Sophomore forward Teal Bunbury scored two goals and sophomore forward Darlington Nagbe added one goal to lead the host University of Akron men's soccer team to a 3-0 win Wednesday night over Penn State at Lee Jackson Field before a crowd of 1,563.
The Zips, the No. 1 team in the country in all five national polls, improved to 16-0-0. The Nittany Lions dropped to 9-5-2.
Bunbury's two goals give him a team-high 14 this season.
The Zips took a 1-0 lead 4:25 into the first half after Bunbury right-footed the ball into the net from 12 yards away. UA sophomore defender Kofi Sarkodie recorded the assist on the goal.
Bunbury extended the Zips’ lead to 2-0 with a goal from 30 yards away 23:34 into the first half. Junior midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong received the assist on the goal after a throw in.
Zips sophomore forward Darlington Nagbe scored the final goal into the game from eight yards away 61:13 into the game from eight yards away.
Nagbe's goal came after a scramble in which several players got a touch on the ball in front of the goal. Zips senior midfielder Ben Zemanski got the assist.
The Zips held an advantage in shots (16-11) and corner kicks (8-4). Each team had five shots on goal.
UA shut out its 13th opponent of the season. Freshman goalkeeper David Meves earned his 11th shutout and had a collegiate career-high five saves.
Sarkodie, junior Chris Korb and freshmen Zarek Valentin and Chad Barson were the Zips' starting defenders.
Junior Blair Gavin and sophomore Michael Nanchoff were solid at midfield for UA. Freshman forward Yoram Mwila and freshman midfielder Ben Speas contributed as reserves.
– Postgame Quotes:
UA coach Caleb Porter
On Teal Bunbury: “He is an absolute handful. Physically, he is strong and he is fast. He is becoming a very lethal finisher … The nice thing about Teal is he is very aggressive. He wants to score goals and he is looking to get shots off. That is what a good striker does. They know that is their job.”
On David Meves: “David Meves was tremendous. He was up for the challenge, and that is what a good goalkeeper needs to do.”
Zips sophomore forward Teal Bunbury:
“It would be nice to get a hat trick. But as long as I can contribute to the team and we're winning, that is great. As long as we're winning, I am happy.”
“I thought we did well as a team. It's not a one-man show, obviously. I thought we did well defensively. That is a big part of our game.”
Postgame Notes:
- UA has outscored opponents 45-3 this season and has a 4-0 record against Big Ten opponents. The Zips have outscored their four Big Ten foes — Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State — 12-1.
- The Zips have not trailed at halftime in 52 consecutive games.
- UA has not allowed a goal in the first half in 28 games in a row.
- Porter has been the Zips coach since 2006. Under his guidance, UA has a 61-11-7 overall record. The Zips are 42-0-0 when leading at halftime under Porter.
- The Zips' next game is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lee Jackson Field against Michigan State.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
While I certainly hope the football team can turn things around, you can't help but be impressed with the soccer team. I took in the Ohio State game as well as the Penn State game last night. I'm looking forward to attending the MAC tourney as well as the anticipated home games for the NCAA tourney. The talent level is unbelievable on this team. Go Zips soccer!
Not to get ahead of myself or the team, but the NCAA Championship site is only a 6hr. drive (Raleigh, NC).
Don't look now, but Teal Bubbury is moving into very serious position for the Hermann Trophy. I don't think he was even included on the pre-season watch list, but that won't stop him, if he leads Akron to the College Cup, and a national title. Knock on wood.
We also have at least five players who will make All-America.