohio), Egbo and Micaletto, while Sergio Rivas led Seattle with a game-high nine shots.

Biros recorded the initial shot of the evening for either team, a strike inside the box that went high at the 5:47 mark.

Lundt made a pair of strong saves for Akron to deny shots by Rivas and Josh Castrillon in the 10th (9:14) and 17th (16:01) minutes, respectively. He followed with another stop on a shot by Rivas at the 23:46 mark.

The Redhawks held the early advantage in shots, 6-1, in the contest before the Zips broke through when Micaletto netted his first Akron goal with a 26th-minute (25:56) tally. The shot from the top of the box off an assist from Egbo bested Seattle goalkeeper Josh Adachi.

A header shot by Noe Meza was thwarted by a save from Lundt at the 38:44 mark.

Rivas netted the equalizer for the Redhawks in the 45th minute (44:51) capitalizing off a ball flicked into the box by Hal Underitz after a throw-in from Nathan Aune.

Lundt made back-to-back strong saves off strikes from Rivas at the 56:43 and 57:12 marks, respectively, to maintain the 1-1 score.

Lundt equaled a career high in saves with his eighth stop of the evening off a shot by Ruiz at the 69:12 mark.

The Redhawks appeared to collect the go-ahead goal in the 74th minute (73:24), but the tally was waved off as Seattle was whistled for an offsides call.

Freshman Marco Milanese (Isernia, Italy) followed with clearance off the line in the 75th minute to deny another scoring chance for the Redhawks.

Seattle went ahead 2-1 at the 74:36 mark as Ruiz recorded his first goal of the season on what proved to be the game-winning tally.

RITACCIO EARNS USMNT U-19 CALL-UP
University of Akron men's soccer freshman Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) was named to the United States U-19 Men's National Team for the upcoming 2018 U-20 Men's Invitational tournament at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. from Sept. 7-11.

The U.S. U-20 and U-19 Men's National Teams will face Venezuela and Jamaica, as well as square off against each other in the round-robin style competition.

Each of the match days – Sept. 7, 9 and 11 – will feature a doubleheader (11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET) with the U-20 MNT playing the second game each day. The winner of the competition will be based on total points. Tie-breakers will first be overall goal difference and then total goals scored.

ZIPS TIDBITS
• David Egbo enters the Zips' showdown at Washington ranked 13th in the NCAA in goals per game (1.00), 20th in total goals (3), 21st in points per tilt (1.75), 23rd in shots on goal per outing (1.50), 37th in shot per match (3.00) and 39th in total points (7).
• The shutout for Ben Lundt in a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 1 was the 21st of his Akron career to move him into a tie with Justin Christafaris (2001-04) for seventh on the all-time career list for the Zips.
• Fourteen different Zips have registered shots this season, including eight newcomers.
• Four Akron freshmen in Colin Biros, Marco Milanese, Carlo Ritaccio and Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.) earned the starting assignment in their collegiate debuts versus Butler on Aug. 24. Overall, seven Zips' newcomers started against the Bulldogs, with seniors Marco Micaletto and Abdi Mohamed along with junior Leonard Sohn (Richmond Hill, Ontario) also getting the starting nod.
• Six different Akron freshmen have earned the starting nod this season for the Zips. Colin Biros and Marco Milanese have started each of Akron's first four matches on the campaign, while Carlo Ritaccio, Sam Tojaga, Pol Hernandez (Teia, Spain) and Daniel Oliveira (Lisbon, Portugal) have started three, two, one and one game, respectively.
• The Zips own a 80-25-12 mark over the last six seasons under head coach Jared Embick. Akron's 80 wins leads all of Division I.
• The Zips are 0-2-1 versus ranked teams in 2018 after a 2-1 setback against No. 24 Seattle on Sept. 7. Akron is averaging 10.3 shots per contest in those games. David Egbo paces the squad with a pair of goals on the strength of a team-high nine shots.
• Since 2008, Akron leads the country with eight players selected among the top-five selections in the MLS SuperDraft. The Zips also boast the highest total of players chosen among the top-10 draftees over the same span with 12.
• Ben Lundt ranks among the active career leaders in Division I rating sixth in career shutouts (22), seventh in minutes played (4,687.12), 11th in goals against average (.922), 28th in save percentage (.745) and 30th in saves (140). Additionally, Marco Micaletto is ranked 22nd in career points (56), 27th in goals (22), 29th in goals per game (0.36) and 31st in points per contest (0.92).
• Under head coach Jared Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 16-3-2.
• Skye Harter is Akron's active career leader in goals (7), assists (10) and points (24), while senior Ezana Kahsay paces the squad in shots (65), games played (60) and game-winning goals (3). Sophomore Marcel Zajac (Mississauga, Ontario) leads the Zips in goals (7) and shots on goal (21), while Ben Lundt has started a team-high 46 games.

UP NEXT
Akron welcomes Connecticut to FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field for a 7 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Sept. 15.