Key MAC Showdown Awaits as Zips Host Broncos

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GAME NO. 9 - AKRON VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN NOTES (4/14)

Akron (4-3-1, 3-3-0 MAC) vs. Western Michigan (6-4-0, 4-3-0 MAC)
Wednesday, April 14
FirstEnergy Stadium
Akron, Ohio • 7 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 37-4-4
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Live Stats: www.GoZips.com

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron men's soccer team opens a home-and-home series of games with Western Michigan to close the regular season on Wednesday, April 14, as the Zips welcome the Broncos to FirstEnergy Stadium for a 7 p.m. tilt. The showdown with Western Michigan will be broadcast on ESPN+.

HEAD COACHES
Western Michigan: Chad Wiseman (Western Michigan, 2007), Overall Record: 135-70-25 (12th Season)/WMU Record: 82-45-19 (Eighth Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 151-64-24 (14th Season)/Akron Record: 104-43-16 (Eighth Season)

SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan enters action on Wednesday, April 14, having won two straight following a 2-1 triumph past Bowling Green on April 7.

Junior Mike Melaragni, the current Mid-American Conference Player of the Week, leads the Broncos in goals (5), assists (3), points (13), shots on goal (14) and game-winners (2), while ranking second in shots (15). Sophomore goalkeeper Isaac Walker has recorded 25 saves on the strength of two shutouts and a 1.38 goals against average.

The Broncos are rated 28th in the NCAA in assists per game (1.89), 32nd in points per outing (5.67), 33rd in scoring offense (1.89), 34th in total assists (17), 43rd in total goals (17) and total points (51) and 45th in winning percentage (.667). Individually, Melaragni is 35th in the NCAA in game-winning goals (2), 43rd in total goals (5), 44th in shots on goal per contest (1.56) and total points (13) and 49th in points per game (1.44).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Western Michigan are squaring off for 46th time in program history with the Zips owning a 37-4-4 series advantage. In 2019, the two teams battled to a 1-1 double-overtime draw on Oct. 20, 2019 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (OCT. 20, 2019 - KALAMAZOO, MICH.)
The University of Akron men's soccer team earned a key Mid-American Conference point on the strength of a hard-fought 1-1 double-overtime draw at Western Michigan on Oct. 20, 2019 at the WMU Soccer Complex.

The result for the Zips was even more impressive as Akron played the final 33 minutes of the match a man down.

Each side recorded 10 shots on the afternoon, with the Broncos posting a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Mani Austmann directed the Zips' offensive attack with a game-high four shots, while David Egbo added three shots of his own. Eric Conerty led the Broncos with a team-best four shots.

Goalkeeper Joe Bowles finished the contest with a game-high three saves for Akron, while his counterpart for Western Michigan, Isaac Walker, made a pair of stops.

The Broncos took the early lead in the tilt on a goal from Conerty. Brennan Creek and Charlie Sharp played the ball into the box where it found the foot of Conerty in the corner to give Western Michigan a 1-0 lead just 44 seconds into the game.

Austmann delivered Akron's first shot of the afternoon, a strike on goal that was pulled in for a save by Walker.

Egbo nearly bent in a free kick from 25 yards in the 21st minute (20:59) as his shot was blocked resulting in a corner kick.

Senior Diogo Pacheco (Lisbon, Portugal) leveled the game at one at the 44:07 mark as he headed home a ball inside the six-yard box off a pass from the corner from Christian Lue Young.

The Zips registered a 5-4 edge in first-half shots, while the Broncos posted a 3-2 margin in shots on goal.

Austmann nearly found the upper 90 of the net at the 59:03 mark as his strike in the box off pass from sophomore Will Jackson (Hudson, Ohio) went high of the net.

The Zips played the final 13:31 of regulation and all of overtime a man down after being carded just outside the box in the 77th minute (76:29).

Western Michigan nearly regained the lead in the 77th minute (76:33) as the Broncos had a potential go-ahead goal wiped off by an offsides call.

A scoring chance at the 87:15 mark by Pacheco was denied as his header off a corner kick by junior Colin Biros (Jackson, Ohio) went high.

Western Michigan registered a 3-2 advantage in second half shots, with none falling on frame.

Each side had a shot blocked in the initial overtime period, before Austmann nearly ended the contest with a header from just outside the six-yard box in the 100th minute (99:29), a strike that was denied by a save from Walker.

Bowles made a spectacular leaping save of a strike in the box from Anthony Bowie in the second-overtime period at the 101:32 mark to keep the score tied at one.

The Zips had one final shot in the game as Egbo delivered a shot that was blocked in the 106th minute (105:04).

FINAL PUSH TO EARN MAC'S NCAA AUTOMATIC BERTH UNDERWAY
With the final week of Mid-American Conference regular season action on tap on Wednesday, April 14 and Sunday, April 18, the stage has been set for a tightly-contested battle to determine the league's automatic qualifier for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Due to an inbalance of contested games across the MAC this spring due to COVID-19, this year's regular season champion will be determined based on average points per conference game. Entering play on Wednesday, April 11, Bowling Green leads the race for the automatic berth averaging 2.00 points per contest, with wins accounting for three points and ties equaling one point. The Falcons are followed by West Virginia (1.71) and Western Michigan (1.71), Akron (1.50), Northern Illinois (1.33) and SIU Edwardsville (0.86). The Zips, Falcons, Mountaineers and Broncos each have two games remaining, while Northern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville have one.

GOLDEN GOAL LIFTS BOWLING GREEN PAST AKRON, 1-0
A golden goal in the 97th minute (96:11) from Vinny Worner lifted Bowling Green to a 1-0 overtime triumph past the 21st-rated University of Akron men's soccer team on Sunday, April 11 at Cochrane Stadium.

The Zips were outshot in the match, 25-8, including 9-0 on goal. Senior Hazem Sobhy (Cairo, Egypt) led Akron with a team-best two shots, while Chris Sullivan directed the Falcons' offensive attack with a game-high five shots.

Senior GK Will Meyer (Solon, Ohio) garnered a season-high eight saves in goal for the Zips, with six of those stops occurring in the second half and overtime. Logan Kowalczyk earned the shutout for Bowling Green without the benefit of making a save.

The game-winning goal came off a corner kick the was headed in the box to Worner, who struck the ball from 10 yards out to the corner of the net to give the Falcons their first home victory over Akron since the 2002 campaign.

GOLDEN GOAL PROPELS ZIPS PAST WEST VIRGINIA, 3-2
A golden goal in the 108th minute (107:44) from Hazem Sobhy lifted the 21st-rated University of Akron men's soccer team to a dramatic 3-2 double-overtime victory past West Virginia on 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 Colin Biros 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 13) (.762), with an overall record of 214-56-32. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 192-59-37 (.731), Maryland, 199-61-42 (.728), North Carolina, 190-64-43 (.712) and Creighton, 190-72-28 (.703). 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
• Eleven of the 19 matches between Akron and Western Michigan with head coach Jared Embick on the Zips' sideline have resulted in a shutout, including five of the last 10, with the Zips owning a 9-2-0 mark in those contests.
• Akron is 19-2-1 all-time at home versus Western Michigan, having outscored the Broncos, 67-11.
• Western Michigan is playing its first regular season game at FirstEnergy Stadium since the 2016 campaign after the 2018 showdown was canceled due to a campus power outage.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in 34 of 45 all-time meetings with Western Michigan.
• Twenty Zips have registered a shot this season, including nine newcomers.
• The Zips are ranked 37th in the NCAA in assists per game (1.75).
• On the strength of 43 shots, including 18 on goal, the Zips have registered 10.8 shots per game at FirstEnergy Stadium in 2021, while limiting their opponents to 10.5 shots a night.
• 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 73 games.
• The Zips own a 104-43-16 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 126 matches.
• Akron has held opponents scoreless in 23 of its last 46 home contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron owns a 61-11-5 record in its last 77 home matches.

UP NEXT
Akron is scheduled to close its regular season in a noon tilt at Western Michigan on Sunday, April 18.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mani Austmann

Colin Biros

Joe Bowles

Dyson Clapier

David Egbo

Will Jackson

Christian Lue Young

Will Meyer

Diogo Pacheco

Carlo Ritaccio

Jason Shokalook

Hazem Sobhy

Daniel Strachan

Sam Tojaga

The University of Akron Athletics