Zips Look To Net League Win at Central Michigan

Sunday, September 22

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1:00 PM

University of Akron

Central Michigan

September 21 | Women's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's soccer team travels to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for an encounter with Central Michigan on Sunday (Sept. 22).

GAME INFO
Akron at Central Michigan | Sept. 22 | 1 PM | Mount Pleasant, Mich. | Live Stats | Live Video

HEAD COACHES
Central Michigan: Jeremy Groves (Kentucky, 2005), Overall Record: 77-62-24 (10th Season), Record at Central Michigan: 27-41-18 (Sixth Season)
Akron: Jen Simonetti (Dayton, 2005), Overall Record: 53-63-16 (Ninth Season), Record at Akron: 11-24-7 (Third Season)

EIGHT ZIPS HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
The Zips' contest versus Saint Francis on Sept. 15 marked Senior Day for eight Zips as seniors Lacey Bernick (Huntingdon, Pa.), Caitlin Bruni (Canal Fulton, Ohio), Maxima Carlitz (Stolberg, Germany), Quinn Casey (Powell, Ohio), Ella Hadley (Concord, Ohio), Clara Krohn (Akron, Ohio) and Morgan Shansky (Oakdale, Pa.) and redshirt junior Penelope Cuirinier (Mionnay, France) were honored in pregame ceremonies.

SCOUTING AKRON
Off to their best start since the 2007 campaign, the Zips saw their unbeaten streak snapped at seven following a 2-0 setback versus Buffalo on Thursday (Sept. 19).

Akron saw its shutout streak end as two late goals propelled Buffalo to a 2-0 victory over the Zips. Penelope Cuirinier and sophomore GK Sara Bower (Cincinnati, Ohio) combined to collect three saves for Akron.

Ella Hadley, junior Emma King (Akron, Ohio), McMillen, redshirt senior Morgan Pentz (Broadview Heights, Ohio), sophomore Anna Simmons (Manassas, Va.) and sophomore Rachel Wenzel (Akron, Ohio) have accounted for the Zips' goals this season having netted two, one, one, one, one and one, respectively. Eight Akron players have recorded an assist on the campaign led by a team-high two from Pentz. Hadley paces the squad in shots (16) and shots on goal (7), while Cuirinier and sophomore GK Sara Bower (Cincinnati, Ohio) own 22 and 11 saves, respectively, in net for Akron.

The Zips under the leadership of third-year head coach Jen Simonetti returned nine starters in 2024, including senior team captains Katie Stafford (Gahanna, Ohio) and Pentz.

The Zips boast 11 newcomers to the squad as donning the Akron uniform this fall will be junior Kaylen Goddard (Mechanicsville, Md.), sophomore Kellyn Fausel (New Philadelphia, Ohio), sophomore Shani Sirota (Raanana, Israel), redshirt freshman Nadia Zaborowski (Noblesville, Ind.) and freshmen Kailyn Biecker (Wadsworth, Ohio), Addison Lambert (Galena, Ohio), Allie McMillen (Shreve, Ohio), Kaitlyn Rogowski (Hilliard, Ohio), Elisabeth Rupp (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Eesha Sutharshan (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Ariana Vakos (Avon, Ohio).

CUIRINIER NAMED MAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Penelope Cuirinier was tabbed by the MAC as its Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (Sept. 17).

Cuirinier was stellar in goal this past week helping the Zips post their fourth and fifth consecutive shutouts with a pair of 1-0 victories. Cuirinier registered 10 saves on the week, including seven against Saint Francis on Sept. 15 and three versus Cleveland State on Sept. 12. She posted five stops in the initial stanza against Saint Francis when the Red Flash registered seven first-half shots and pulled in three saves against seven total shots against the Vikings.

AKRON NOTES
• The Zips are off to their best start to a campaign at 5-1-2 since the 2007 season, while recording the squad's initial seven-game unbeaten streak since 2007. The unbeaten streak matched the longest in program history set during both the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.
• Akron has matched its 2006 squad as the only Zips' teams to post an unbeaten record in non-conference play.
• Akron posted the second most shutouts in a non-conference campaign in school history, trailing only the 2006 squad that registered six straight to open the 2006 season.
• Akron posted five consecutive shutouts for the first time since the 2009 campaign.
• The four 1-0 clean sheet victories this season represent the second-highest total in program history matching identical marks in 2007, 2009 and 2011. The 2006 Akron team holds the top mark with six 1-0 wins.
• The five shutouts by the Zips are the most for Akron in a season since the 2019 season.
• Twelve of the 23 matches between Akron and Central Michigan have resulted in a shutout, with the Zips posting one win and three draws in those matches.
• The previous two meetings between the two schools have resulted in a draw.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in three all-time meetings with Central Michigan.
• The Zips posted shutouts in five consecutive contests and did not surrender a goal in more than 606 minutes (606:05).
• Akron is ranked 10th in the NCAA in save percentage (.900), 22nd in goals against average (0.50), 32nd in shutout percentage (.625) and 42nd in winning percentage (.750).
• Penelope Cuirinier is rated ninth in the NCAA in save percentage (.917) and 17th in goals against average (0.364).
• Six different Zips have scored a goal this season, including one newcomer.
• Eighteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including four newcomers.
• Nine Akron newcomers have appeared in a match for the Zips this season.
• Penelope Cuirinier collected her 175th career save against Cleveland State (Sept. 12) and enters play versus Central Michigan with 183 career saves.
• Akron's victory over Oakland (Aug. 22) marked the 50th career coaching victory for head coach Jen Simonetti.
• Ella Hadley enters play versus Central Michigan ranked ninth in career scoring at Akron with 26 points, while junior Emma King (Akron, Ohio) is nearing the top-10 in career scoring with 24 points.
• King needs one goal to enter the top-10 in program history in career goals having amassed 10 in her four seasons.
• Cuirinier is ranked third, third, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Akron women's soccer record book in career saves, shutouts, wins and goals against average.
• Morgan Pentz led the Zips with a pair of multi-goal games a season ago tallying a pair of tallies at Cleveland State and Eastern Michigan.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan enters action against Akron at 2-4-2 on the campaign, including 0-0-1 in the Mid-American Conference following a 2-2 draw at Eastern Michigan on Thursday (Sept. 19).

The Chippewas are led by redshirt senior Claudia Muessig, who paces the team in goals (3), assists (1), points (7), shots (17) and shots on goal (11). Redshirt senior GK Allison LaPoint has pulled in 60 saves on the campaign and owns a 1.64 goals against average.

The Chippewas are rated seventh in the NCAA in saves per game (7.63) and 17th in shot accuracy (.554).

Individually, LaPoint is ranked seventh in the NCAA in saves per contest (7.50).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Central Michigan are meeting for 24th time in program history with the series the Chippewas leading the series by an 16-2-5 margin. The Zips and Central Michigan battled to a 0-0 draw on Oct. 15, 2023, in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Ball State in a 7 p.m. tilt on Thursday (Sept. 26) at FirstEnergy Stadium.