MAC Tournament Berth on the Line as Akron Battles Western Michigan

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No. 21 Akron (9-4-3, 2-2-1 MAC) at Western Michigan (6-6-5, 1-3-1 MAC)
Thursday, Nov. 4
WMU Soccer Complex
Kalamazoo, Mich. • 3:30 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 37-5-5
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The No. 21 University of Akron men's soccer team will close out its regular season campaign on Thursday, Nov. 4 as the Zips travel to Western Michigan. The 3:30 p.m. tilt with the Broncos will be broadcast on Bronco All-Access.

HEAD COACHES
Western Michigan: Chad Wiseman (Western Michigan, 2007), Overall Record: 142-76-31 (13th Season)/WMU Record: 89-51-25 (Ninth Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 159-69-28 (15th Season)/Akron Record: 113-48-20 (Ninth Season)

SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan comes into play this Thursday with a 6-6-5 ledger, including a 1-3-1 mark in the Mid-American Conference, following a 1-1 overtime victory draw at Bowling Green on Oct. 30. The Broncos are unbeaten in their last three games.

Western Michigan is led offensively by junior Charlie Sharp, who owns team-high marks in goals (4), points (10), shots (42) and shots on goal (18). Redshirt goalkeeper Isaac Walker has recorded 49 saves en route to posting a 0.74 goals against average as part of seven shutouts.

As a team, Western Michigan is ranked 36th in the NCAA in shutout percentage (.412). Individually, Walker is rated ninth in the NCAA in shutouts (7), 13th in goals against average (.739), 14th in save pecentage (.803) and 30th in minutes played (.739).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Western Michigan are squaring off for 48th time in program history with the Zips owning a 37-5-5 series advantage. A year ago, the two teams battled to a 0-0 double-overtime draw at FirstEnergy Stadium on April 14, 2021, before the Broncos earned a 4-3 triumph past Akron on April 18, 2021 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (APRIL 4, 2021 - AKRON, OHIO)
A furious second-half comeback fell short as Western Michigan garnered a 4-3 triumph over Akron on April 18, 2021, in the regular season finale for both squads at the WMU Soccer Complex.

Trailing 3-1 at halftime, the Zips persevered over the game's final stanza to twice bring Akron within one goal on the strength of second-half tallies from seniors Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) and Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio). Freshman Dyson Clapier (Layton, Utah) registered his first career goal with a tally in the 41st minute (40:34).

The Zips posted a 17-11 advantage in shots, with each side recording eight shots on goal. Pacheco led Akron with a team season-high six shots, including collecting a career-best four shots on goal. Senior Hazem Sobhy (Cairo, Egypt) and sophomore Johnny Fitzgerald (Tallahassee, Fla.) added three and two shots, respectively. Brennan Creek and Mike Melaragni directed Western Michigan with three shots apiece.

Senior GK Will Meyer (Solon, Ohio) notched a trio of saves for the Zips, who were also credited with a team save. Isaac Walker made five stops for the Broncos.

Western Michigan gained the early momentum in the affair when Eric Conerty found the back of the net at the 2:37.

The Broncos extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Melaragni in the 13th minute (12:59), before Dylan Sing pushed the margin to 3-0 with a tally at the 25:36 mark.

Clapier sent the Zips into the intermission down 3-1 on the strength of his first goal of the season in the 41st minute (40:34) off an assist from freshman Jason Shokalook (Erie, Pa.).

Akron cut the deficit to one, 3-2, when Pacheco successfully converted a penalty kick at the 46:58 mark.

Creek netted what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 64th minute (63:45) sliding in a ball into the net off of a deflection on a corner kick for Western Michigan.

Strachan capped the scoring in the affair with his second goal of the year at the 84:39 mark off an assist from Fitzgerald.

SEVEN ZIPS PLAY IN FINAL REGULAR SEASON AKRON GAME
The Zips' contest versus Cleveland State on Oct. 26, marked the final home games in the careers of seniors Samuel George (Dagenham, England), Will Meyer, Diogo Pacheco, Hazem Sobhy and Daniel Strachan, as well as junior Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) and redshirt sophomore Ivan Nikolic (Toronto, Ontario).

George has appeared in nine of the Zips' 16 contests this season, owning a goal on the strength of eight shots, including a pair on frame.

A two-year member of the Akron squad, Meyer has played 25 games in net for the Zips owning 69 saves and eight 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 50 matches, including 26 starts and has posted 15 goals and 11 assists on 112 shots, including 44 on frame.

Ritaccio has played in 56 games over his Akron career, including 50 starts. He has registered five goals, while adding two assists on the heels of 23 shots, including nine on goal.

Sobhy is in his second season at Akron and has recorded a goal and two assists in 19 contests.

Strachan has played in a team-best 90 games over his Akron career, including 80 starts. He has registered three goals, while adding six assists on the strength of 33 shots, including 13 on goal.

ZIPS TIDBITS
• Twelve of the 21 matches between Akron and Western Michigan with head coach Jared Embick on the Zips' sideline have resulted in a shutout, including six of the last 12, with the Zips owning a 9-2-1 mark in those contests.
• The Zips own a 15-3-2 ledger in games versus the Broncos at the WMU Soccer Complex and have outscored Western Michigan, 51-16.
• Daniel Strachan cracked the top-10 in games played at Akron against Georgia Southern and has now appeared in 90 career contests during his decorated Zips' career, a mark that is fourth on the all-time list.
• 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 10 of Akron's 16 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.
• Twelve 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 90 games.
• Nineteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including nine newcomers.
• Akron ranks sixth in the NCAA in assists (40), while rating eighth in assists per game (2.50), 19th in total points (102), 25th in goal differential (17) and in goals against average (.840), 27th in corner kicks (6.25), 28th in points per tilt (6.38), 31st in total goals (31), 37th in scoring offense (1.94), 44th in winning percentage (.656), 45th in shutout percentage (.375) and 50th shots per game (13.75).
• Will Meyer is ranked 20th in the NCAA in minutes played (1,500:00), 22nd in shutouts (6) and 30th in goals against average (.840), while Malik Henry and Diogo Pacheco are rated 33rd in total assists (7).
• The Zips are 2-2-2 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, edging No. 14 Bowling Green, 5-1, on Oct. 22 and falling 2-1 at Northern Illinois on Oct. 30.

UP NEXT
A victory advances Akron into the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 11 in DeKalb, Ill.

MAC Tournament Berth on the Line as Akron Battles Western Michigan

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Players Mentioned

Dyson Clapier

Johnny Fitzgerald

Samuel George

Malik Henry

Will Meyer

Ivan Nikolic

Diogo Pacheco

Carlo Ritaccio

Jason Shokalook

Hazem Sobhy

Daniel Strachan

The University of Akron Athletics