Akron Concludes Home Campaign with In-State Showdown Against Cleveland State

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No. 20 Akron (8-3-3) vs. Cleveland State (9-5-0)
Tuesday, Oct. 26
FirstEnergy Stadium
Akron, Ohio • 7 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 39-11-3
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The No. 20 University of Akron men's soccer team draws its regular season home campaign to a close hosting Cleveland State on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The 7 p.m. tilt with the Vikings will be broadcast on ESPN+ with David Bacon and Chad Welker calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Cleveland State: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Akron, 2006), Overall Record: 20-17-1 (Third Season)/CSU Record: 20-17-1 (Third Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 158-68-28 (15th Season)/Akron Record: 111-47-20 (Ninth Season)

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE
Cleveland State enters action this Tuesday with a 9-5-0 ledger, including a 8-1 mark in the Horizon League, following a 1-0 victory over UIC on Saturday, Oct. 23.

The contest will be a reunion of sorts for Cleveland State head coach Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who was a two-time All-America honoree and 2006 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year for Akron. Ubiparipovic starred for the Zips for three seasons (2004-06) and was named a first-team All-MAC selection as a junior and senior.

The Vikings are led offensively by sophomore Bojan Kolevski, who owns team-high marks in goals (10) and points (24), while senior Jannis Schmidt paces the squad in assists (10), shots (35), shots on goal (20) and game-winners (3). Junior goalkeeper Omeed Naeemy has recorded 61 saves en route to posting a 1.48 goals against average as part of four shutouts.

As a team, Cleveland State is ranked 34th in the NCAA in total assists (28), 37th in assists per contest (2.00), 39th in saves per game (4.43) and shot accuracy (.465), 41st in points per game (5.71), 44th in total points (80), 45th in scoring offense (1.86) and 46th in total goals (26). Individually, Schmidt is rated second in the NCAA in assists (10), third in assists per tilt (0.71), 21st in game-winning goals (3), 25th in shot accuracy (.571), 27th in points per contest (1.57) and 49th in shots on goal per game (1.43), while Kolevski is ranked 10th in points per outing (1.85), 11th in points (24), 12th in goals (10) and in goals per game (0.77).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Cleveland State are meeting for the 54th time in program history with the Zips owning a 39-11-3 series advantage, including winning 18 of the last 20 overall. In the previous encounter between the two schools, the Vikings recorded a 3-1 triumph over Akron on Oct. 29, 2019, at Krenzler Field.

AKRON VERSUS HORIZON LEAGUE
• The Zips are meeting a team from the Horizon League for the third time this season and 141st time overall.
• Akron owns a 102-29-9 (.761) all-time record versus the current 12 members of the Horizon League.
• Earlier this season, the Zips registered a 7-1 victory over Wright State on Aug. 26, 2021 before besting Robert Morris, 3-0, on Sept. 3, 2021.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (OCT. 29, 2019 - CLEVELAND, OHIO)
A pair of second-half goals from Gabriel Pewu proved too much for Akron to overcome as Cleveland State registered a come-from-behind 3-1 triumph over the Zips at Krenzler Field on Oct. 29, 2019.

Despite playing the match without the services of four starters, Akron statistically dominated the Vikings equaling season-high marks in shots (22) and shots on goal (10) en route to posting a 22-10 advantage in shots, including a 10-5 margin in shots on goal.

Sophomore Will Jackson (Hudson, Ohio) and Colin Biros each set then career-high marks in shots and shots on goals as the Zips' duo posted six shots apiece, while recording four and three shots on goal, respectively. Pewu directed the Cleveland State attack with a two-goal effort on the strength of a team-high three shots.

Omeed Naeemy finished the evening garnering nine saves in goal for the Vikings, while Tor Saunders registered a pair of stops in net for the Zips.

SEVEN ZIPS TO PLAY FINAL REGULAR SEASON AKRON HOME GAME
The Zips' contest versus Bowling Green on Friday, Oct. 22, marked the final home Mid-American Conference games in the careers of seniors Samuel George (Dagenham, England), Will Meyer, Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal), Hazem Sobhy (Cairo, Egypt) and Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio), as well as junior Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) and redshirt sophomore Ivan Nikolic (Toronto, Ontario).

George has appeared in eight of the Zips' 14 contests this season, owning a goal on the strength of seven shots, including a pair on frame.

A two-year member of the Akron squad, Meyer has played 23 games in net for the Zips owning 64 saves and seven shutouts en route to a 1.10 goals against average.

Nikolic has persevered through injuries to appear in nine games during his four-year Zips' career owning a goal on the strength of four shots, including a pair on net.

Pacheco has appeared in 49 matches, including 25 starts and has posted 15 goals and 10 assists on 108 shots, including 44 on frame.

Ritaccio has played in 54 games over his Akron career, including 50 starts. He has registered four goals, while adding two assists on the heels of 22 shots, including eight on goal.

Sobhy is in his second season at Akron and has recorded a goal and two assists in 17 contests.

Strachan has played in a team-best 88 games over his Akron career, including 78 starts. He has registered three goals, while adding five assists on the strength of 32 shots, including 12 on goal.

OWNING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
The recent successes of the Akron men's soccer program over the past 15 seasons (2007-present) can be attributed to its play in the month of October. Since the start of the 2007 campaign, the Zips own a 79-16-11 (.797) ledger in the month, including a 44-7-5 (.831) mark in matches at FirstEnergy Stadium.

ZIPS FINDING THEIR FORM
The Zips have begun to find their form in October as Akron owns a 3-1-1 mark in the month with remaining contests versus Cleveland State (Oct. 26) and Northern Illinois (Oct. 30). The Zips are averaging 15.0 shots and 2.00 goals per game in those contests, while limiting their opponents to 9.8 shots and 1.00 goals per tilt. Akron has outscored its opponents in the first half by a 6-1 margin, while posting a 74-49 edge in shots. Diogo Pacheco paces the Zips with 18 shots. In goal, Will Meyer owns a 0.96 goals against average on the strength of two shutouts and 11 saves.

A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, the Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (as of games on Oct. 25) (.755), with an overall record of 222-60-36. The Zips are followed by Maryland, 211-65-43 (.729), Wake Forest, 204-65-38 (.726), North Carolina, 202-70-45 (.708) and Creighton, 196-79-30 (.692). Akron made 12 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2007-18), earning a first-round bye in eight seasons. The Zips have advanced to the NCAA's Round of 16 in eight of the last 13 years. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 33 times, including 17 of the past 20 seasons.

SHOKALOOK GARNERS NATIONAL AND LEAGUE HONORS
Jason Shokalook was honored by the Mid-American Conference as its Men's Soccer Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday, Oct. 25. Additionally, he was tabbed by College Soccer News to its Men's Soccer National Team of the Week.

Shokalook turned in an impressive week for the Zips registering a trio of goals to propel the team to a 1-0-1 mark in a pair of matches. He posted team-high marks in goals (3), points (6) and shots on goal (3), while ranking second in shots (4).

In Akron's 5-1 victory over No. 14 Bowling Green on Oct. 22, Shokalook entered the match in the 24th minute and went on to record his first career hat trick with tallies in the 42nd (41:27), 54th (53:22) and 80th (79:38) minutes, respectively.

He became the first active Zip to register a hat trick since senior Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) netted three goals in a victory at VCU in 2018. His first two goals came off headers in the box before his tenacity in the box capped the hat trick.

On the season, Shokalook ranks second on the team in goals (4), third in points (10) and shots (25) and fourth in shots on goal (8).

ZIPS TIDBITS
• Three of the seven matches between Akron and Cleveland State with head coach Jared Embick on the Zips' sideline have resulted in a shutout, including three of the last five, with the Zips owning a 5-2-0 mark in those contests.
• The Zips have outscored Cleveland State, 83-29 all-time in 29 home games against the Vikings.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in 35 all-time meetings with Cleveland State.
• Twenty-four of the matches between the Zips and Vikings have resulted in a shutout with Akron owning a 19-3-2 mark in those contests.
• Daniel Strachan cracked the top-10 in games played at Akron against Georgia Southern and has now appeared in 88 career contests during his decorated Zips' career, tied for fifth on the all-time list with former Akron standout Scott Caldwell (2009-12).
• The Zips' 2-0 victory past Georgia Southern on Oct. 7 represented the 250th career game in the coaching career of head coach Jared Embick and 175th on the Akron sidelines as head coach.
• Diogo Pacheco has now scored a point in nine of Akron's 14 games this season.
• The Zips set season-high marks in goals (7), assists (8), points (22) and shots on goal in a 7-1 win over Wright State on Aug. 26, while establishing top marks in shots (24) and corner kicks (18) in a 3-0 triumph past Robert Morris on Sept. 3.
• Eleven different Zips have scored a goal this season.
• Daniel Strachan is rated second among all players in men's Division I in games played having appeared in 88 games.
• Nineteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including nine newcomers.
• Akron ranks 14th in the NCAA in assists per game (2.43), while rating 16th in total assists (34), 19th in corner kicks (6.43), 23rd in goals against average (.818), 29th in total points (86), 30th in goal differential (14), 34th in points per tilt (6.14), 37th in winning percentage (.679), 45th in scoring offense (1.86) and 46th in save percentage (.765), shots per game (14.07) and total goals (26).
• Will Meyer is ranked 24th in the NCAA in goals against average (.818), 26th in shutouts (5) and 34th in minutes played (1,320:00), while Johnny Fitzgerald, Malik Henry and Diogo Pacheco are rated 42nd in total assists (6).
• The Zips are 2-1-2 versus ranked teams this season having best No. 3 Pitt, 2-1, on Sept. 6, garnering a 1-1 double-overtime draw with No. 3 Indiana on Sept. 10, dropping a 2-0 decision at No. 5 Marshall on Sept. 21, battling No. 3 West Virginia to a 0-0 double-overtime draw on Sept. 30 and edging No. 14 Bowling Green, 5-1, on Oct. 22.
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, the Zips own a 29-18-5 mark against ranked opponents.

UP NEXT
Akron travels to DeKalb, Ill., for a 3 p.m. ET showdown with league-leading Northern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 30.

The University of Akron Athletics

Akron Concludes Home Campaign with In-State Showdown Against Cleveland State

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