Rivalry Showdown Awaits as Akron Hosts Kent State

Sunday, October 5

Akron, Ohio

1:00 PM

University of Akron

Kent State

Rivalry Showdown Awaits as Akron Hosts Kent State

October 04 | Women's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's soccer team hosts rival Kent State in a 1 p.m. showdown at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday (Oct. 5) as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend.

GAME INFO
Akron vs. Kent State | Oct. 5 | 1 PM | FirstEnergy Stadium | Live Stats | Live Video

PARKING UPDATE
Akron fans are asked to please park in Lots 6 (Along S. Union Street between InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field and Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex) and Lot 10 (Corner of Vine and Spicer Streets behind the Stile Athletics Field House). Overflow parking will be available in Lot 9. All other parking lots will require a university permit. If parking at metered spaces outside of these designated lots, meters must be paid in full and current.

HEAD COACHES
Kent State: Rob Marinaro (Clemson, 1992), Overall Record: 225-183-61 (25th Season), Record at Kent State: 225-183-61 (25th Season)
Akron: Maggie Kuhn (Bethany, 2004), Overall Record: 81-88-16 (10th Season), Record at Akron: 3-5-3 (First Season)

SCOUTING KENT STATE
Kent State comes in action versus Akron at 4-4-1 on the campaign, including 2-2-1 in the Mid-American Conference following a 1-1 draw versus Eastern Michigan on Thursday (Oct. 2).

The Golden Flashes are led by senior Kelsey Salopek, who owns team-high marks in goals (4), points (9), shots (22), shots on goal (15) and game-winners (3). Junior GK Leah Shaffer has posted 50 saves en route to collecting a 1.67 goals against average with a pair of shutouts.

Individually, Shaffer is rated 19th in goalie minutes played (1080:00), while Salopek is ranked 21st in game-winning goals (3).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and Kent State are meeting for the 26th time in program history with the Golden Flashes leading the series, 21-4-0.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (OCT. 24, 2024 – KENT, OHIO)
Akron fell 1-0 on the road against rival Kent State on Oct. 24, 2024, at Dix Stadium.

Akron and Kent State battled through a scoreless opening half before the Golden Flashes found the back of the net at the 52:06 mark to take a 1-0 lead. Penelope Cuirinier led Akron with 11 saves. The Zips recorded 10 shots, two on net in the match.

SCOUTING AKRON
The Zips were edged 1-0 at Buffalo on Thursday (Oct. 2) to drop to 3-5-3 on the campaign, including 0-3-2 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 (25) and shots on goal (12). 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 23 saves, respectively, on the campaign en route to posting four shutouts and recording a 1.18 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 Kent State for the 26th time in program history with the Golden Flashes leading the series 21-4-0.
• Seventeen of the 25 matches between Akron and Kent State have resulted in a shutout, with the Zips posting three wins in those matches.
• Nine of the last 10 meetings between the two schools have resulted in a shutout.
• Ariana Vakos recorded a career-high eight saves at Buffalo (Oct. 2). Earlier this season she made her collegiate debut in the second half at West Virginia (Aug. 21) recording a pair of saves and later 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 (.57), fifth in shots per contest (1.71), 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 70th nationally averaging 609 fans per contest.
• King leads Akron's active leaders in career goals (12), assists (5), points (29), shots (87), shots on goal (46) 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 fifth in the Mid-American Conference in shutouts (4) and in save percentage (.797).
• King is rated fifth in the MAC in game-winners (2), seventh in shots (2.27) per game and ninth in shots on goal (1.09), while Bower is fifth in shutouts (3) and in saves per game (4.00) and ninth in save percentage (.757) and in goals against average (1.49). Additionally, Fineen Cregan and Jordanne Oberhaus are ranked seventh in assists (3) and in assists per match (0.27).
• In league-only games, Akron is ranked second in the MAC in save percentage (.842) and fifth in goals against average (0.80). Individually, Vakos is rated second in save percentage (.870), fourth in saves per game (4.00), sixth in goals against average (.724) and in shutouts (1).
• For the first time in program history Akron earned a result in its first two road Mid-American Conference games registering a 1-1 draw at Ohio (Sept. 21) and a 0-0 tie at Northern Illinois (Sept. 25).
• 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 goals (5) versus Southern Indiana (Aug. 24).
• 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.

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 nine games, including eight 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 51 contests, including 44 starts, en route to collecting a team-best 12 goals, five assists, 29 points and four game-winners fueled by 87 shots, including 46 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.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Central Michigan in a 6:30 p.m. showdown at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday (Oct. 9).