Akron Continues Road Swing at Pittsburgh

Monday, September 16

Pittsburgh, Pa.

7:00 PM

University of Akron

Pittsburgh

September 15 | Men's Soccer

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MATCH NO. 5 - AKRON AT PITTSBURGH GAME NOTES (9/16)

Akron (0-4-0) at Pittsburgh (1-3-1)
Monday, Sept. 16
Ambrose Urbanic Field (1,000)
Pittsburgh, Pa. • 7 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 18-7-2
Live Stats: www.gozips.com
Live Stream: www.gozips.com
Television: www.gozips.com

MATCH PREVIEW WITH HEAD COACH JARED EMBICK

WHAT'S AHEAD

Akron's four-match road trip continues with a non-conference tilt at Pittsburgh on Monday, Sept. 16. The 7 p.m. tilt between the Zips and Panthers will be broadcast on the ACC Network (Channel 402 on Dish Network and 612 on DirectTV) with Charlie Davies and Sebastian Salazar calling the action from Ambrose Urbanic Field.

AKRON VERSUS THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
• The Zips are meeting a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time this season and 72nd time overall.
• Akron owns a 40-25-6 (.600) all-time record versus the current 12 members of the ACC.
• In their last encounter with a school from the ACC, the Zips earned a 1-0 triumph past top-seeded and second-ranked Wake Forest in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Nov. 25, 2018. Earlier in the season, the Zips registered a 3-1 victory over Syracuse on Nov. 18 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Hamilton, N.Y., after suffering a 3-1 home setback during the regular season against the Orange on Oct. 1 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Akron also bested Pittsburgh, 1-0, on Sept. 1, after dropping a 2-0 decision versus No. 17 North Carolina State on Aug. 27.

SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh comes into play against Akron this Monday, Sept. 16, winless in its last two contests following a 2-0 setback to top-rated Wake Forest on Friday, Sept. 13. Junior Edward Kizza directs the Panthers' offensive attack with team-high marks in goals (4), points (8), shots (18), shots on goal (9) and game-winners (1). Pittsburgh has utilized a trio of goalkeepers this season in redshirt junior Arie Ammann and sophomores Johan Penaranda and Alexander Steinbach, as the trio has combined to post 14 saves and own a 1.68 goals against average with one shutout.

As a team, the Panthers are ranked fifth in the NCAA in shots per game (17.0), sixth in shots on goal per contest (7.8), 12th in corner kicks (7.8), 31st in total goals (8), 34th in scoring offense (1.60), 41st in total points (21) and 50th in points per game (4.2). Individually, Kizza is eighth in shots on goal per tilt (1.8), ninth in goals per game (0.80), 10th in total goals (4), 19th in total points (8) and points per contest (0.80), 27th in shots per game (3.6) and 29th in game-winning goals (0.20).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Pittsburgh are meeting for the 28th time in program history with the Zips owning a 18-7-2 series advantage. A year ago, Akron registered a 1-0 victory over the Panthers on Sept. 1, 2018 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 1, 2018 - AKRON, OHIO)
Junior David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria) delivered what proved to be the game-winning tally in the fifth minute (4:17) and the second-ranked Zips locked down defensively over the remainder of its tilt with Pittsburgh, en route to registering a 1-0 victory on Sept. 1, 2018, at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Egbo scored off a strong pass into the box by junior Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) to give Akron a 1-0 lead.

A sliding save by Zips' goalkeeper Ben Lundt at the 18:44 mark prevented the Panthers from netting the equalizer off a strike in the box by Dexter Alexander.

Akron appeared to assume a 2-0 lead in the 22nd minute (21:43) as Abdi Mohamed ricocheted a laser off the foot of Egbo into the back of the net. The tally though was taken off the board as the Zips were whistled for an offsides call.

Akron maintained a 1-0 advantage at halftime despite Pittsburgh finishing the initial stanza outshooting the Zips, 9-1, including 2-1 on frame.

Sophomore Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.) got off a quality look for Akron in the 51st minute (50:57) in the box, but his shot sailed just high of frame.

Egbo added a shot on goal at the 57:40 mark, one that was denied by a save by Panthers' goalkeeper Johan Penaranda.

The Zips again had a solid scoring opportunity in the 79th minute (78:56) as Marco Micaletto played a ball into the box to Mohamed off a corner kick by senior Skye Harter (Copley, Ohio). The strike was again thwarted by a save from Penaranda.

A game-saving sliding tackle in the box by sophomore Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) denied Alexander from getting off a shot on goal for Pittsburgh with 7:15 remaining in the game.

Morgan Hackworth capped the Zips' efforts with a shot that went just wide at the 87:57 mark off a pass from Braden Petno.

Despite registering an 8-4 margin in second-half shots, including 3-0 on goal, Akron was outshot on the evening, 13-9.

Egbo paced the Zips with a team-high three shots, while Tojaga contributed a pair of strikes in reserve duty. Javi Perez directed Pittsburgh's attack with a game-high four shots.

Lundt registered a pair of saves in the match to notch his first clean sheet of the season.

THE COACHES
Pittsburgh: Jay Vidovich is in his fourth season as head coach of the Pittsburgh program, owning a 19-36-5 (.358) record, while sporting a 291-157-55 (.633) ledger in 25 years overall as a head coach.
Akron: In his seventh year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, and 13th season overall, is Jared Embick, who owns a 94-34-13 mark (.713), including 141-55-21 (.698) 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 94-34-13 (.713) 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 94 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 204-47-29 (.780), including a 56-6-4 (.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.

MARYLAND NETS 1-0 TRIUMPH PAST ZIPS
In the much-anticipated rematch of the 2018 College Cup finale, the University of Akron men's soccer team was unable to overcome a first-half goal from No. 14 Maryland, as the Terrapins posted a 1-0 triumph past the Zips on Friday, Sept. 13.

Maryland earned a 10-9 edge in shots on the evening, including a 3-2 margin in shots on goal.

Celebrating his birthday, redshirt junior Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) registered a game-high five shots, including a pair on frame to pace the Akron attack, while freshman Henrique Cruz (Fortaleza, Brazil) added three shots in reserve duty. Brayan Padilla led the Terrapins with a team- and game-best five shots.

Niklas Neumann collected a pair of saves in goal en route to earning the shutout for Maryland, while redshirt junior Tor Saunders (Seattle, Wash.) notched a pair of saves of his own for the Zips.

Neither side registered a shot in the match until a strike by Eric Matzelevich was denied by a save from Saunders at the 14:39 mark of the first half.

The Terrapins assumed a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute (17:04) as Matzelevich leveled a shot from 15 yards out that struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down behind the line for his second goal of the year. Earning an assist on the tally was Malcolm Johnston.

The Zips posted their first shot of the match at the 18:41 mark as freshman Will Jackson (Hudson, Ohio) played a ball inside the six-yard box for the 10 yards out that Pacheco headed into save at 18:41 mark.

Saunders registered a strong diving save off a free kick by Padilla in the 25th minute (24:47). Padilla had another strike go just high of the top of the net at the 27:16 mark.

The Zips had one last surge in the final minute of the half with Pacheco turning in a strike in the 45th minute (44:42) from the top of the box that was blocked.

Maryland posted a 5-4 first-half edge in shots, including a 3-1 margin in shots on goal. Cruz and Pacheco each recorded a team-high two shots in the initial stanza.

Pacheco nearly leveled the score at one for Akron at the 49:04 mark as his laser hit the inside of the far post before bouncing out.

Pacheco then sliced down the sideline and slide a pass into the center of the box in 58th minute, a shot that deflected off the hand of Neumann just ahead of the Zips' attack David Egbo.

Pacheco had momentum pushing the ball into the offensive third at the 65:33 mark before his shot was blocked at top of the box.

Pacheco added another shot on frame at the 75:50 mark, one halted by a save from Neumann.

Back-to-back shots in the box by Austmann and Cruz were blocked in the box in the 82nd minute to deny the scoring chance for the Zips.

ZIPS TIDBITS
• Diogo Pacheco equaled 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.
• Eighteen Zips have seen action this season, including seven newcomers.
• Akron has garnered six shots from its defensive backline this season, with four shots coming on goal, including a pair from sophomore Marco Milanese (Isernia, Italy).
• Thirteen different Zips have registered a shot this season, including five newcomers.
• As a team, the Zips are rated 14th in the NCAA in corner kicks (6.75), 35th in shots on goal per game (5.25) and 49th in shots per game (13.0).
• Individually, David Egbo is ranked 14th in the NCAA in shots on goal per contest (1.50) and 31st in shots per game (2.75).
• Skye Harter enters play against Pittsburgh among the active NCAA leaders in assists and games played. He is rated sixth in games played (68) and 11th in assists (16) among Division I players, while ranking20th and overall, across all divisions, in games played.
• The Zips faced their second match against a ranked team this season when it battled Maryland on Friday. Akron dropped a 1-0 decision against the Terrapins on Sept. 13 after falling 2-1 versus Stanford on Sept. 2.

UP NEXT
Akron closes out its four-match road swing with a 7 p.m. tilt at Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 21.