Akron Women's Soccer Returns Home For Week Two Of MAC Play

Friday, October 4

Akron, Ohio

7 PM

University of Akron

Ball State

Akron Women's Soccer Returns Home For Week Two Of MAC Play

October 03 | Women's Soccer

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Akron vs. Ball State Gamenotes (PDF)

Akron (4-6-0, 1-1-0 MAC) vs. Ball State (7-2-0, 1-1-0 MAC)
Friday, Oct. 4
Akron, Ohio • FirstEnergy Stadium • 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch: GoZips.com
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Akron vs. Miami Gamenotes (PDF)

Akron (4-6-0, 1-1-0 MAC) vs. Miami (2-7-0, 1-1-0 MAC)
Sunday, Oct. 6
Akron, Ohio • FirstEnergy Stadium • 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
The second week of Mid-American Conference play is slated for the Akron women's soccer team this upcoming weekend as the Zips return home to FirstEnergy Stadium and begin a three-game homestand. To open league play in front of its home crowd, Akron welcomes in Ball State on Friday, Oct. 4, before closing the weekend with an afternoon match against Miami on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Scouting the Cardinals
Heading into week two of Mid-American Conference play, Ball State stands 1-1 inside league play while posting a 6-2 non-conference ledger to total a 7-2 overall mark. The Cardinals split its first two MAC matches in week one falling to Central Michigan (0-1) in the conference opener and defeating Eastern Michigan, 3-2, in extra time. The Cardinals picked up non-conference victories over Eastern Ill. (6-0), Marquette (1-0), Illinois State (1-0), Loyola Chicago (2-1), Omaha (1-0), and Fort Wayne (4-0).

As an offense, the Cardinals have totaled 18 goals through nine contests, which ranks second in the Mid-American Conference. Additionally in the MAC, Ball State ranks first in total points (59), first in assists (23), and sixth in shots (119). Individually, a trio of goal scorers are tied for a team-high four scores each in Grace Alsop, Nicky Potts, and Tatiana Hawkins-Dabney, which ranks tied for fourth in the league. Alsop and Potts are also tied for a team-high nine points tallying one assist each and have combined to tally 20 shots. Tatiana Mason owns the second-most assists in the MAC and a team-high, five.

Tristen Stuteville has seen the bulk of the action in-between the pipes for Ball State. In nine starts, Stuteville owns a goals-against average of 0.70 on 36 saves and six goals allowed. In 776 minutes of action, Stuteville and the Cardinals defense has turned in one shutout.

Scouting the RedHawks
After nine contests, Miami stands 2-7 on the season while going 1-1 in the opening weekend of MAC play and earning three points in the league standings. The RedHawks defeated Eastern Michigan, 3-1, in dominating fashion before falling to Central Michigan (0-1 2OT). Miami takes on Buffalo two days prior to its match against the Zips.

Miami has tallied six goals on the campaign heading into the weekend. Olivia Winnett and Lyda Bogdanovitch own a team-high two goals each and a combined 39 total shots and 21 shots on goal. Soph Spinell and Keara Kerr have also posted a goal for the RedHawks.

Izzie Vaccari has made a team-high seven starts in the net for Miami en route to a 2-5-0 overall record. In 712 minutes of action, Vaccari has surrendered nine goals, made 48 saves, registered a 1.14 goals-against average, and notched an .842 save percentage.

Series History
The all-time series between Akron and Ball State goes in favor of the Cardinals edging the Zips, 11-2-5 overall in 18 contests since 2001. Akron will look for its first win against Ball State since 2010. When playing at home, the Zips are 2-4-3 against the Cardinals.

Akron and Miami have met on the pitch 21 times since the inaugural match in 2001. In the past 18 seasons, UA owns a 7-11-3 overall mark against the RedHawks. The Zips have won two straight over Miami heading into Sunday's contest.

Coaches
Ball State: Josh Rife, the fifth head coach in program history at Ball State, took over the Cardinals program in June 2019. Most recently in his soccer tenure, Rife spent one season at Mississippi State and two seasons at Liberty.

Miami: Courtney Sirmans, is in her second season at the helm of the Miami women's soccer program since taking over in 2018. In her first campaign with the RedHawks, Sirmans lead Miami to a 3-14-1 overall mark. Prior to becoming the third coach in program history, Sirmans spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Rice.

Akron: Noreen Herlihy is in her fifth season on the sidelines as the head coach of The University of Akron's women's soccer program. She owns a 24-52-12 record leading the Zips since taking over the program. Since taking over the program in 2015, Herlihy has led Akron to the Mid-American Conference postseason tournament twice and advanced to the semi-final round for the first time in program history in 2015. Herlihy has coached seven All-MAC honorees, 25 student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-MAC team, and her team has been recognized as a Collegiate Team Academic Award winner by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) for four straight seasons.

Zips Tidbits

The Zips roster consists of seven players from Ohio, eight from Pennsylvania, one from Kentucky, two from Germany, two from England, one from Minnesota, and one from Ireland.
The Zips roster consists of one student-athlete who is a dual-citizen Kat Costa (Germany).
Lexie Kolano competed for The University of Cincinnati in her freshman season before transferring to Akron for a fresh start. Kolano scored one goal in 14 games for UC and four goals in her first season at Akron for a total of five collegiate goals scored.
The Zips return its starting defensive backline from 2018 including senior Ashley Amato (Pittsburgh, Pa.), junior Abigail Brown (Batavia, Ohio), junior Ryley Watt (Irwin, Pa.), and freshman Kayleigh Penton (Vermilion, Ohio). The quartet played a combined 6,774 minutes of action and aided in the Zips five shutouts.
Junior Anya Donelan (Warrington, England) competed at Monroe College for two seasons (2017-18), scored two goals and eight assists in her career. Donelan and Monroe College captured the 2018 National Junior College Athletic Association championship and went undefeated.
The six international student-athletes are the most on an Akron roster in program history.
Lucia Lobato and Aislinn Meaney are the first Irish student-athletes to compete on a Zips women's soccer squad in program history.
Seven Zips made their Akron debuts against Charlotte, including Aislinn Meaney, Vanessa Berlin, Lucia Lobato, Libby Harper, Anya Donelan, Bailee Bowers, and Emily Clopp.
Despite the two results, Akron registered 20 shots in its first two contests including nine shots on goal.
Redshirt sophomore Charley Kale scored her first career goal and the first goal of the season for the Zips against Cleveland State.
Freshman Lucia Lobato earned her first collegiate assist and registered the first assist of the season for the Zips in Akron's match with Cleveland State.
Despite the result, Akron outshot CSU, 15-9, and owned the advantage in corner kicks, 4-1.
Akron picked up its first win of the 2019 campaign against Niagara while also earning its first victory over the Purple Eagles in program history.
Senior Ashley Amato scored a goal in back-to-back contests against Niagara and Morehead State.
Meaney scored her first Akron goal and game-winning score against the Purple Eagles.
Junior Anya Donelan notched her first Akron assist in the Zips lone goal against MSU.
Win #2 came in Youngstown, Ohio as the Zips took down Youngstown State, 1-0.
Freshman Bailee Bowers scored her first career goal and the first career game-winning goal in the Zips win over YSU.
Akron is 3-3 in its last six games and has tallied seven goals by four different players in the four-week span.
Amato scored her third goal and second penalty kick score of the season against Eastern Kentucky.
Since the beginning of the campaign, Amato has jumped to fifth in career goals scored (15) and sixth in career points tallied (30).
UA picked up its third win of the campaign in the 2019 non-conference finale against Robert Morris.
Libby Harper picked up the first solo shutout of her career against the Colonials.
Akron's goal against RMU went down as an own goal, however, the play was set up by Ryley Watt sending a free-kick into the box and Carly Pcholinsky heading the ball on goal.
UA picked up three non-conference victories in back-to-back seasons (2018-19) and for the sixth time in program history.
In program history, Akron picked up three wins in a MAC season opener (07, 08, 13) while also playing to one draw (16).
Sophomore's Carly Pcholinsky and Sydney Worthy scored their first goals of the season in the Zips win against Toledo. Worthy notched the seventh score and second game-winning goal of her career, while Pcholinsky notched her fifth career goal.
Worthy recorded her first assist of the 2019 campaign and third of her career.
The Zips registered a win in the opening weekend of league play in back-to-back seasons and for the eighth time in program history.
Freshman goalkeeper, Libby Harper's, goals-against average (0.94) ranks 71st in the NCAA.
The Zips team 1.06 GAA is rated 95th in the nation.

Nines Across The Board
Heading into the second weekend of MAC play, Akron has tallied nine goals, averages .90 goals per game, has registered 90 shots, and averages nine shots per game.

All-Time MACtion
When Akron stepped on to the pitch against Bowling Green, the Zips commenced its 19th season competing inside the Mid-American Conference. Akron captured a MAC East Division title in 2009, competed in five MAC postseason tournaments, made one semi-finals appearance, and registered a 50-130-24 overall record during league play.

Up Next
UA closes out its three-game homestand at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m., as the Zips host the Ohio Bobcats to kick off week three of MAC play. The weekend wraps up with a rivalry match as Akron travels to cross-town rival Kent State for a rendition of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge.