Sam Gainford

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Photo by: Ernie Aranyosi

Position:
F
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Height:
6-1
Weight:
168
Hometown:
Liverpool, England
High School:
Liverpool Academy

2017: A team captain, persevered through injuries en route to earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference recognition...appeared in 18 games for Akron, including 15 starts and led the team in shots on goal (24) and game-winners (5), while ranking second on the team in goals (10), assists (5), points (25), shots (50)...Zips posted a 15-1-2 mark in contests in which he played in 2017...ranked seventh, 33rd, 37th, 39th and 39th, respectively, in the NCAA in game-winning goals (5), points per game (1.39), total goals (10), goals per contest (0.56) and total points (25)...tallied goals in victories over No. 10 Washington (Sept. 1) and UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 9) before registering a two-goal effort, including scoring the game-winner, in a 5-0 win past No. 21 UMass Lowell (Sept. 24)...netted game-winning goal and assisted on another in a 2-0 triumph versus No. 8 Notre Dame (Oct. 17)...notched a pair of assists, including on Ezana Kahsay’s golden goal in the Zips’ 2-1 win against Bowling Green (Oct. 21)...registered game-winning goal in a 3-1 victory past No. 4 Western Michigan (Oct. 12) in the title tilt of the MAC Tournament...lifted Akron to a 3-0 triumph over No. 22 Seattle (Nov. 19) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament...scored a pair of tallies in the Zips’ 3-2 overtime win versus No. 13 Wisconsin (Nov. 25) in the third round of the NCAA Tournament...garnered a season-best five shots in a 2-1 double-overtime decision against SIU Edwardsville (Nov. 10) in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament...ranked first in the MAC in game-winning goals (5), second in goals (0.56), points (1.39) and shots per game (2.78), third in goals (10), points (25) and shots (50), sixth in assists (5) and assists per game (0.28)...rated third in the league in conference-only assists (2), assists per contest (0.50), game-winning goals (1), shots per game (2.25), fourth in points per game (1.00), sixth in points (4), seventh in goals (1) and shots (9) and ninth in goals per contest (0.25).

2017 ACCOLADES: Named to the 2017 Hermann Trophy Watch List...second-team All-Great Lakes Regional United Soccer Coaches selection...first-team All-Ohio honoree...named to the Men’s National Top 100 list by TopDrawerSoccer.com for the postseason (No. 38), midseason (No. 27) and preseason (No. 27)...named to the National Team of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer.com (Oct. 24, Nov. 28)...selected as a preseason third-team All-America honoree by TopDrawerSoccer.com...chosen as the Akron Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 4, Nov. 27)...honored as MAC Player of the Week (Sept. 26, Oct. 24)...named the September Akron Student-Athlete of the Month (Oct. 2)...honored as an honorable mention selection by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its National Team of the Week (Nov. 21)...selected as the National Player of the Week by College Soccer News (Nov. 27).

PREVIOUS HONORS:
First-Team All-MAC (2015)
Second-Team All-MAC (2016)
First-Team All-Ohio (2015)
Second-Team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region (2015)

2016: Appeared in 19 games for the Zips, including making 17 starts…registered four goals and three assists on the strength on team-high marks in shots (58) and shots on goal (21) en route to earning second-team All-MAC honors…recorded his third career multi-goal effort with a pair of goals and an assist in a 7-0 victory at Northern Illinois (Oct. 15) and was named by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its National Team of the Week (Oct. 17) as well as the MAC Athlete of the Week (Oct. 17)…added a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw at Bowling Green (Oct. 29)…scored a goal in a 3-0 win past Western Michigan (Nov. 11) in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament before adding assist in 2-1 triumph past Buffalo (Nov. 13) in the MAC Championship game…named by College Soccer News to its National Team of the Week (Nov. 14) as well as by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its National Team of the Week (Nov. 15)…twice selected as Akron’s Student-Athlete of the Week (Oct. 17/Nov. 14)…ranked third in the MAC in shots (58) and shots per game (3.05), eighth in goals (4) and points (11) and 10th in goals per game (0.21)…led the MAC in league-only games in goals (0.60) and points (1.60) per contest, while rating second in game-winning goals (0.20) and third in assists (0.40) and shots (3.40) per tilt…rated 48th in the NCAA in 2016 in shots per game (3.05).

2015: Appeared in 23 games for the Zips, including making 21 starts...ranked second on the squad in assists (7), while rating third in goals (8), points (23), shots (58) and shots on goal (22) and fifth in game-winning goals (2) en route to earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors...registered a pair of goals in the Zips’ season-opening 3-2 overtime triumph at VCU...tallied his second multi-goal effort of the season, including scoring the game-winning tally, in a 3-2 victory past Saint Louis...garnered an assist on each of Akron’s goals in a 3-3 double-overtime draw versus Ohio State...notched game-winning goal in 2-0 road win over No. 25 UC Santa Barbara...added assists in Akron regular season victories past Buffalo, Northern Illinois (2) and Bowling Green...recorded goals in Zips’ triumphs against Michigan State, West Virginia and Bowling Green...posted a season-best eight shots in Akron’s 1-0 victory in the MAC Tournament title game against Buffalo...ranked 42nd, 50th and 68th, respectively, nationally in assists (7), total points (23) and goals (8)...finished fourth in the MAC in assists (7), points (23) and shots (58), fifth in goals (8) and points per contest (1.00) and eighth in assists (0.30), goals (0.30) and shots per game (2.52)...in league-only affairs, led the conference in assists (4), assists per tilt (0.80), points (8) and points per game (1.60), while also rating third in goals (2), goals per contest (0.40), shots (13) and shots per game (2.60)...a first-team All-Ohio recipient.

2014: Started 16 of Akron’s 21 matches registering three goals and two assists on a team-high 52 shots, including 25 on net...led the squad in shots, while rating second in shots on goal, third in goals and fifth in assists...named to Mid-American Conference All-Tournament team...netted first collegiate goal in a 3-1 victory past Ohio State...tallied goal in a 5-0 decision past Cleveland State...recorded goal in a 4-0 triumph over Buffalo...garnered assists in 3-0 and 3-1 victories against Tulsa and Ohio State, respectively...ranked fifth in the conference in shots (52) and eighth in shots per game (2.48)...in conference-only affairs, rated second in the league in shots (16) and shots per game (3.20).

2013: Redshirted campaign.

PRIOR TO AKRON: Trained at Liverpool Academy since age 10...was a member of the club’s Under-18 team where he played forward and attacking midfield...also played in several NextGen Series games for Liverpool U-21.

PERSONAL: Born Nov. 14, 1994...majoring in sport management…son of Steve and Gayle Gainford.