2015 MEN’SOCCER GAME NOTES • MATCH 9 VS. PENN STATE 61st Season • 2010 National Champions • 3 College Cup Appearances • 29 NCAA Tournament Appearances • 11 MAC Championships FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPT. 29, 2015 2015 Schedule and Results SHOWDOWN WITH PENN STATE AWAITS AKRON 5-2-1/0-0-0 MAC No. 7 Akron (5-2-1) DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT vs. Penn State (4-2-2) Aug. 28 at VCU (1) W, 3-2 (2OT) Wednesday, Sept. 30 Aug. 30 at No. 24 Old Dominion (1) L, 1-4 FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field (5,000) Sept. 4 at No. 4 Georgetown (2) W, 1-0 Akron, Ohio • 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at No. 6 Maryland (2) W, 3-2 Sept. 11 No. 14 SAINT LOUIS W, 3-2 Live Stats: www.gozips.com Sept. 16 OHIO STATE T, 3-3 (2OT) Webstream: www.gozips.com Sept. 22 No. 8 WAKE FOREST L, 1-2 Sept. 25 at No. 25 UC Santa Barbara W, 2-0 WHAT’S AHEAD Sept. 30 PENN STATE 7:00 p.m. On the heels of an impressive 2-0 victory at No. 25 UC Santa Barbara, Akron returns to Oct. 3 at UAB 8:00 p.m. FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field for a showdown versus Penn State on Wednesday, Oct. 6 SANTA CLARA 7:00 p.m. Sept. 30. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Buffalo * 7:00 p.m. AKRON MEN Oct. 17 NORTHERN ILLINOIS * 7:00 p.m. SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS Oct. 21 MICHIGAN STATE 7:00 p.m. Penn State (4-2-2) comes into play this Wednesday, Sept. 30, having seen its five-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 2-0 home setback versus Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 27. Oct .24 at Western Michigan * 1:00 p.m. Junior Connor Maloney has sparked the Nittany Lion’ attack this season registering team- Oct. 28 at West Virginia * 7:00 p.m. high marks in goals (3), points (6), shots (14) and shots on goal (9). Senior goalkeeper Nov. 1 UCLA 1:00 p.m. Matt Bersano has been solid in net for Penn State having posted 28 saves and a 0.71 goals Nov. 8 BOWLING GREEN * 7:00 p.m. against average en route to recording four shutouts. As a team, the Nittany Lions are ranked Nov. 13 MAC Semifinals & TBA 15th, 18th and 25th nationally in save percentage (.829), shutout percentage (0.50) and Nov. 15 MAC Championship & TBA team goals against average (0.71). All home matches in bold PSU AKRON All times listed are Eastern Overall Record 4-2-2 5-2-1 ’ * Denotes Mid-American Conference match Conference Record 1-1-1 0-0 S SOCCER & Denotes MAC Championship (Highest Seed) Goals 8 17 (1) denotes VCU Tournament Goals-Shot Attempts 8-68 17-122 (2) denotes Georgetown Tournament Goals Per Game 1.00 2.12 Assists 3 13 Shots 68 122 Akron Athletic Communications Shots On Goal 30 57 Cathy Bongiovi, Assistant A.D./Athletics Communications Shot Percentage .118 .139 E-mail: [email protected] Shots On Goal Percentage .441 .467 Office Phone: (330) 972-6106 Shots Per Game 8.5 15.2 Sean Palchick, Associate AC Dir. (MSOC Contact) Corner Kicks 31 37 E-mail: [email protected] Opponent Corner Kicks 45 40 Office Phone: (330) 972-2677 Penalty Kicks 1-2 0-1 Chelsea Andorka, Graduate Assistant Opponent Penalty Kicks 0-1 1-2 E-mail: [email protected] Office Phone: (330) 972-7171 Jonathan Platten, Graduate Assistant SERIES HISTORY E-mail: [email protected] Wednesday evening’s game is the 36th meeting between Akron and Penn State. The Zips Office Phone: (330) 972-6584 own a 16-14-5 series advantage. A year ago, the then 23rd-rated Nittany Lions registered a 1-0 home triumph past Akron on Nov. 5, 2014. Athletics Communications Office Fax: (330) 374-8844 THE COACHES Penn State: Bob Warming is in his sixth season as head coach of the Penn State Follow Akron Athletics on our website: program, owning a 62-36-13 (.617) record. In 36 years overall as a head coach he maintains GoZips.com a 445-216-77 (.655) ledger. Akron: In his third year on the Akron sidelines as head coach, and ninth season overall, is Jared Embick, who has a 35-12-4 mark (.725), including 82-33-14 (.690) overall, in his seventh year as a head coach. FOLLOW AKRON AKRON HEAD COACH JARED EMBICK ATHLETICS ON Jared Embick, who had previously served as the Zips’ associate head coach and FACEBOOK AND TWITTER recruiting coordinator, officially became the seventh head coach in the history of The University of Akron men’s soccer program in December of 2012. The 2015 campaign marks his third year leading the Zips and the squad has registered a 35-12-4 (.725) ledger after going 13-6-2 a season ago. #ZipsGameday 1 #RiZeUP! 2015 MEN’SOCCER GAME NOTES • MATCH 9 VS. PENN STATE During Embick’s time at Akron, the Zips have posted the highest winning percentage in the nation Akron Quick Facts with an overall record of 145-25-20 (.816), including a 44-2-1 (.947) mark in Mid-American Conference play, while securing seven conference tournament titles, eight trips to the NCAA Tournament and two Location: ................................. Akron, Ohio 44325 appearances in an NCAA final. Population: ..............................................200,000 Akron entered the 2014 season seeking to reload the Zips’ talented foundation with a young squad ............................................... (5th largest in Ohio) following the departure of six starters from a 2013 team that posted a 17-4-1 record and a No. 7 Founded: ....................... 1870 as Buchtel College national ranking. ...............................................26,000 Recording their 14th consecutive double-digit victory campaign, the Zips finished the season with Enrollment: a 13-6-2 ledger, including 4-1-0 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Akron’s efforts were rewarded Nickname: ......................................................Zips as the Zips earned the MAC’s regular season and tournament crowns en route to collecting a berth in Colors: .............................Blue (282) & Gold (871) the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time in program history. Conference: ....................................Mid-American The Zips became one of just six Division I programs to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of .........................................................(East Division) the past eight seasons with their 29th overall selection. President: ........................Dr. Scott L. Scarborough Led by Adam Najem, Saad Abdul-Salaam, Jake Fenlason and Andrew Souders, who were selected as Director of Athletics: ......................Larry Williams first-team All-MAC men’s soccer selections, seven Akron student-athletes garnered All-MAC accolades Faculty Athletics Rep: ........... Dr. Deborah Owens a year ago. Additionally, Stuart Holthusen, Richie Laryea and Victor Souto were recognized as second- Athletics Dept. Phone: ...............(330) 972-7080 team selections. Ticket Office Phone: ...1-888-99-AKRON (-25766) The Zips came into the campaign maintaining a No. 13 preseason ranking by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as well as being tabbed preseason No. 14, 15 and 23 by Season of Soccer: ...............................61st (1955) TopDrawerSoccer.com, College Soccer News and Soccer America, respectively. All-Time Record: ................................668-248-87 Akron’s opening night line-up featured seven players making their initial collegiate starts for the Zips, while six first-year players took to the field at No. 5 New Mexico. All-Time MAC Record: ........................... 110-12-6 Individually, Najem, who garnered first-team All-Great Lake Regional honors, ranked fourth, fifth, MAC Tournament Titles: .................................. 11 eighth, eighth and 24th in the NCAA in goals scored (14), total points (32), goals per game (0.67), .......[1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, points per match (1.52) and game-winning goals (4). Jake Fenlason was equally impressive in goal .......................................2010, 2012, 2013, 2014] rating 27th, 32nd and 53rd nationally in goals against average (.785), save percentage (.811) and MAC Regular-Season Titles: ............................ 17 total saves (73). NCAA Tournament Appearances: .............................29 In January, 2015, Abdul-Salaam became the 10th Zip to have his name called during the first round NCAA College Cup Appearances: ....3 [1986, 2009, 2010] of the MLS SuperDraft with his selection 12th overall in the MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City. S SOCCER ’ NCAA Championshop Appearances: .. 2 [2009, 2010] Due in large part to Embick’s recruiting efforts, Akron identified and secured some of the best prospects in the country – and around the world – with top-five recruiting classes in each of the past Stadium: ........FirstEnergy Stadium - Cub Cadet Field five seasons. The Zips’ classes of 2012 and 2009 were ranked No. 1 in the country, while the classes of Capacity:..........................................................5,000 2011 and 2010 each received a No. 2 designation. Field Dimensions: .....................................120 x 77 More importantly, Akron’s recruits have flourished in the Zips’ system, which features a style of play ...............................................Natural Grass that is attractive and attack-oriented, yet effective on both sides of the ball. In total, Embick recruited Surface: or helped develop 24 players who have gone on to play professionally either in MLS or overseas since AKRON IN THE NATIONAL POLLS 2007. The success of this formula was no more evident than at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft where seven Zips had their names called, including five with the first eight selections overall, to set a pair of MLS NCAA RPI ..NSCAA ..TDS ..... CSN records. Preseason NA .............25 ......... RV ........24 Embick has also served as a staff coach with the Under-16 and Under-18 U.S. Soccer Development Aug. 31 NA .............NA ......... NA ........RV Academy’s Cleveland Internationals club team for the past five years. AKRON MEN Sept. 8 NA .............RV ........