Akron Visits Bowling Green in Battle of League Leaders

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GAME NO. 8 - AKRON AT BOWLING GREEN NOTES (4/11)

No. 21 Akron (4-2-1, 3-2-0 MAC) at Bowling Green (5-4-0, 3-2-0 MAC)
Sunday, April 11
Cochrane Stadium
Bowling Green, Ohio • 1 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 49-9-5
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Television: www.GoZips.com
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WHAT'S AHEAD
The 21st-rated University of Akron men's soccer team travels Bowling Green, Ohio to face league-leading Bowling Green at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 11 in a battle of the top-two teams in the Mid-American Conference.

HEAD COACHES
Bowling Green: Eric Nichols (Ohio State, 2000), Overall Record: 152-115-32 (16th Season)/BGSU Record: 93-93-30 (12th Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 151-63-24 (14th Season)/Akron Record: 104-42-16 (Eighth Season)

SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green comes into play on Sunday, April 11, having won three of its last four games, despite dropping a 2-1 decision at Western Michigan on Wednesday, April 7.

Senior Chris Sullivan leads the Falcons in goals (3), assists (4), points (10), shots (17) and game-winners (2), while ranking second in shots on goal (5). Sophomore goalkeeper Logan Kowalczyk has recorded 15 saves on the strength of three shutouts and a 0.87 goals against average.

Individually, Sullivan is 29th in the NCAA game-winning goals (2) and 38th in assists (4), while Kowalczyk is 40th in shutouts (3).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Bowling Green are meeting for 64th time in program history with the Zips owning a 49-9-5 series advantage, including a 27-4-1 mark at home. Earlier this season, the Zips bested the Falcons, 2-0, on March 7 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (MARCH 7, 2021 - AKRON, OHIO)
A pair of first-half goals lifted Akron to a 2-0 triumph past Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools on March 7, at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Zips opened defense of its 2019 MAC regular season title avenging a 1-0 setback suffered against the Falcons in the semifinals of the 2019 MAC Tournament, on the strength of the first collegiate goals from junior Federico Serra (Cagliari, Italy) and sophomore Tonny Temple (Millville, Pa.).

Akron finished the contest registering a 12-8 edge in shots, including a 6-0 margin in the opening half, while outshooting Bowling Green on goal, 5-3.

Sophomore Will Jackson (Hudson, Ohio) led the Zips with a team-high three shots, while Serra added two strikes of his own. Seven other Akron players garnered one shot apiece in the tilt. The Falcons received four and three shots, respectively, from Jacob Erlandson and Kale Nichols.

Senior GK Will Meyer (Solon, Ohio) recorded his first clean sheet as a member of the Akron men's soccer program pulling in three saves en route to earning the shutout. Logan Kowalczyk posted a trio of stops for Bowling Green.

Serra had his initial shot of the game ping off the post in the 24th minute (23:41) before successfully converting on a penalty kick to give the Zips a 1-0 lead at the 27:59 mark after the Falcons were whistled for a handball in the box. The goal was the first of Serra's collegiate career.

Temple extended Akron's edge to 2-0 in the 45th minute (44:30) as his header from eight yards out off a pass from the corner of the box by freshman Nick Scott (Fairview, Pa.) found the back of the net. The tally and assist were the first of the collegiate careers for Temple and Scott, respectively. Senior Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) also garnered an assist on the tally for his pass from the midfield to Scott.

Senior Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) added a shot on goal at the 52:59 mark for the Zips that was pulled in for a save by Kowalczyk.

Akron was forced to play the majority of the second half a man down after the Zips were assessed a red card in the 54th minute (53:38).

Jackson delivered a shot on net at the 56:47 mark that was again denied by a save from Kowalczyk.

Meyer thwarted shot attempts by Bowling Green with saves in the 75th (74:38), 82nd (81:06) and 90th (89:17) minutes, respectively, to preserve the shutout.

GOLDEN GOAL PROPELS ZIPS PAST WEST VIRGINIA, 3-2
A golden goal in the 108th minute (107:44) from senior Hazem Sobhy (Cairo, Egypt) lifted the 21st-rated University of Akron men's soccer team to a dramatic 3-2 double-overtime victory past West Virginia on Wednesday, April 7 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The game-winning tally for the Zips was set-up by a serve into the box from junior Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.) to freshman Jason Shokalook (Erie, Pa.), who got a head on the ball with the deflection falling to Sobhy, who struck a header into the corner of the box for his first goal at Akron.

The gritty and determined effort by the Zips over a Mountaineer squad that sits atop of the NCAA RPI list was fueled by a true team effort as 19 players contributed minutes to the Akron victory.

The Zips also garnered goals in the match from junior Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) at the 7:59 mark as well as junior Colin Biros (Jackson, Ohio) in the 81st minute (80:46).

West Virginia posted a 14-9 edge in shot on the evening, with each side garnering five shots on goal apiece.

Freshman Dyson Clapier (Layton, Utah) directed the Zips' offensive efforts with a team-high three shots, while Shokalook added two shots of his own. Pau Jimenez Garcia led the Mountaineers with a game-high four shots.

GK Will Meyer recorded a trio of saves in the match for Akron, including thwarting a penalty kick by Bjarne Thiesen at the 13:47 mark of the first half with a diving save. Steven Tekesky registered a pair of saves in net for West Virginia.

The Zips took the early advantage in the affair at the 7:59 mark as Ritaccio headed home his first goal of the season off a corner kicked served into the box from Biros. The tally was the third career goal for Ritaccio against the Mountaineers.

West Virginia leveled the score at one in the 43rd minute (42:26) when a give-and-go from Jesus De Vincente to Luke McCormick resulted in a goal to send the game all-square at one into the intermission.

The Mountaineers posted a 5-2 edge in first-half shots.

Shokalook delivered a shot on goal in the 58th minute (57:07) that was saved by Tekesky.

Akron retook the lead at the 80:46 mark when Biros connected on a laser from 25 yards out that found the corner of the net to beat a diving Tekesky. Garnering the assist on the tally was Shokalook.

The Zips were whistled for a handball in the 86th minute (85:08) that gave the Mountaineers their second penalty kick of the evening. Dyon Dromers stepped to the ball and evened the game at two with the successful penalty kick.

Each side recorded a shot on goal in the first overtime period with Meyer and Tekesky each notching a save.

The game-winning tally was set up by a shot from Shokalook that struck the post before being deflected out to Tojaga, who served it back into the box towards Shokalook, who headed it to Sobhy for the game-winner.

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 April 9) (.764), with an overall record of 214-55-32. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 192-59-37 (.731), Maryland, 199-61-41 (.729), North Carolina, 189-64-43 (.711) and Creighton, 190-71-28 (.706). 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 12 years. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 33 times, including 17 of the past 19 seasons.

ZIPS TIDBITS
• Thirteen of the 17 matches between Akron and Bowling Green with head coach Jared Embick on the Zips' sideline have resulted in a shutout, including six of the last 10, with the Zips owning a 11-1-1 mark in those contests.
• The last two encounters between the Zips and Falcons at Cochrane Stadium have in a tie
• Akron is 20-3-4 all-time on the road versus Bowling Green, having outscored the Falcons, 63-18.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in 43 all-time meetings with Bowling Green.
• The Zips' game on April 4 versus Northern Illinois marked the 300th game for head coach Jared Embick on the Akron sidelines for a regular or postseason game dating back to the 2007 campaign.
• Nineteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including eight newcomers.
• The Zips are ranked 20th in the NCAA in assists per game (2.00), 44th in points per contest (5.14) and 46th in total assists (14).
• The Zips own a 12-10-3 mark in their last 25 matches away from home on the strength of five and three goals, respectively, from Diogo Pacheco and Carlo Ritaccio. The Zips have also posted a 169-112 margin in corner kicks and a 317-276 edge in total shots.
• Diogo Pacheco is Akron's active career leaders in goals (9), points (22), shots (62) and shots on goal (28). Colin Biros directs the squad in assists (8), Will Jackson paces the team in game-winning goals (3), while Daniel Strachan has appeared in a team-high 72 games.
• The Zips own a 104-42-16 mark over the last eight seasons under head coach Jared Embick. Akron's 104 wins are ranked fifth in all of Division I.
• Under head coach Jared Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 24-10-3.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 71 of the squad's last 125 matches.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to host Western Michigan at FirstEnergy Stadium for a 7 p.m. tilt on Wednesday, April 14.

Akron Visits Bowling Green in Battle of League Leaders

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Players Mentioned

Colin Biros

Dyson Clapier

Will Jackson

Will Meyer

Diogo Pacheco

Carlo Ritaccio

Nick Scott

Federico Serra

Jason Shokalook

Hazem Sobhy

Daniel Strachan

Tonny Temple

Sam Tojaga

The University of Akron Athletics