Zips Battle Bobcats in Matinee Affair

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AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's soccer team continues its 2021 campaign this weekend as the Zips travel to Athens, Ohio for a 4 p.m. showdown with Ohio on Sunday, March 14.

March 14 at Ohio | 4 p.m. | Athens, Ohio | Chessa Field
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com

SCOUTING AKRON:
Akron looks to earns its first victory of the season after opened its 2021 campaign dropping a 3-0 home decision to defending Mid-American Conference champion Bowling Green on Thursday, March 4, before Kent State bested the Zips, 1-0, on Sunday, March 7.

Sophomore Bailee Bowers (Dublin, Ohio) leads Akron with a team-high four shots, while redshirt junior Aislinn Meaney (Ennis, Ireland) and freshman Katie Stafford (Gahanna, Ohio) have added two shots apiece. Sophomore GK Vanessa Berlin (Gau-Odernheim, Germany) started both games for Akron and has posted eight saves.

SCOUTING OHIO:
Ohio is off to an 0-2 start this season after dropping identical 1-0 decisions versus Miami and Bowling Green on March 4 and March 7, respectively.

Freshman Shae Robertson paces the Bobcats with a team-high five shots, including four strikes on goal. Senior goalkeeper Sydney Malham has amassed 12 saves on the campaign for Ohio.

	OHIO	AKRON
Overall Record	0-2-0	0-2-0
Conference Record	0-2-0	0-2-0
Goals	0	0
Goals-Shot Attempts	0-17	0-12
Goals Per Game	0.00	0.00
Assists	0	0
Shots	17	12
Shot On Goal	9	4
Shots Percentage	.000	.000
Shots On Goal Per Game	.529	.333
Shots Per Game	8.50	6.0
Corner Kicks	3	8
Opponent Corner Kicks	3	7
Penalty Kicks	0-0	0-0
Opponent Penalty Kicks	0-0	0-0

SERIES HISTORY:
The Zips will square off against Ohio for the 19th time in program history with Bobcats leading the all-time series 11-4-3. Ohio and Akron have battled to draws in the last two encounters between the schools, including a 1-1 double-overtime tie a season ago on Oct. 10, 2019 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

LAST GAME:
Akron battled one of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference down to the wire before Kent State garnered a 1-0 triumph past the Zips on Sunday, March 7.

A 61st-minute (60:01) goal from Yasmine Hall proved to be the game-winning tally, one that lifted the Golden Flashes to victory in the opening leg of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge between the two schools in women's soccer this season.

Kent State posted a 12-7 edge in shots on the afternoon, including 7-2 on goal.

Aislinn Meaney and Katie Stafford directed Akron's offensive attack registering two shots apiece. Vital Kats led all players with a game-high six shots for the Golden Flashes.

Vanessa Berlin recorded a career-high six saves for the Zips, including four in the opening stanza. Sarah Melen collected a pair of stops in net for Kent State.

The two teams were locked in a scoreless contest at the intermission with the Golden Flashes edging Akron in first-half shots, 6-5.

Kent State scored what proved to be the game-winning tally at the 60:01 mark when Hall found the back of the net off an assist from Amanda Windquist.

Meaney recorded the first shot on goal for the Zips on the day in the 83rd minute (82:06), a strike that was corralled for a save by Melen.

Senior Ryley Watt (Irwin, Pa.) turned in a shot on goal of her own at the 87:20 mark, again thwarted by a stop from Melen.

A YEAR AGO:
In a thrilling league contest between the Akron and Ohio, the Zips and Bobcats battled to a double-overtime 1-1 draw as Aislinn Meaney netted the equalizer in the 68th minute of the match on Oct. 10, 2019 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

After Ohio broke a scoreless match in the 58th minute to gain a 1-0 lead, Meaney was able to strike gold at the 67:46 mark of the contest and squared the game up, 1-1. Junior Kayleigh Penton (Vermilion, Ohio) played a ball up the left side of the field to Meaney. With the ball at her feet and a defender in front of her, Meaney chipped a shot over the head of the Bobcats' keeper, who failed to punch the ball out of play and the shot landed inside the top corner of the goal.

As the 90 minutes of regular time came to a close, the score remained tied at one. Akron recorded three shots in the second overtime including one on goal, while Ohio registered two shots and one on goal in total. Freshman GK Libby Harper (Hatfield, England) came up with a huge save in the first OT period with eight seconds left to deny the Bobcats of a potential golden goal.

On the night, Harper recorded seven saves. including four saves in the first half.

Offensively, the Zips tallied 12 shots in the match including three in the first half, five in the second, and three in the second OT stanza. Meaney, who scored the Zips' goal, registered a game-high five shots and three shots on goal. Junior Carly Pcholinsky (South Park, Pa.) chipped in three shot attempts, while Ashley Amato, Abigail Brown, Hailey Clere and junior Sydney Worthy (Groveport, Ohio) all added one shot, respectively.

Akron and Ohio went back and forth in the initial 45 minutes of play at FirstEnergy Stadium. The winner of the first half went to the Zips and Bobcats respective defenses as each team's defensive line made it difficult for the opposition to get a good look on the net.

After Ohio opened the contest with the first shot in the match, Akron rattled off three straight shots by Meaney, Brown and Pcholinsky.

From that point on, the Bobcats won the shot advantage in the final 25 minutes of play, 5-1.

Akron came out of the locker room looking to be aggressive in its offensive third and was able to push the ball forward, however, struggled to get an open look at the net until Meaney found the back of the net.

The Zips nearly scored what would have been game-winning score in the 87th and 88th minutes of the match. Pcholinsky and Amato both registered shots on goal that were pulled in for saves.

UP NEXT:
Akron is scheduled to open a three-game homestand hosting Buffalo at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 18 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ashley Amato

Vanessa Berlin

Bailee Bowers

Abigail Brown

Hailey Clere

Libby Harper

Aislinn Meaney

Carly Pcholinsky

Kayleigh Penton

Katie Stafford

Ryley Watt

Sydney Worthy

The University of Akron Athletics