The University of Akron Athletics
Read the Latest Edition of Zips Line – September 18, 2014
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A BIG GAME FOR ZIPS FOOTBALL
After a week off, Head Coach Terry Bowden and our Football team are eager to return to action this Saturday at 2 p.m. vs. a 3-0 Marshall team receiving votes in both polls. What a great opportunity for all of us – our team and our fan base – to make a statement about how far we've come and how we're ready for Zips Football to keep progressing toward its goal of becoming a championship program.
It's going to be a busy day in and around InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field, as the Student Success office will make its impact felt pre-game at Zips Fest by hosting the first Z-Gate, which is shaping up to be the biggest student tailgate we've ever hosted before a football game. It's Band Day as well, so we'll welcome 400-plus students from seven high schools who will join Ohio's Pride to perform at halftime. During the game we'll also honor on the field our Swimming and Diving, and Rifle programs for their 2014 conference championships.
We're also expecting a good number of Thundering Herd fans as we renew this former MAC rivalry (as part of our game contract, we'll go to Huntington in 2016 and have the same opportunity to purchase tickets that they have provided). We want to make sure our Blue and Gold far outnumbers their green. We have more tickets distributed 48 hours before kickoff than any game since 2009, and that doesn't include what we expect from students, so please arrive early, be loud, have fun, and cheer the Zips to victory!
If you don't already have tickets, single-game tickets are available here (which include mobile or print-at-home options), but I suggest you get the most for your money by purchasing a 3-game Mini Plan that allows you to pick any three of our five remaining home games.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THIS WEEKEND ...
Campus will be buzzing all weekend, starting bright and early tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new on-campus Tennis Facility, located south of Exchange Street where Buchtel Field was located. Following the ceremony, UA President Scott Scarborough will face senior Olga Shkundina for the first official point.
That's just the warm-up act that day for Dr. Scarborough, whose Investiture ceremony and reception will begin at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall on campus. The event is titled "The Power and The Promise of Public Higher Education," a message that will resonates with all of us who believe in the opportunities we're providing our student-athletes.
Also, on Saturday night after the Football game, Men's Soccer hosts Tulsa at 7 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. Last weekend in our home tournament, the team hit its stride, defeating UCF, 2-1, before shutting out Hartford, 2-0, to win the tournament title. We welcomed back around 60 alumni throughout the weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our program, and it was a pleasure to reconnect with (and for some, meet for the first time) so many great Zips.
If you're attending Football, make it a full day on campus and bring your ticket stub to Soccer for a reduced ticket to that match!
UPCOMING OUTINGS
... Next week (Saturday, Sept. 27) Football heads to the Steel City (the 1:30 p.m. kickoff time was just announced this week) to face Pittsburgh, and we still have a few spots on our Charter Bus Trip and at the Pre-Game Tailgate outside of Heinz Field ...
... on Sept. 27, Baseball hosts its annual Golf Outing at The Quarry, with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. – sign up here ...
... Wentz Financial has generously donated a Special Golf Experience that includes two rounds of golf at the prestigious Sage Valley Country Club outside of Augusta, Georgia, rated nationally as one of the top 10 private golf clubs. This package also features a two-day, one-night stay at Sage Valley, with two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast at the club. The winning bidder is responsible for travel to and from Sage Valley. The package has a value of $6,000 and proceeds from this auction will support the Men's Golf Enhancement Fund, which provides our coaches and student-athletes with the necessary funds to enhance their experience at UA. Bidding closes the night of Sept. 30, which will conclude a full day of The Invitational, our annual golf outing to support Men's and Women's Golf. To sign up to play Firestone that day and/or to bid on this package, contact Men's Golf Head Coach David Trainor at trainor@uakron.edu.
... Volleyball hosts its annual Alumnae Reception at Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Oct. 11 for our match vs. Toledo – tickets are just $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 through 12 (free for under 2) and include a game ticket, post-game reception and gift bag, as well as on-court recognition during the intermission between the second and third games. To register, click here.
... Lots of Zips fans have signed up to travel to Charleston with our Men's Basketball team in November – you won't want to miss the chance to watch three Zips games, enjoy warm weather, eat a meal with Head Coach Keith Dambrot and our team and spend time with fellow Zips thanks to this all-inclusive package from our friends at Chima Travel ...
WHAT TO WATCH
... the latest version of Zips Weekly (our appropriately named weekly recap show) and Z360, which looks at what our Men's Soccer program means to its alumni and how one volleyball player went from team manager to contributor ...
... "From Russia, with love: Tennis star flourishes on court, in class" profiles (in writing and video) senior Olga Shkundina ...
CONGRATS TO ...
... Men's Soccer senior Saad Abdul-Salaam, named MAC Co-Player of the Week after scoring twice during the weekend and being named Offensive MVP ...
... Women's Golf junior Frida Fougberg, named MAC Women's Golfer of the Week after earning a runner-up finish at the Golfweek Program Challenge ...
... Women's Soccer senior Karina Atkinson, named MAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring in our 1-1 draw at Boston University and assisting twice in our 3-2 double-overtime win at Bryant last weekend ...
... Our Volleyball team, for its 3-set win Tuesday over Robert Morris, to improve to 6-5 overall before we head to New Jersey for our final non-conference tournament this weekend at Rutgers ...
... Our Cross Country teams – the Men placed sixth and the Women eighth – for strong performances Saturday at the Bluegrass Invitational in Kentucky ...
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
