The University of Akron Athletics
Read the Latest Edition of Zips Line – October 17, 2014
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COLLEGE SOCCER'S NATIONAL GAME OF THE WEEK
We're excited to welcome back to campus our friends from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for their featured college soccer broadcast when our Men's Soccer team hosts West Virginia at 7 p.m. tonight. We are one of just two schools (Santa Barbara is the other) to have one of our men's home matches showcased to the soccer community in each of the last five years, and the NSCAA has repeatedly told us that FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field offers among the best atmospheres in all of college soccer.
We're hosting our annual pre-game Soctoberfest, a celebration with German food and draft beer, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., in a tent just outside of the stadium at Gate 2 on Coleman Common, and the broadcast will open there with a College GameDay-type introduction at 6 p.m. Please come early, be loud and cheer the Zips on to victory!
Our team, which is 5-0-0 at home this year, is coming off a dominant 3-0 win Tuesday vs. Michigan, and this key conference matchup (WVU is an affiliate member of the Mid-American Conference for Men's Soccer) can widen the lead we already have claimed in the MAC standings this year.
Of course we want you there in person to cheer on Head Coach Jared Embick and our team, but if not you cannot make it to campus, watch the web stream at NSCAAtv.com.
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – THIS YEAR AND THE FUTURE
Our Football team busses to Athens today for our matchup at 2 p.m. tomorrow against Ohio University. Head Coach Terry Bowden and our team look to continue their winning ways that includes a three-game winning streak and an undefeated start to MAC play after our 29-19 win over Miami on Saturday. The last time we started at least 4-2 in our first six games was 2000.
After OU, we travel to Ball State next weekend, and then we shift to a Tuesday schedule for our final four regular-season games in November, beginning with a Nov. 4 home showdown against defending MAC champ Bowling Green. That game will be a Black Out, so dress appropriately, and we also will offer Zippy's annual Great Chili Cook-Off during pregame at Zips Fest on Vine Street.
We also just announced that we will kick off the 2018 season with a visit to Lincoln, Neb., to face the Cornhuskers. Coach Bowden and I continue to focus on a scheduling philosophy for our four non-conference games each year to include one road game against a Power 5 conference opponent, one home-and-home opponent at home, one home-and-home opponent on the road, and one FCS opponent at home.
For example, next season we will start 2016 with a trip to Oklahoma to face the Sooners, then host Pittsburgh on Sept. 12 in a return game to complete our home-and-home series that begin this year with our victory at Heinz Field. We then welcome Savannah State on Sept. 19, and lastly travel to Louisiana-Lafayette to complete that home-and-home series.
HOOPS WILL BE HERE SOON
Season ticket sales continue to soar for Men's and Women's Basketball, and we now have 3- and 5-game mini plans available, in addition to non-conference single-game tickets. Your best way to purchase so we can help place you with exactly what you want is by calling 1-888-99-AKRON (25766) during normal business hours. We are less than one month until tip-off (both teams officially start in a home doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 14), so don't delay!
CONGRATS AND BEST WISHES TO ...
... junior Matt Chezem from Rifle, who is competing this weekend in Mexico with Team USA at the 2014 Championship of the Americas ...
... Men's and Women's Cross Country, which heads to the Pre Nationals Invitational at Terre Haute, Ind., tomorrow in a race that features some of the top competition in the nation ...
... Women's Golf, which completed the fall season earlier this week with a fifth-place finish – thanks in part to Frida Fougberg's third top-five finish in four events – at the Rocket Classic in Port Clinton, Ohio ...
... junior kicker Robert Stein, named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting two field goals and three extra points in Football's 29-19 win over Miami ...
... Men's Golf junior Louis Birchall, named our Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday...
... Women's Soccer, with a 1-0 win Sunday on a last-second penalty kick by Sarah Sivic against Northern Illinois – we play at Toledo this afternoon and at Central Michigan on Sunday ...
... Volleyball, with a thrilling five-set home victory Saturday over Toledo – we play at Northern Illinois tonight and then at Western Michigan tomorrow night ...
... former Men's Soccer student-athlete Dillon Serna, for being called up to the U-23 National Team camp in Brazil ...
ZIPS CLIPS
... Watch this week's editions of Zips Weekly and Z360, which profiles Men's Soccer goalkeeper and MAC Player of the Week Jake Fenlason and looks at our Football Locker Room being dedicated to former assistant coach Alan "Tank" Arrington ...
... the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto says the Zips are turning into a MAC contender in Coach Bowden's third year ...
...redshirt freshman Jerome Lane has become a football athlete to be reckoned with, says the PD's Elton Alexander ...
... George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal checks in on our much-improved running attack and offensive line as we head to Ohio, and digs in with one of the reasons, two-way player Cody Grice, a nose guard who has been a running back in goal line situations ...
ASK THE AD
As always, if you have a question or want to comment about Zips Athletics, click here now or at any time on the "Ask the AD" button on the home page of GoZips.com.
Go Zips!
Tom Wistrcill
Director of Athletics
