Akron Visits West Virginia in Regular Season Finale

Thursday, November 7

Morgantown, W.Va.

7:00 PM

University of Akron

West Virginia

Akron Visits West Virginia in Regular Season Finale

November 06 | Men's Soccer

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MATCH NO. 17 - AKRON AT WEST VIRGINIA GAME NOTES (11/7)

Akron (5-9-2, 3-0-1 MAC) at West Virginia (6-7-2, 0-3-1 MAC)
Thursday, Nov. 7
Disk Dlesk Stadium (1,650)
Morgantown, W.Va. • 7 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 16-4-1
Live Stats: www.gozips.com
Live Stream: www.gozips.com
Television: www.gozips.com

MATCH PREVIEW WITH HEAD COACH JARED EMBICK

WHAT'S AHEAD

The University of Akron men's soccer team closes out its regular season campaign on Thursday, Nov. 7, as the Zips travel to Morgantown, W.Va., to battle West Virginia. The 7 p.m. contest will be broadcast on Mountaineer TV with a link on GoZips.Com.

FOUR SENIORS NEAR END OF THEIR HOME ZIPS' CAREERS
The Zips' contest versus Northern Illinois on Nov. 2, mark the final regular season home games in the careers of seniors Skye Harter (Copley, Ohio), Christian Lue Young (Plantation, Fla.), Tom Smart (Birmingham, England) and Leonard Sohn (Richmond Hill, Ontario).

Harter has played in a team-best 74 games over his Akron career, including 46 starts. He has registered nine goals, while adding 17 assists on the strength of 57 shots, including 26 on goal.

Lue Young joined the Zips prior to the 2017 season and has appeared in 21 matches, including 10 starts and has posted a goal and a pair of assists on 20 shots, including eight on frame.

Smart has appeared in eight of the Zips' 15 contests this season, including a pair of starts. He has yet to record his first shot at Akron.

A two-year member of the Zips, Sohn has appeared in 17 matches, including six starts and owns a assist on three shots.

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDING UP FOR GRABS ON FINAL WEEKEND
With the final weekend of Mid-American Conference regular season action on tap on Thursday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 9, the stage has been set for a tightly-contested battle to determine the second through sixth seeds for the upcoming MAC Championship, Nov. 15-17 at FirstEnergy Stadium. On the strength of a 3-0-1 league mark, Akron has claimed the No. 1 seed. The winner of the SIU Edwardsville at Western Michigan contest will claim the No. 2 seed and a coveted bye into the semifinal round on Nov. 15. A tie between the Cougars and Broncos and Northern Illinois can secure the No. 2 seed with a triumph at Bowling Green. With the second through fifth spots in the league stands separated by only four points, all other scenarios may come down to conference tiebreakers to determine final tournament seeding. All tiebreakers will be broken by the league and announced following the completion of Saturday's games.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia comes into play against the Zips having snapped a five-match losing streak on the strength of a 0-0 double-overtime draw at SIU Edwardsville on Saturday, Nov. 2. Senior Andre Muriel Albino leads the Mountaineers in goals (6), points (14), shots (28), shots on goal (13) and game-winners (1), while ranking fourth in assists (2). Junior goalkeeper Steven Tekesky has recorded 48 saves en route to posting four shutouts on the strength of a 1.61 goals against average.

As a team. West Virginia is ranked 11th in the NCAA in corner kicks (6.60), 44th in assists per game (1.80) and 47th in total assists (27).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and West Virginia are meeting for the 22nd time in program history with the Zips owning a 16-4-1 series advantage. A year ago, the Mountaineers registered a 2-1 overtime victory over Akron on Oct. 13, 2018 at FirstEnergy Stadium, before the Zips bested West Virginia, 3-1, in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Championship on Nov. 9, 2018 in Morgantown, W.Va.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 9, 2018 - MORGANTOWN, W.VA.)
University of Akron sophomore Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) 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 12th-ranked and top-seeded West Virginia in the semifinal round of the Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer Tournament on Nov. 9, 2018 at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va.

The Zips statistically dominated the Mountaineers on the evening registering a 20-6 margin in shots, including 7-4 on frame, while also posting an 11-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Marcel Zajac directed Akron's offensive exploits with a game-high four shots, while Ezana Kahsay and junior David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria) added three shots apiece. Tsubasa Takada led West Virginia with a team-high three shots, while the Zips held Joey Piatczyc, the 2018 MAC Player of the Year, without a shot on the evening.

Goalkeeper Ben Lundt recorded three saves in net for Akron, while Steven Tekesky pulled in three stops for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia assumed a 1-0 lead just 11 seconds into the match as a defensive miscue allowed Andres Muriel Albino to connect on his sixth goal of the season.

The advantage was short-lived as Ritaccio collected his first career goal delivering a ball past Tekesky at the 1:43 mark to square the affair at one. Skye Harter struck a corner kick into the box which was flicked by Abdi Mohamed to Ritaccio for the goal.

Egbo struck a ball on net at the 18:05 mark that was saved by Tekesky, a strike that was part of five consecutive shots by the Zips, including Harter narrowly missing finding the corner of the net on a shot at the 22:34 mark.

Lundt made a near-post save off a shot by a Takada in the 26th minute (25:31) to deny a West Virginia scoring chance.

Sophomore Colin Biros (Jackson, Ohio) unleashed a shot on goal from outside the box at the 32:05 mark that hit the crossbar before bouncing back to sophomore Marco Milanese (Isernia, Italy), who got a head on the ball off the deflection.

Kahsay delivered a shot at the 33:34 mark that went high before placing a ball on frame at the 34:33 mark that Tekesky thwarted with a save.

Kahsay headed home his fourth goal of the season off an assist from Biros in the 43rd minute (42:09) to give Akron a 2-1 lead, one they didn't relinquish. The tally proved to be the game-winning goal in the match.

The Zips maintained a 2-1 lead at the intermission on the strength of a 16-3 shot advantage, including 5-2 on goal.

The Mountaineers nearly squared the contest at two in the 57th minute (56.19) as Ryan Kellogg's strike sliced just wide of goal.

West Virginia needed a defensive clearance off the goal line at the 58:59 mark to prevent Mohamed from netting his first goal of the season.

Ritaccio garnered his first-ever multi-goal game in his Zips' career connecting on his second goal of the evening in the 66th minute (65:34). Playing a ball in from the top of the box to a streaking Zajac was Milanese, who then delivered a cross to the far post for Ritaccio, who buried the ball into the corner of the net to extend Akron's margin to 3-1.

Lundt sealed the victory for Akron making saves off of shots from Takada in the 81st (80:56) and 88th minutes (87:02), respectively.

THE COACHES
West Virginia: Marlon LeBlanc is in his 14th season as head coach of the West Virginia program, owning a 134-98-34 (.568) record. Overall in 15 years as a head coach, LeBlanc holds a 138-101-34 (.568) mark.
Akron: In his seventh year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, and 13th season overall, is Jared Embick, who owns a 99-39-15 mark (.696), including 146-60-23 (.688) overall, in his 11th 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 2019 campaign marks his seventh year leading the Zips having registered a 99-39-15 (.696) ledger after posting an 15-7-2 record en route to earning the program's second consecutive and sixth overall College Cup berth in 2018. Akron's 99 victories since Embick took the helm of the Zips' program in 2013 rank second among all men's soccer programs in Division I.

During Embick's time at Akron, the Zips have posted the highest winning percentage in the nation with an overall record of 209-52-31 (.769), including a 59-6-5 (.879) mark in Mid-American Conference play, while securing 11 conference tournament titles, 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament and three appearances in the College Cup final.

The Zips became one of just four Division I programs in 2018 to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 12 seasons.

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. Akron's 2018 class was tabbed No. 9 nationally.

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.

AKRON COLLECTS COME-FROM-BEHIND 3-2 WIN OVER NIU
A goal from Will Jackson with 2.7 seconds remaining in regulation lifted the University of Akron men's soccer team to an improbable come-from-behind 3-2 Mid-American Conference victory over Northern Illinois on Senior Night at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2.

The Zips registered three unanswered goals, including a brace from David Egbo, over the final eight minutes of regulation to erase a 2-0 deficit and earn the triumph.

Akron posted a season-best 31 shots in the affair, including a season-best 12 shots on goal. Egbo directed the Zips' offensive attack, equaling a career-high with a team-best seven shots, including a trio on net, en route to netting his fourth career multi-goal match. Adding four, four, three and three shots, respectively, for Akron was Christian Lue Young, freshman Mani Austmann (Gardabaer, Iceland), junior Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) and Jackson. Nick Markanich led the Huskies with a team-high two shots.

Northern Illinois goalkeeper Martin Sanchez was stellar in net for the Huskies registering nine saves, while redshirt junior Tor Saunders (Seattle, Wash.) earned the victory without having to make a save.

Jackson's game-winning tally at the 89:57 mark was off a high-arching shot from the corner of the 18-yard box that garnered a fortuitous bounce over a sliding Sanchez and into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season. Earning the assist on the tally was Strachan.

The two sides battled through a scoreless opening 45 minutes with the Zips registering a 12-1 margin in first-half shots, including a 4-0 edge in shots on goal.

Strachan nearly opened the scoring in the match in the fourth minute (3:55) as his header off a free kick from Colin Biros was pulled in for a save by Sanchez. He later added a shot on frame at the 29:19 mark that was again saved by Sanchez.

Redshirt junior Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) struck a ball in the 33rd minute (32:09) that was thwarted by diving save from Sanchez.

Sanchez made another diving save of an Egbo shot in the 36th minute (35:24) on what proved to be Akron's final shot on goal in the opening stanza.

Northern Illinois assumed a 1-0 lead at the 50:03 mark when Alex Welch delivered the Huskies' first corner kick of the night into the corner of the six-yard box where Anthony Markanich headed home the goal.

The Zips were unable to register a shot on goal in the second half until Lue Young's strike in the 67th minute (66:49), a shot that was denied by a save from Sanchez.

Pacheco followed with strike on net at the 68:29 mark that was stopped by Sanchez.

Akron was whistled for a foul in the box in the 72nd minute (71:51), resulting in Northern Illinois being awarded a penalty kick. Stepping to the line and connecting on the goal to push the Huskies' lead to 2-0 was Louis Sala.

Sophomore Pol Hernandez (Teia, Spain) got off a laser in the box at the 78:56 mark for Akron that only a spectacular diving save from Sanchez prevented the Zips from cracking the scoring column.

Facing a two-goal deficit, the Zips faced a pivotal moment in their season and Akron responded beginning with Egbo scoring his sixth goal on the year at the 81:53 mark to bring the Zips within a goal, 2-1. The ball was played in from the wing into the center of the box with a pair of passes for assists from Hernandez and Pacheco.

Just over a minute later in the 83rd minute (82:55), Egbo leveled the match at two with a diving header for his team-leading seventh goal of the season.

Austmann added a shot on goal at the 87:24 mark, before Egbo narrowly missed on a one-touch in the six-yard box in the 89th minute (88:36).

ZIPS FINDING THEIR FORM
The Zips found their form in October as Akron owned a 4-2-2 mark in the month. The Zips averaged 16.5 shots and 1.50 goals per game in those contests, while limiting their opponents to 10.5 shots and 0.88 goals per tilt. Akron outscored its opponents in the first half by a 9-2 margin, while posting a 66-30 edge in corner kicks. Will Jackson, Mani Austmann and David Egbo paced the Zips with 23,20 and 19 shots, respectively. In goal, junior Joe Bowles (Stratford, England) owned a 0.55 goals against average on the strength of two shutouts and 13 saves.

EGBO AND JACKSON EARN NATIONAL HONORS
David Egbo and Will Jackson were honored for their efforts this past week as TopDrawerSoccer.com named the Zips' duo honorable mention selections to its National Men's Soccer Team of the Week on Nov. 5.

Egbo was also tabbed as the Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Egbo scored his team-leading sixth and seventh goals over a 62-second span to help erase a 2-0 deficit with eight minutes to play to spark Akron to a 3-2 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Trailing 2-0, Egbo delivered a left-footed strike to the corner of the net at the 81:53 mark off balls played in from the wing by Pol Hernandez and Diogo Pacheco. Just over a minute later in the 83rd minute (82:55) he leveled the contest with a header that bested the keeper off an assist from Christian Lue Young.

Egbo directed the Zips' offensive attack, equaling a career-high with a team-best seven shots, including a trio on net, en route to netting his fourth career multi-goal match. Akron posted a season-best 31 shots in the affair, including a season-best 12 shots on goal.

On the season, Egbo leads Akron in goals (7), assists (3), points (17), shots (41) and shots on goal (19).

Jackson posted a goal and an assist on the week en route to registering team-high marks in shots (10) and shots on goal (6).

He capped a dramatic comeback versus Northern Illinois, scoring his team-leading third game-winning goal of the season with 2.7 seconds remaining en route to finishing the match with four shots, including two on goal.

Earlier in the week against Cleveland State, he assisted on Colin Biros' goal and finished the match equaling a career-high six shots and set a career mark with four shots on goal.

On the season, Jackson leads the team in game-winners (3), assists (3) and shots on goal (19), while ranking second in goals (4), points (11) and shots (37).

JACKSON MAKING HIS MARK
Will Jackson has provided a dynamic presence for the Zips on the offensive end this season as he enters play versus West Virginia on Nov. 7, leading Mid-American Conference freshmen in shots (37) and shots per game (2.47). In conference-only affairs, he is leading the league rookies in goals (3) and game-winners (2), while rating second in shots (11) and third in shots on goal (5). In MAC-Only contests overall, he is first in game-winning goals (0.50), second in goals (0.75), third in points (1.75), fourth in shots (2.75) and seventh in shots on goal (1.67) per game.

AUSTMANN ADDING TO ZIPS' OFFENSIVE ATTACK
Mani Austmann upped his game in the month of October ranking second on the team in shots (20), shots on goal (10) and game-winners (1) and fourth in goals (1). He is currently leading Mid-American Conference freshmen in shots (13) and shots on goal (7) and is second in game-winners (1) in league-only affairs. In MAC-Only contests overall, he ranks first in shots on goal (1.75) and third in game-winning goals (0.25) and shots per game (3.25).

ZIPS TIDBITS
• Eleven of the 21 matches against West Virginia have been decided by a goal or less with Akron owning a 7-3-1 mark in those contests.
• The visiting team has won each of the last four matches in the series and eight of 21 overall.
• Akron maintains a 5-1-0 mark in its six encounters with the Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va., including wins in the previous four meetings. The Zips have outscored West Virginia, 17-7, all-time on the road, including earning shutout victories in three of the six encounters.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in 16 all-time meetings with West Virginia.
• Akron head coach Jared Embick is one win away from 100 in his Zips' coaching career.
• The Zips set season-high marks in shots (31) and shots on goal (12) in a 3-2 win over Northern Illinois on Nov. 2, while establishing a season-best total in corner kicks (14) against Cleveland State on Oct. 29. Will Jackson and Colin Biros each established career-high marks in shots and shots on goal registering (6/4) and 6/3) versus the Vikings.
• David Egbo has been stellar in Akron's eight home games this season owning team-high marks in goals (7), points (17), shots (30) and shots on goal (15).
• On the strength of 145 shots, including 57 on goal, the Zips are registering 18.1 shots per game at FirstEnergy Stadium in 2019, while limiting their opponents to 10.5 shots a night.
• Will Jackson made the most of his MAC debut versus Bowling Green on Oct. 12 as he posted his first collegiate goal, a game-winner, while also tallying an assist on Diogo Pacheco's first-half goal.
• Will Jackson leads the MAC in game-winning goals (2), while rating second in goals (0.75), third in points (1.75) and fourth in shots (2.75) and seventh in shots on goal (1.25) per game in conference-only matches.
• Three Zips are among the league leaders in several statistical categories for conference-only matches as David Egbo leads the league in goals (1.00), points (2.67) and shots (5.00) per outing, while rating third in assists (0.67) and shots on goal (1.67) per game. Tor Saunders paces the conference in shutouts per contest (0.50), while Joe Bowles is second in goals against average (0.90). Mani Austmann ranks first in shots on goal per game (1.75) and third in game-winning goals (0.25) and in shots per contest (3.25), while Pol Hernandez is second in assists per game (0.75).
• Akron registered a then season-best 22 shots against Florida International on Oct. 5, while freshmen Will Jackson and Mani Austmann established career-high marks in shots recording six and five, respectively.
• Five different Zips have garnered their first-ever collegiate goals this season. Will Jackson was the latest to join the group with a second-half goal against Bowling Green on Oct. 12. Daniel Strachan and sophomore Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.) tallied goals against VCU (Oct. 2). They join Christian Lue Young and Mani Austmann, who recorded goals versus Creighton (Sept. 6) and Marshall (Sept. 21), respectively.
• David Egbo recorded his 100th career shot in the Zips' 2-0 win over VCU on Oct. 2.
• Twelve different Akron players have earned an assist this season.
• The Zips own the 11th-best strength of schedule in the country in 2019 according to RPI Update.
• Akron has also faced the 14th-most difficult schedule in the NCAA this season as tabulated by NCAA.com, as well as the most-challenging ledger in the MAC.
• Diogo Pacheco is ranked fifth in the MAC in shots per contest (2.45) after equaling a career-best mark with a five-shot effort at Maryland on Sept. 13. A year ago, he posted five strikes, including a career-high three shots on goal versus Syracuse on Oct. 18, 2018. He also played a career-best 90 minutes against the Terrapins.
• Twenty-four Zips have seen action this season, including 11 newcomers.
• Eighteen different Zips have registered a shot this season, including six newcomers.
• As a team, the Zips are rated second in the NCAA in corner kicks (7.44), 20th in shots per game (15.25) and 38th in shots on goal per contest (6.13).
• Skye Harter enters play against West Virginia among the active NCAA leaders in assists and games played. He is rated 22nd in games played (74) and 36th in assists (16) among Division I players. David Egbo is 32nd in career points per game (1.00), 42nd in goals (21) and 44th in points (54) and goals per game (0.39).
• Will Jackson has paced a talented core of freshmen for Akron this season leading the newcomers in goals (4), assists (3), points (11), shots (37), shots on goal (19) and game-winners (3).
• Eight Akron newcomers have garnered a start in the Zips' 16 contests this season. Will Jackson has recorded 15 starts, while owning 10 and seven starts, respectively, are Mani Austmann and Henrique Cruz. Joe Bowles, freshman Bradley Chick (Melbourne, Australia), senior Tom Smart, and freshmen Johnny Fitzgerald (Tallahassee, Fla.) and Joey Paulus (Hinckley, Ohio) have posted six, four, two, two and one start, respectively.
• Four different Zips in Christian Lue Young and Tom Smart and Mani Austmann and Will Jackson earned their first-ever Akron starts versus Xavier.
• Four additional newcomers in sophomore Federico Serra (Cagliari, Italy) and Bradley Chick, Henrique Cruz and freshman Jaden Wright (Lorain, Ohio) made their Zips' debuts against Xavier, while freshman Nicolas Alt (Basel, Switzerland) saw his first collegiate playing time versus Florida International (Oct. 5).

FORMER ZIPS EARN BERTHS IN MLS CUP
Seven former Zips saw their respective MLS clubs earn a berth into the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs following Decision Day slated on Oct. 6. In the Eastern Conference, Teal Bunbury (New England), Scott Caldwell (New England), Richie Laryea (Toronto) and Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta) have secured a postseason berth. In the Western Conference, Perry Kitchen (Los Angeles), Saad Abdul-Salaam (Seattle) and Zarek Valentin (Portland) locked down spots.

In the Eastern Conference, second-seeded Atlanta earned a 1-0 win over No. 7 New England, while No. 4 Toronto bested No. 5 D.C. United, 5-1, on Oct. 19. Richie Laryea scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in overtime for Toronto. In the Western Conference, No. 2 Seattle downed No. 7 F.C Dallas, 4-3, No.3 Real Salt Lake edged No. 6 Portland, 2-1, and No. 4 Minnesota fell to No. 5 Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-1.

In conference semifinal action, No. 4 Toronto bested top-seeded New York City FC, 2-1, on Oct. 23, while second-seeded Atlanta handed No. 3 Philadelphia a 2-0 setback on Oct. 24. In the Western Conference, No. 2 Seattle defeated No. 3 Real Salt Lake, 2-0, on Oct. 23 before the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Galaxy bettered cross-town rival Los Angeles FC, 5-3, on Oct. 24.

In the Eastern Conference title match, fourth-seeded Toronto edged No. 2 Atlanta, 2-1, on Oct. 30, while in the Western Division, second-seeded Seattle upset No. 1 LAFC, 3-1, on Oct. 29. The MLS Cup will be played on Nov. 10 in Seattle, Wash.

UP NEXT
The Zips host the Mid-American Conference Championship, Nov. 15-17, at FirstEnergy Stadium. Akron will face the advancing team from the No. 4/5 quarterfinal match at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15.