Steve Zakuani

Height:
6-0
Weight:
170
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
London, England
High School:
Gladesmore Community School

as a Sophomore (2008): Led the nation in goals (20) and points (47) while appearing in all 23 game for the Zips ... both goal and point totals ranked fifth on the school’s single season list ... one of three Hermann Trophy finalists ... first Akron player and just the second sophomore overall to be named Soccer America Player of the Year ... Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Year ... NSCAA/adidas All-America and All-Great Lakes Region First Team honoree ... Soccer America First Team All-American ... College Soccer News First Team All-American ... MAC Player of the Year ... forced to miss the only start of his college career due to an ankle injury in the MAC Tournament championship game versus Northern Illinois (Nov. 16) ... responded by scoring the game-winning goal in double-overtime against the Huskies to give UA its sixth league tournament title ... it was one of a team-leading seven game-winning goals for the second-year striker, who accomplished the feat in back-to-back matches against Wright State (Oct. 15) and Buffalo (Oct. 18) ... recorded at least one goal in five straight games (eight goals total) from Sept. 19 to Oct. 8 and found the net 13 times in 23 games overall ... registered the first two hat tricks of his career against Northern Illinois (Oct. 4) and Wright State (Oct. 15) ... netted multiple goals five times and recorded at least one point in 14 contests ... was twice named Top Drawer Soccer’s National Player of the Week (Oct. 6, 10) ... also College Soccer News’ National Player of the Week (Oct. 10) ... five-time National Team of the Week honoree for Top Drawer Soccer ... earned National Team of the Week honors four times from College Soccer News ... named to Soccer America’s National Team of the Week three times ... garnered MAC Player of the Week honors six times to set a new league record ... Soccer America Preseason All-American ... College Soccer News Player to Watch.

as a Freshman (2007): College Soccer News All-Freshman team honoree and Mid-American Conference Newcomer of the Year ... also a first team All-MAC and first team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region performer ... paced the Zips with six goals, three game-winners and added a pair of assists for a team-high 14 points ... his first career goal was a game-winner in a 1-0 defeat of UAB (Sept. 2) ... also tallied the decisive goal against Hartwick (Oct. 6) and lifted UA past Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship semifinals with a score in double overtime (Nov. 16) ... 39 of 65 shots were on goal ... shot total and game-winners were tops in the league ... found the net twice in a 4-0 win over Bowling Green (Oct. 19) ... scored in consecutive games at Western Michigan (Nov. 3) and against NIU (Nov. 16).

Prior to Akron: Played with the Arsenal youth team until age 15 (1997-2003) ... played at the Independent Football Academy in London, England from 2003-07 ... attended GladesmoreCommunity School.

Personal: Parents are Mao and Cecile Zakuani ... was born in the Republic of Congo ... has five siblings: Angela (25), Gabriel (21), Sosthene (16), Admira (11) and Claudia (3) ... older brother Gabriel plays for Fulham FC of the English Premier League ... enjoys reading, swimming and watching sports in his spare time ... lists his biggest athletic thrill as playing in Tillburg tournament in Holland at age 14 with the Arsenal youth team ... majoring in sport management.