Akron Battles Connecticut in BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals

Thursday, November 13

Boyds, Md.

5:00 PM

University of Akron

UConn

Tickets

Akron Battles Connecticut in BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals

November 12 | Men's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – The 14th-ranked University of Akron men's soccer team travels to Boyds, Md., for the BIG EAST Conference Tournament versus Connecticut on Thursday (Nov. 13). The 5 p.m. match with the Huskies will be broadcast on ESPN+. The advancing team of the match will vie for the league tournament crown on Sunday (Nov. 16) against the advancing squad between Georgetown and Providence at noon.

GAME INFO
Akron vs. Connecticut | Nov. 13 | 5 PM | Boyds, Md. | Live Stats | ESPN+

HEAD COACHES
Connecticut: Chris Gbandi (UConn, 2002), Overall Record: 66-74-24 (10th Season), Record at Connecticut: 32-22-14 (Fourth Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 203-85-47 (16th Season), Record at Akron: 156-64-39 (13th Season)

SCOUTING CONNECTICUT
Connecticut enters action on Thursday (Nov. 13) at 10-3-4 on the campaign, including 5-2-1 in the BIG EAST Conference, following a 2-1 win at Seton Hall on Nov. 7.

The Huskies are led by senior Austin Brummett, who owns team-high marks in goals (7), points (17), and game-winners (3), while redshirt senior Balthazar Saunders paces the squad in shots (37) and shots on goal (18). Redshirt sophomore GK Kyle Durham has recorded 78 saves and maintains a 0.94 goals against average on the strength of eight shutouts.

As the team, UConn is rated eighth in the NCAA in save percentage (.833), 20th in assists per match (2.18) and total assists (37), 25th in saves per tilt (4.71), 30th in shutout percentage (.471) and winning percentage (.706), 39th in points per game (5.59), 45th in total points (95), 46th in goals against average (.941), 47th in goal differential (13). Individually, Brummett is ranked 29th in game-winning goals (3), while Durham is rated 14th in shutouts (8), 11th in save percentage (.830), 25th in saves per tilt (4.69) and 35th in goalie minutes played (1,530:00).

SERIES HISTORY
Akron is meeting UConn for the fifth time in program history with the Huskies leading the series 1-0-3. In the last meeting between the two schools, Akron suffered a 3-1 setback in the BIG EAST Conference opener on Sept. 19 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Zips and UConn are meeting for the second time in postseason play as the squads finished in a 3-3 draw in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in Storrs, Conn., on Nov. 27, 2005, before the Zips advanced on penalty kicks, 4-3.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 19, 2025 – AKRON, OHIO)
Three unanswered second-half goals proved too much for the eighth-rated Akron to overcome as UConn registered a come-from-behind 3-1 triumph on Sept. 19 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Akron opened the scoring when senior Stefan Dobrijevic (Uniontown, Ohio) scored in the 21st minute (20:13), assisted by senior Ashton Kamdem (West Chester, Ohio) and sophomore Jack Roman (Canfield, Ohio).

The Huskies responded to make it a 1-1 game on a goal from Sabri Hanni at the 56:59 mark, assisted by Balthazar Saunders. UConn went on top 2-1 on Saunders' 69th-minute goal (68:48).

The Huskies took a 3-1 lead with a goal from Johan Hamel at the 78:22 mark, assisted by Austin Brummett and Saunders. The goal capped the scoring in the match.

Redshirt senior GK Mitch Budler (Lincoln, Neb.) piled up three saves for the Zips out of nine total Huskies shots. Akron put seven shots on goal. Dobrijevic registered a game-high five shots, including three on goal, while Roman added four shots.

ZIPS CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Akron maintains an 37-12-5 mark in 54 matches in league championship history, including a 14-4 mark under head coach Jared Embick. The Zips are 24-3-3 in home matches at FirstEnergy Stadium in tournament play and 3-4-0 in true road contests.

FIVE ZIPS EARN ALL-BIG EAST ACCOLADES
Five Akron men's soccer standouts garnered All-BIG EAST accolades when the league unveiled in 2025 award winners in a vote of the league coaches released on Wednesday (Nov. 12).

Stefan Dobrijevic headlined the Zips' award winners as he named selected as the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous First-Team honoree.

Mitch Budler garnered BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year accolades for the second consecutive campaign and was a First-Team All-Conference selection.

Senior Daragh Reilly (Navan, Ireland) rounded out the First-Team All-BIG EAST selections for the Zips.

Pulling in Second-Team All-BIG EAST laurels was junior Matt Dreas (Covington, Ky.), while Ashton Kamdem earned Third-Team honors.

Dobrijevic becomes the 15th Akron player to garner league Player of the Year accolades marking the third consecutive season in which a Zip has been named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. Dobrijevic joins Emil Jaaskelainen (2024) and Jason Shokalook (2023).

Budler is the first player to garner back-to-back Goalkeeper of the Year honors in program history and the first in the BIG EAST Conference since Giannis Nikopolidis from Georgetown in 2019 and 2020.

REILLY AND O'ROURKE EARN BIG EAST WEEKLY ACCOLADES
Daragh Reilly was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as its Defensive Player of the Week the league announced on Monday (Nov. 10).

Additionally, redshirt freshman Thomas O'Rourke (East Patchogue, N.Y.) was named to the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Honor Roll.

Reilly was stellar for the Zips leading defensive efforts in the Zips securing a 1-0 road victory at Creighton en route to earning the BIG EAST Midwest Division title for the second consecutive year. The Zips posted their second straight clean sheet in league play and notched Akron's league-leading 11th shutout of the year.

Reilly and the Zips locked down Creighton's top two leading scorers without a shot on the evening. After Akron netted what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 63rd minute, Reilly and the Zips held the Bluejays to only three shots, none on frame, the remainder of the match.

O'Rourke made the most of his opportunity in Akron's 1-0 road win against Creighton. After having a first-half shot hit off the crossbar, he collected his first-ever collegiate goal in the 63rd minute (62:12) to give Akron a 1-0 lead.

The tally proved to be the game-winning goal as the Zips locked down defensively to secure the triumph. O'Rourke posted a career- and game-high four shots, including a career-best three shots on goal in the match.

DOBRIJEVIC NAMED BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stefan Dobrijevic became the third consecutive Zip to be named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. In eight BIG EAST games for Akron, he recorded six of his eight goals on the strength of team-high marks in goals (6), assists (4), points (16), shots (24), shots on goal (14) and game-winners (2). He has delivered multi-goal games in a 3-1 victory at Xavier (Oct. 25) and a 2-0 victory past Marquette (Nov. 1), while adding tallies versus DePaul (Oct. 11) and UConn (Sept. 19) and contributing assists in three of Akron's last five contests against DePaul (Oct. 11), Seton Hall (Oct. 17) and Xavier (Oct. 25).

Dobrijevic ranks first in the BIG EAST in assists per game (.529), second in points per contest (1.47), fourth in goals per outing (.471), fifth in shots per tilt (2.59) and game-winners (.176) and seventh in shots on goal (1.12). In league-only affairs, Dobrijevic was second the BIG EAST in points per game (2.00), goals per match (.750) and in game-winners (.250), third in assists per contest (.500) and shots on goal (1.75) and fourth in shots per tilt (3.00).

Individually, Dobrijevic is eighth in the NCAA in total assists (9), 14th in assist per contest (0.53), 18th in total points (25), 20th in points per game (1.47), 29th in game-winners (3) and 42nd in total goals (8).

BUDLER CHOSEN AS BIG EAST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Mitch Budler has been chosen as the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, the conference unveiled on Wednesday (Nov. 12). Budler has posted 37 saves on the campaign en route to recording a 0.588 goals against average on the strength of 11 shutouts. In league play, Budler collected 18 saves and a 1.13 goals against average and notched three clean sheets in eight games.

AKRON TRIO GARNERS TDS MIDSEASON ACCOLADES
Akron's Mitch Budler, sophomore Jack Roman (Canfield, Ohio) and freshman Jose Pedro (Porto, Portugal) were recognized for their stellar campaigns when TopDrawerSoccer.com named its 2025 Men's National Top 100 Midseason Upperclassmen and Freshmen lists.

Budler and Roman were tabbed No. 36 and No. 71, respectively, on the midseason ranking, while Pedro was rated No. 11 on the freshmen list.

BUDLER NAMED TO MIDSEASON HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Mitch Budler, the nation's leader in shutouts, was named to the 2025 Midseason Hermann Trophy Award Watch List the United Soccer Coaches announced on Oct. 10.

Budler has started all 17 games for Akron in 2025 en route to recording an NCAA-best 11 shutouts. He also ranks eighth in goals against average (0.588), 34th in save percentage (.787) and 35th in the nation in goalie minutes played (1,530:00).

The 2025 and 2024 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, Budler has recorded 37 saves this season in net. He ranks first in the BIG EAST Conference in goals against average (0.588), shutouts (11) and second in save percentage (.787).

Budler is also first in D1 among active leaders in career shutouts (34), third in goalie minutes played (6,483.85), 14th in goals against average (.874), 26th in saves (172), 33rd in games played (73) and 47th in save percentage (.732).

FIVE ZIPS HONORED ON SENIOR NIGHT
The Zips' contest versus DePaul on Oct. 11 marked Senior Night in the careers of Mitch Budler, Stefan Dobrijevic, Ashton Kamdem and Daragh Reilly as well as manager Yuga Takizawa.

Budler has started all 73 games of his Akron career en route to collecting 172 saves and owning a 0.88 goals against average on the strength of 34 shutouts.

Dobrijevic has appeared in 72 career games as a Zip, including 24 starts, recording 15 goals, 19 assists and 49 points on 98 shots, including 42 on goal, with five game-winning goals.

Kamdem has appeared in 73 career games as a Zip, including 61 starts, recording three goals, 11 assists and 17 points on the strength of registering 26 shots, including seven on frame. His defensive efforts have helped Akron record 37 shutouts over his four-year career.

Reilly has appeared in 48 career games as a Zip, including 18 starts, recording a goal on the strength of 10 shots, including three on net, while defensively sparking Akron to 30 shutouts.

HONORING LEGENDARY COACH STU PARRY
Akron men's soccer honored legendary men's soccer coach Stu Parry, who passed away peacefully on Aug. 15, prior to the squad's match versus Cleveland State (Sept. 1).

The first head coach in Akron men's program history, Parry began a decorated career guiding the Zips in 1955 and led the squad for 15 seasons en route to posting an enviable 118-43-4 record.

In those 15 years, Parry directed the Zips to nine Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Championships and developed 10 All-America soccer players, including Ed Bender, Fritz Kungl, Pete Milch, Joe Queiroga, Ford Brummer, Jim Malcolm and Eugene Alfred, and numerous All-Ohio and All-Midwest players.

In 1961, the Zips were invited to participate in their first NCAA post-season game. On five more occasions, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, and 1968, Akron earned NCAA invitations. In 1966 and 1968, Parry's fellow coaches honored him for his many years of devotion to and promotion of soccer by voting him the Ohio Soccer Coach of the Year.

AKRON EARNS 1-0 WIN AT CREIGHTON
Sparked by the first career goal from Thomas O'Rourke, 18th-rated Akron garnered its second consecutive BIG EAST Conference Midwest Division title earning a 1-0 shutout victory past Creighton on Friday (Nov. 7).

After battling through a scoreless opening half where the Zips outshot the Bluejays, 9-4, Akron grabbed a 1-0 lead when O'Rourke scored his first goal of the season in the 63rd minute (62:12) on a ball served into the box from the corner by junior Jack Sullivan (Potomac, Md.).

The final 30 minutes proved to be a battle between two of the better defensive squads in the league with the Zips holding on to earn the victory.

Mitch Budler playing in his home state collected one save for the Zips out of seven total Bluejays shots to earn his NCAA-leading 11th shutout of the season.

Akron put seven shots on goal and posted a 12-7 overall advantage in shots. O'Rourke tallied a career- and game-high four shots, including three on goal, while Jack Roman added three shots with two coming on net.

ZIPS EARN 2-0 WIN OVER MARQUETTE
No. 20 Akron got a pair of goals from Stefan Dobrijevic in a 2-0 shutout win against Marquette on Nov. 1 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

After battling through a scoreless opening stanza, Akron took a 1-0 lead when Dobrijevic recorded his team-leading seventh goal of the season in the 61st minute (60:30) on a successful penalty kick.

The Zips added another score on a goal from Dobrijevic, his eighth goal on the campaign, at the 80:10 mark, assisted by Ashton Kamdem and freshman Braxton Hayes (Bowie, Md.).

Mitch Budler totaled four saves for the Zips out of 15 total Golden Eagles shots to notch his NCAA-leading 10th shutout of the season. Dobrijevic posted a game-high four shots for Akron, including three on net.

A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, the Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.737), with an overall record of 266-77-55. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 252-85-56 (.712), Maryland, 247-86-60 (.705), North Carolina, 239-90-67 (.688), Indiana, 264-101-71 (.687) and Georgetown, 239-91-53 (.693). 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 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 36 times, including 20 of the past 24 seasons.

OWNING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
The recent success of the Akron men's soccer program over the past 19 seasons (2007-present) can be attributed to its play in the month of October. Since the start of the 2007 campaign, the Zips own a 95-18-19 (.792) ledger in the month, including a 53-8-7 (.831) mark in matches at FirstEnergy Stadium.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips are meeting UConn for the fifth time in program history with three of the four previous encounters resulting in a draw.
• Akron is playing the Huskies in the postseason for the second time in program history.
• Akron owns a 5-3-3 mark versus Top 100 teams in the latest NCAA RPI poll.
• Akron is rated No. 9 in the latest NCAA men's soccer RPI report on Nov. 12.
• The Zips are 2-1-2 versus ranked teams this season following a 0-0 draw versus No. 8 West Virginia (Aug. 29), a 2-0 win at No. 16 Ohio State (Sept. 5), a 1-0 setback at No. 5 Vermont (Sept. 13), a 3-0 triumph past No. 8 Saint Louis (Sept. 23) and a 0-0 draw at No. 13 Cornell (Oct. 7).
• The Zips recorded a season-best 20 shots at VCU (Aug. 24).
• Akron have posted double-digit shots in 15 of 17 tilts in 2025.
• The Zips have allowed only three first-half goals this season.
• Eleven different Zips have scored a goal this season, including four newcomers.
• Nineteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including 10 newcomers.
• The Zips are rated third in the NCAA in shutout percentage (.647), fourth in corner kicks (7.47), sixth in goals against average (0.588), 21st in winning percentage (.735), 24th in total assists (36), 25th in assists per game (2.12), 28th in goal differential (17), 33rd in save percentage (.787) and 50th in total points (90).
• Individually, Budler is rated first in the NCAA in shutouts (11), eighth in goals against average (0.588), 34th in save percentage (.787) and 35th in the nation in goalie minutes played (1,530:00). Additionally, Dobrijevic is eighth in total assists (9), 14th in assist per contest (0.53), 18th in total points (25), 20th in points per game (1.47), 29th in game-winners (3) and 42nd in total goals (8).
• Budler is rated first among NCAA D1 active leaders in career shutouts (34), third in goalie minutes played (6,483.85), 14th in goals against average (.874), 26th in saves (172), 33rd in games played (73) and 47th in save percentage (.732). Additionally, Kamdem is 33rd in games played (73) and Dobrijevic is 40th in games played (72).
• Through 73 career games, Budler has been dominant in net for Akron having recorded 172 saves en route to owning a 0.874 goals against average on the strength of 34 shutouts.
• Budler surpassed 6,000 career minutes in goal vs. Cornell (Oct. 7) and has been in net for 6,483:51.
• Since 2021, the Zips own 36-6-9 record in regular season home games at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Since 2010, the Zips are 36-7-5 at FirstEnergy Stadium in regular season conference games. Overall, during that span, including postseason, Akron boasts a 52-10-6 mark versus league foes at home.
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, the Zips own a 37-25-12 mark against ranked opponents.
• Dobrijevic is Akron's active career leaders in goals (15), assists (19), points (49), shots (98), shots on goal (42) and game-winners (5). Dobrijevic, Agunbiade, Roman, Kamdem and redshirt sophomore Nathan Ferguson (Glen Carbon, Ill.) have scored 15, six, five, four, three and three goals, respectively.
• The Zips own a 156-64-39 mark over the last 13 seasons under Embick. Akron's 155 wins are ranked eighth in all of Division I.
• Under Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 31-15-8.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 118 of the squad's last 222 matches.
• Akron has held opponents scoreless in 52 of its last 104 home contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron owns a 99-20-16 record in its last 133 home matches.
• The Zips average attendance in 2025 is 1,574 to rank 17th nationally. In 2024 it was 1,098 fans per game, while in 2023 Akron ranked 13th nationally (1,699), while rating 17th nationally (1,290) in 2022, 13th (1,565) in 2021, 12th 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.
• Since 2007, Akron maintains a league record of 84-16-17 (.791) mark in league play. Furthermore, the Zips won 11 consecutive MAC regular season championships (2006-16) and 11 of the final 14 MAC Tournament titles.
• Since Oct. 1, 2015, Akron owns a 109-51-35 record.

BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL
The University of Akron men's soccer program opens its 71st season of intercollegiate soccer tabbed to finish as the top team in the Midwest Division of the BIG EAST Conference, including earning 10 first-place votes in the division.

ZIPS IN THE CLASSROOM
Academic success has been a staple for the Zips under head coach Jared Embick. Akron has posted a cumulative team GPA's of 3.0 or better in 23 of 25 semesters overall under Embick, including registering cumulative marks of 3.11, 3.39, 3.01, 3.05, 3.40, 3.316, 3.21, 3.02, 3.09, 3.20 and 3.37 during the 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, 2014-15 campaigns, respectively.

AKRON UNVEILS TALENTED 14-MEMBER RECRUITING CLASS
Akron under the leadership of 13th-year head coach Jared Embick, boast a talented 14-member signing class for 2025.

Donning the Akron uniform this fall will be Ignacio Alem (Potomac, Md.), Abdi Bahur (Toronto, Ontario), Gavin Crane (Hinckley, Ohio), Braxton Hayes, (Bowie, Md.), Logan LaMaina (Sellersville, Pa.), Farrel Ngongang, Matthew Paiva and Malte Schmaus (Hammersbach, Germany).

The nine players are part of Akron's 2025 signing class joining six members in Aljaz Dodig, Freddy Kossehasse, Tyler Morck, Jose Pedro, Jamai Royer (Markham, Ontario) and Jack Sullivan, that signed with the Zips prior to the spring semester.

DID YOU KNOW
• Zippy is just one of eight female-gendered college mascots in Division I athletics. Do you know the other seven? (YoUDee, the Delaware Blue Hen; Mrs. Wuf of N.C. State; Lucy Lobo of New Mexico; Sue E. Pig of Arkansas; Miss Pawla of South Alabama, Kate the Lion of Hofstra; and Wilma Wildcat of Arizona).
• One of the unique nicknames in collegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron.
• Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth "Red" Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletics teams.
• Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
• The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for Zippers, a $6 pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company.
• The evolution of Zippy, UA's mascot, began 40 years ago when the student council decided the University needed a mascot.
• "Zippy" the kangaroo was officially declared the school's mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as "Zippy" was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name "Zippy" came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing "Mascot - 'Zippy' - Charles Huettner."
• In 2007, Zippy was named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.

UP NEXT
If Akron advances past Connecticut, the Zips will head to the BIG EAST Tournament final on Sunday (Nov. 16) at noon versus the advancing squad between Georgetown and Providence.