Akron Squares off Versus Buffalo

Thursday, October 2

Buffalo, N.Y.

6:00 PM

University of Akron

Buffalo

October 01 | Women's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's soccer team visits Buffalo for a 6 p.m. showdown on Thursday (Oct. 2).

GAME INFO
Akron at Buffalo | Oct. 2 | 6 PM | Buffalo, N.Y. | Live Stats | Live Video

HEAD COACHES
Buffalo: Shawn Burke (Mercyhurst, 2002), Overall Record: 120-59-39 (12th Season), Record at Buffalo: 120-59-39 (12th Season)
Akron: Maggie Kuhn (Bethany, 2004), Overall Record: 81-87-16 (10th Season), Record at Akron: 3-4-3 (First Season)

SCOUTING AKRON
The Zips dropped a 1-0 decision versus Miami on Sunday (Sept. 28) to fall to 3-4-3 on the campaign, including 0-2-2 in the Mid-American Conference.

Freshman Addison Hall (Manchester, Conn.) registered her team-leading third goal of the season at Ohio (Sept. 21), while seniors Emma King (Akron, Ohio) and Kylie Schiemann (Geneva, Ohio) along with freshmen Fineen Cregan (Rochester, N.Y.), Luisa Fragnoli (Medina, Ohio) and Olivia Pilato (Rochester, N.Y.) have each tallied two, one, one, one and one goal, respectively. King directs the squad in shots (21) and shots on goal (11). Cregan and junior Jordanne Oberhaus (Wadsworth, Ohio) own a team-best three assists apiece for Akron. Junior goalkeeper Sara Bower (Cincinnati, Ohio) and redshirt freshman GK Ariana Vakos (Avon, Ohio) own 28 and 15 saves, respectively, on the campaign en route to posting four shutouts and recording a 1.20 goals against average.

The Zips under the leadership of first-year head coach Maggie Kuhn return six starters in 2025, including sophomores Kailyn Biecker (Wadsworth, Ohio) and Olivia Heskett (Lewis Center, Ohio), King, Oberhaus, sophomore Kaitlyn Rogowski (Hilliard, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore Rachel Wenzel (Akron, Ohio).

Akron is led by team captains Bower and seniors Kaylen Goddard (Mechanicsville, Md.) and King as well as fellow returning players Schiemann, junior Emalee Szablewski (Lancaster, N.Y.) and sophomores Addison Lambert (Galena, Ohio), Allie McMillen (Shreve, Ohio), Eesha Sutharshan (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Vakos.

The Zips are bolstered by a talented 11-member 2025 signing class, which includes eight freshmen and three transfers.

The Zips boast 11 newcomers to the squad as donning the Akron uniform this fall will be senior Rielly Chesna (Chicago, Ill.), junior Lilly Touhey (Fishers, Ind.), sophomore Taylor Allen (Blacksburg, Va.) and freshmen Freya Blatz (Bethel Park, Pa.), Fiona Buczak (Brunswick, Ohio), Cregan, Fragnoli, Hall, Bailey Kerins (Dublin, Ohio), Pilato and Devyn Raymond (Shelby Township, Mich.).

AKRON NOTES
• Akron is meeting Buffalo for the 23rd time in program history with the Bulls leading the series 13-8-1.
• Thirteen of the 22 matches between Akron and Buffalo have resulted in a shutout, with the Zips posting five wins and one draw in those matches.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in eight all-time meetings with Buffalo.
• Five of the last 10 meetings between the two schools have resulted in a shutout.
• For the first time in program history Akron has earned a result in its first two road Mid-American Conference games after registering a 1-1 draw at Ohio (Sept. 21) and a 0-0 tie at Northern Illinois (Sept. 25).
• Ariana Vakos made her collegiate debut in the second half at West Virginia (Aug. 21) recording a pair of saves and posted her first career shutout at Northern Illinois (Sept. 25).
• Emma King ranks fourth in program history in goals per tilt (.24) and points per game (.58), seventh in game-winning goals (4), eighth in career goals (12) and points (29), 10th in assists per match (.10) and 11th in career assists (5).
• Sara Bower ranks sixth in shutouts (5) and eighth in goals against average (1.70), career saves (134) and goalie victories (7).
• Addison Hall's two-goal effort versus Southern Indiana represented the first brace for an Akron freshman King netted a pair of tallies in a 5-0 win past Toledo on Oct. 23, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron leads in the conference in attendance, while ranking 74th nationally averaging 609 fans per contest.
• King leads Akron's active leaders in career goals (12), assists (5), points (29), shots (83), shots on goal (45) and game-winners (4), while Bower paces active Zips in career saves (134), goals against average (1.70) and save percentage (.740).
• The Zips rank third in the Mid-American Conference in shutouts (4) and fifth in save percentage (.782).
• King is rated third in the MAC in game-winners (2), ninth in shots (2.10) per game and 10th in shots on goal (1.10), while Bower is fourth in shutouts (3), fifth in saves per game (4.00) and 10th in save percentage (.757) and goals against average (1.49). Additionally, Fineen Cregan is ranked sixth in assists (3) and in assists per match (0.30), Hall is eighth in total goals (3) and 10th in goals per contest (.30) and Jordanne Oberhaus is ranked sixth in assists (3) and in assists per match (0.30).
• In league-only games, Akron is ranked third in the MAC In goals against average (0.75) and save percentage (.842) and fifth in shutouts (1). Individually, Vakos is rated second in save percentage (.857), third in goals against average (.636), fifth in shutouts (1) and ninth in saves per game (3.00).
• Bower's nine-save performance at Dayton (Sept. 12) stands as a conference-best single-game effort this season.
• Hall's five-point effort (2 goal | 1 assist) and two-goal match versus Southern Indiana (Aug. 24) represent single-game league-high performance in 2025.
• Cregan posted a league-high two assists in Akron's 5-3 win over Southern Indiana (Aug. 24).
• Akron registered single-game MAC-leading marks in points (15) and goals (5) versus Southern Indiana (Aug. 24), while tallying a conference-best nine saves at Dayton (Sept. 12).
• Six different Zips have scored a goal this season, including four newcomers.
• Sixteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including seven newcomers.
• Nine newcomers have appeared for the Zips this season.
• The Zips saw their shutout streak snapped after seven consecutive non-conference regular season contests with a 3-0 setback at West Virginia (Aug. 21). Akron went 5-0-2 mark in those contests and outshot the opposition, 84-70. Bower posted 19 saves in those games, while King added a team-best 15 shots with nine falling on frame.
• The Zips posted shutouts in seven consecutive non-conference contests and didn't surrender a goal in those games in more than 800 minutes (802:16).
• The Zips recorded the squad's initial seven-game unbeaten streak since 2007 in 2024. The unbeaten streak matched the longest in program history set during both the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.
• Akron 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 last season represented 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 six shutouts by the Zips were the most for Akron in a season since posting seven in the 2011 campaign.

FOUR ZIPS HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
The Zips' contest versus Green Bay on Aug. 31 marked Senior Day for four Zips as seniors Rielly Chesna, Kaylen Goddard, Emma King and Kylie Schiemann were honored in pregame ceremonies.

In her first season at Akron, Chesna has appeared in eight games, including seven starts, for the Zips, en route to registering an assist on one shot, while sparking the squad to a trio of shutouts.

Goddard has appeared in 53 contests, including 41 starts, en route to recording 12 shots, with three shots coming on goal, and leading Akron to 13 shutouts over her career.

King has appeared in 50 contests, including 43 starts, en route to collecting a team-best 12 goals, five assists, 29 points and four game-winners fueled by 83 shots, including 45 on goal.

Schiemann has appeared in 42 contests, including 17 starts, en route to registering a goal and an assist on the strength of 16 shots, with nine shots falling on frame.

SCOUTING BUFFALO
Buffalo comes in action versus Akron at 7-2-1 on the campaign, including 3-1-0 in the Mid-American Conference following a 1-0 victory at Kent State on Sunday (Sept. 28).

The Bulls are led by redshirt senior Jasmie Guerber, who owns team-high marks in assists (4), points (12), shots (31), shots on goal (16) and game-winners (2), while tallying four goals. Junior GK Lexie Thompson has posted 29 saves en route to collecting a 0.61 goals against average with five shutouts.

Buffalo is ranked 20th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.60), 28th in winning percentage (.750), 33rd in shots on goal (7.60), 42nd in shutout percentage (.500), 43rd in save percentage (.833), 45th in goal differential (12). Individually, Thompson is rated 28th in shutouts (5) and 29th in goals against average (.612).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Buffalo are meeting for the 23rd time in program history with the Bulls leading the series, 13-8-1.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 19, 2024 – AKRON, OHIO)
In a battle of unbeaten teams, Akron fell to Buffalo, 2-0, in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools on Sept. 19, 2024, at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Akron and Buffalo waged a scoreless contest through more than 76 minutes of play before the Bulls scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 76:55 mark when Frederique St.-Jean headed home a corner kick from Maya Galko.

The Bulls extended their advantage to 2-0 in the 85th minute (84:47) on a goal by Olivia Bizzoni with an assist from Sarah Woods.

Sara Bower led Akron with two saves, while Penelope Cuirinier added one stop for the Zips in net.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts rival Kent State in a 1 p.m. showdown at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday (Oct. 5).