To the Elite Eight
Posted November 27th, 2005 by mrasor
Men’s soccer
The Zips beat UConn on penalty kicks today. Now they’re off to Maryland for Saturday’s game against the Terrapins at 1 p.m. Akron beat Maryland earlier this season in an exhibition game at Lee Jackson Field, 2-0.
Although Akron has already beaten Maryland, this game will be played at their place without the August Akron weather. I would travel to the game, but I have to work at the ABJ on Saturday. If anyone reading the blog is going, please post after the game to let us know more than what we can read from the UA press release.
This weekend just became the best in university athletics history. You will read me talk about the "best" or "most important" game in UA history a lot the next week. The football and soccer teams are making that happen.
November 27th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
I made the drive down from Boston to see the Zips play UConn – it was a superbly played game by both sides.
The thawing, grass field was sloppy and footing was difficult, and going in it would not have been unexpected to see a fluke goal or two with all the slipping and sliding going on.
But there was none of that. Each of the six goals in regulation was perfectly executed; neither goalie had a chance on any of them.
Akron took a 2-0 lead on goals by Sinisa Ubiparipovic – the first one off a free kick out top, and the second one off a beautiful crossing pass from Ross McKenzie.
UConn closed to 2-1 on a nice header just before halftime, and tied the score 2-2 on another header five minutes into the second half.
The Zips regained the lead at 3-2 when Matt Augustin drilled a 15-yard shot into the net with 13:25 left in regulation, only to see UConn pull even again with 9:02 left on a nice crossing play.
Each team had a good scoring chance in the overtime — a UConn chip shot glanced off the crossbar, and a low Akron shot hit the right goal post – but both periods were scoreless, so the teams went to penalty kicks to decide the issue.
Akron goalie Evan Bush – who had denied UConn on a penalty shot early in the second half – stopped two of UConn’s five tries in the tiebreaker, and Akron’s McKenzie gave the Zips the 4-3 penalty shot victory with a winner on Akron’s fifth attempt.
Bush made six saves as UConn outshot the Zips 17-9.
Good luck to the Zips in Maryland!