Akron Hosts Pitt In Second Round of NCAA Tournament

DIGITAL TICKETING INFORMATION | CLEAR BAG POLICY

No. 15 Akron (11-3-5) vs. Pitt (9-4-5)
Sunday, Nov. 20
FirstEnergy Stadium
Akron, Ohio • 1 p.m.

Series History: Akron Leads 19-8-3
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com

DIGITAL TICKETING
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GoZips.com/Tickets is the easiest way for a fan to access their tickets and parking on their mobile browser and log in with their email or Zips tickets account number and password. At that point fans will be able to manage their online account from their smartphone.

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron men's soccer team will open its quest for its second-ever NCAA Championship on Sunday, Nov. 20, as the 16th-seeded Zips welcome Pitt to FirstEnergy Stadium in the second round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. The 1 p.m. tilt with the Panthers will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dave Bacon calling the action with a link on GoZips.com.

HEAD COACHES
Pittsburgh: Jay Vidovich (Ohio Wesleyan, 1982), Overall Record: 338-175-63 (28th Season), Record at Pitt: 66-54-13 (Seventh Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 171-74-33 (14th Season), Record at Akron: 124-53-25 (10th Season)

SCOUTING PITT
Pitt comes into play on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 9-4-5 on the campaign, including a 3-2-3 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference, following a 2-1 victory over Cleveland State on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Junior Bertin Jacquesson and senior Valentin Noel lead the Panthers with a team-best seven goals each, while Jacquesson paces the squad in shots (49), shots on goal (21) and game-winners (2) and junior Filip Mirkovic in assists (12) and points (18). Senior GK Joe van der Sar has pulled in 65 saves en route to posting a 1.10 goals against average.

As a team, the Panthers are ranked 14th in the NCAA in assists per contest (2.39), 15th in total assists (43), 22nd in shots on goal per game (6.50), 24th in total points (115) and points per tilt (6.39), 29th in scoring offense (2.00), 31st in goal differential (16) and shots per outing (14.72), 34th in total goals (36), 35th in save percentage (.770) and 45th in winning percentage (.639).

Individually, Mirkovic is rated third in the NCAA in assists per game (0.75) and fourth in total assists (12). Additionally, van der Sor is ranked 26th in goalie minutes played (1,640.00), 38th in total saves (65) and 44th in shutouts (6)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Pittsburgh are meeting for the 31st time in program history with the Zips owning a 19-8-3 series advantage. Earlier this season, Akron battled the Panthers to a 3-3 draw on Sept. 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

AKRON VERSUS THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
• The Zips are meeting a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference for the second time this season and 75th time overall.
• Akron owns a 41-26-7 (.601) all-time record versus the current 12 members of the ACC.
• In their last encounter with a school from the ACC, the Zips battled the Panthers to a 3-3 draw on Sept. 19, 2022.
• The Zips are facing a team from the ACC for the ninth time all-time in NCAA Tournament play and first at home at FirstEnergy Stadium. Akron owns a 3-2-3 ledger, in those contests including a 1-0 victory over Louisville in the College Cup final in 2010 in Santa Barbara, Calif.

ZIPS' NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Akron maintains a 33-28-9 mark in 70 matches in NCAA Championship history, including capturing the school's first national championship in any sport in 2010. The Zips are 12-5-3 under head coach Jared Embick. Since 2005, Akron owns a 24-8-9 ledger.

Junior Sam Tojaga (Erie, Pa.) are Akron's active leader in NCAA Tournament games played (6), including six starts. Sophomore Jonas Buechte (Rantigen, Germany) enters action versus Pitt as the team's NCAA Tournament career scoring leader with one assist.

Tojaga has recorded a team-best seven shots, including one on goal. Additionally, Buechte, sophomore Dyson Clapier (Layton, Utah), junior Will Jackson (Hudson, Ohio), junior Ryan Kingsford (Herne Bay, England) and sophomore Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal (Carbondale, Ill.) have registered 4 (0), 2 (0), 2 (0), 1 (1) and 1 (0) shots (shots on goal), respectively.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 19, 2022 - PITTSBURGH, PA.)
The 14th-rated University of Akron men's soccer team overcame a second-half deficit en route to garnering a pivotal 3-3 draw at No. 3 Pitt on Monday, Sept. 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Zips collected goals from Ryan Kingsford, Dyson Clapier and Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal in the 10th (9:31), 18th (17:28) and 53rd (52:41) minutes, respectively, to earn the road result.

The Panthers came into the affair on the strength of three consecutive shutouts and had surrendered only three goals all season before Akron's efforts on the evening.

ZIPS FINDING THEIR FORM
On the heels of a 1-0 setback at No. 18 Penn State on Sept. 25, the Zips have found their form as Akron owns a 7-1-3 mark since. The Zips are averaging 13.8 shots and 2.45 goals per game in those contests, while limiting their opponents to 6.5 shots and 0.55 goals per tilt. Akron has outscored its opponents in the first half by a 16-2 margin, while posting a 152-72 edge in shots. Jason Shokalook and Dyson Clapier paces the Zips with five and four goals, respectively. In goal, Mitch Budler owns a 0.55 goals against average on the strength of six shutouts and 20 saves.

EMBICK NAMED MAC COACH OF THE YEAR
Akron men's soccer head coach Jared Embick was tabbed as the 2022 Mid-American Conference Gary V. Palmisano Men's Soccer Coach of the Year as announced by the league on Nov. 10.

In his 10th year as head coach and 16th campaign overall with Akron, Embick earned MAC Coach of the Year accolades for the second time after guiding the Zips to their 21st regular season MAC title on the strength of a 5-0-3 league mark this fall.

Embick collected the 12th MAC Coach of the Year award in Akron men's soccer program history joining Caleb Porter (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012), Ken Lolla (1993, 1995, 1998 and 2005) and himself (2019) as past recipients.

LEAGUE-BEST EIGHT ZIPS EARN ALL-MAC HONORS
Led by sophomores Jonas Buechte, Dyson Clapier and Malik Henry (Hamilton, Ontario), Will Jackson and Jason Shokalook, who garnered First-Team All-Mid-American Conference men's soccer accolades, a league-best eight University of Akron players earned All-MAC honors when the league unveiled its 2022 award winners on Nov. 10.

Juniors Johnny Fitzgerald (Tallahassee, Fla.) and junior Joel Sangwa (Phoenix, Ariz.) along with Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal rounded out the Zips' recipients pulling in second-team laurels.

AKRON FALLS TO WESTERN MICHIGAN IN MAC TOURNAMENT FINAL, 2-1
A first-half goal proved too much for Akron to overcome as Western Michigan claimed the Mid-American Conference Tournament title on the strength of a 2-1 victory over the Zips on Nov. 12 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Western Michigan garnered a lead they didn't relinquish with a third-minute tally (2:57) from Jaylen Shannon off an assist courtesy of Charlie Sharp. The Broncos extended their advantage to 2-0 at the 50:20 mark when Sharp delivered a tally off a corner kick from Carson Hodgson.

Overcoming playing an extended period of the second half a man down, Johnny Fitzgerald headed home his fourth goal of the season in the 78th minute (77:25) off an assist from Will Jackson and sophomore Terence Okoeguale (Pulheim, Germany) to cut the Zips' deficit to 2-1.

Akron outshot the Broncos on the afternoon, 10-9, with Dyson Clapier directing the Zips with a game-high three shots. Fitzgerald and Jackson added two strikes apiece for Akron, while GK Mitch Budler registered a trio of saves in net for the Zips. Clapier and Jackson were named to the All-Tournament team for Akron.

A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, the Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.746), with an overall record of 234-66-41. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 222-73-38 (.724), Maryland, 222-70-49 (.723), North Carolina, 210-77-51 (.697) and Creighton, 208-83-37 (.691). 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 their last 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 35 times, including 19 of the past 22 seasons.

AKRON TO JOIN BIG EAST CONFERENCE IN 2023
The BIG EAST Conference announced the addition of a new affiliate member, The University of Akron, in the sport of men's soccer for the 2023 season. The Zips will be eligible for the conference championship immediately.

The new conference men's soccer alignment for the BIG EAST for 2023 will consist of 12 teams: Akron, Butler, Connecticut, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Villanova and Xavier.

The BIG EAST Conference will develop a pair of six team divisions and construct divisional scheduling. The East Division will consist of Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova. The Midwest Division will include Akron, Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette and Xavier. Each team will play all five divisional members once, in addition to three cross-over matches each year. Overall, the league will transition from a 10-match conference season to eight matches.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Nineteen of Akron's 38 NCAA Tournament matches with head coach Jared Embick on the Zips' sideline have resulted in a shutout, including nine of 20 with him as head coach, with the Zips owning a 8-8-4 mark in those contests.
• The Zips own a 20-7-2 all-time ledger in 29 home NCAA Tournament games and have outscored their opponents, 65-36.
• Under head coach Jared Embick, the Zips own a 12-5-3 NCAA Tournament record, including 8-1 mark at FirstEnergy Stadium. Akron has outscored the opposition, 39-21, including 26-11 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Seventeen of the 30 matches between Akron and Pittsburgh have resulted in a shutout with the Zips owning a 19-8-3 mark in those contests.
• Akron maintains a 10-4-0 mark in its 14 home encounters with the Panthers. The Zips have outscored Pittsburgh, 40-14, all-time at home.
• After dropping decisions in three of the first four home games with the Panthers dating back to 1957, Akron has won nine straight on its home pitch since posting a 2-0 victory on Nov. 4, 1967.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in 19 all-time meetings with Pittsburgh.
• Akron has scored three or more goals in nine of its 19 games this season.
• The Zips are rated first in the NCAA in total assists (58), second in assists per game (3.05), third in total goals (48), total points (154) and points per outing (8.11), seventh in scoring offense (2.53), 10th in goal differential (28), 11th in corner kicks per game (6.79), 20th in winning percentage (.711), 25th in shot accuracy (.468), 37th in shots on goal per contest (6.21) and 50th in team goals against average (1.05).
• Individually, Jason Shokalook is rated 15th in the country in shot accuracy (.579), 26th in total points (24), 32nd in total goals (9) and points per outing (1.33) and 42nd in goals per game (0.50), while Dyson Clapier is ranked 33rd in the country in game-winning goals (3) and 49th in total assists (7). Additionally, GK Mitch Budler is ranked 15th in minutes played (1,710:00) and 24th in shutouts (7).
• Fourteen different Zips have scored a goal this season, including five newcomers.
• Twenty-one Zips have registered a shot this season, including eight newcomers.
• The Zips are 2-2-2 versus ranked teams this season following a 1-0 victory over No. 24 Duquesne (Sept. 28), a 1-0 setback at No. 18 Penn State (Sept. 25), 3-3 draw at No. 3 Pitt (Sept. 19), 3-3 draw versus No. 22 Ohio State (Sept. 13), a 2-0 loss at Indiana (Sept. 9) and a 5-3 victory past No. 18 FIU (Aug. 25).
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, the Zips own a 31-22-7 mark against ranked opponents.
• Jason Shokalook is Akron's active career leaders in goals (15), points (41), assists (13), shots (85) and shots on goal (38), while Dyson Clapier and Ryan Kingsford have scored 12 and 11 goals, respectively. Will Jackson paces the squad in shots on goal (37), while Clapier and Jackson lead in game-winning goals (5).
• The Zips own a 124-53-25 mark over the last 10 seasons under head coach Jared Embick. Akron's 124 wins are ranked seventh in all of Division I.
• Under head coach Jared Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 27-13-5.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 92 of the squad's last 165 matches.
• Akron has held opponents scoreless in 34 of its last 70 home contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron owns a 76-14-11 record in its last 101 home matches.
• The Zips rank 19th nationally in average attendance in 2022 averaging 1,354 fans per game. In 2021 Akron ranked 13th nationally (1,565), while rating 12th nationally in 2019 and 16th in the country (1,419) in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, the Zips rated 10th nationally in attendance averaging 2,147 and 1,819 fans per contest, respectively.-

UP NEXT
The advancing team in the showdown between Akron and Pitt moves on to face the advancing team between top-seeded Kentucky and South Florida.

Akron Hosts Pitt In Second Round of NCAA Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mitch Budler

Jonas Buechte

Dyson Clapier

Johnny Fitzgerald

Malik Henry

Will Jackson

Ryan Kingsford

Terence Okoeguale

Joel Sangwa

Jason Shokalook

Sam Tojaga

Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal

The University of Akron Athletics