The University of Akron experienced two huge victories Saturday on the UA campus.
Both wins were high on drama and emotion.
The top-ranked Zips men’s soccer team secured a come-from-behind win to maintain a perfect record and the Zips football team defeated rival Kent State to hang onto the coveted Wagon Wheel.
Soccer
The UA men’s soccer team, ranked No. 1 in the country in all five national polls, beat Hartwick 3-2 on Senior Night under coach Caleb Porter.
The Zips trailed 2-1 at halftime, but rallied for two goals late in the second half to complete a perfect regular season (18-0-0, 6-0-0) and win the Mid-American Conference regular season title before 2,158 fans at Lee Jackson Field.
It is the second time that the soccer program has had a perfect season. The last time was in 1968, when the Zips went 11-0.
The game-winner came in the 84th minute on an unassisted goal by junior Anthony Ampaipitawong from 13 yards out. It was set up on a through ball by sophomore Teal Bunbury into the goalie box and a back-heel redirection kick by junior Blair Gavin.
Ampaipitawong also had the first goal, a free kick from 22 yards out in the seventh minute.
Junior Chris Korb tied the score at 1-1 on a 35-yard kick into the right corner of the net in the 72nd minute. That goal was also unassisted.
The Hawks are 9-3-4 overall and 3-1-2 in the MAC.
It was the first time UA had trailed at the half since 2007, snapping a string of 53 consecutive matches.
Zips seniors Ben Zemanski, Stefan Ostergren, C.J. Kaufman and Ivan Sandoval were each recognized as part of Senior Night prior to the game.
UA will host the MAC Tournament this upcoming weekend. The top-seeded Zips will face the fourth-seeded Northern Illinois Huskies in a rematch of last year's championship game at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship game is 4 p.m. Sunday.
Football
The UA football team rallied back from an early 3-0 deficit to beat rival Kent State 28-20 and win the Wagon Wheel for the third consecutive year under coach J.D. Brookhart.
The Zips (2-7, 1-4) ended a six-game losing streak in a Mid-American Conference game before a crowd of 20,802 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.
UA had lost seven consecutive MAC games over two seasons and was in last place in the MAC East. The Zips put the past behind them and focused on the present and won.
The Golden Flashes (5-5, 4-2) entered with a three-game winning streak and were tied for second place in the MAC-East. With the defeat, KSU is third, 1 1/2 games behind leader Temple with two games left.
Seniors Alex Allen and Andre Jones each rushed for a Zips touchdown and freshman quarterback Patrick Nicely threw two touchdown passes to junior receiver Jeremy LaFrance.
UA led 7-3 after one quarter, 14-13 at halftime and 21-13 after three quarters.
Nicely completed 19-of-34 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. KSU freshman quarterback Spencer Keith completed 30-of-59 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns.
LaFrance had eight catches for 126 yards and the two touchdowns and Jones had six catches for 93 yards.
Freshmen Tyshon Goode (eight receptions for 132 yards) and Dri Archer (eight receptions for 90) each made an impact for KSU.
UA rushed for 168 yards on 40 carries, an average of 4.2 yards per rush, and KSU could manage only 38 yards on 21 attempts, a 1.8 average.
Freshman Broderick Alexander (13 carries, 51 yards) and senior Joe Tuzze (8 carries, 45 yards) paced the Zips rushing attack.
Freshman Brian Wagner, junior Jalil Carter and senior Miguel Graham led the Zips defensive unit in tackles. UA senior Wayne Cobham and junior Mike Thomas each had an interception.
UA will host Temple in a MAC regular season game Friday at 8:30 p.m.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
That's the ZIPS we know and love!
Yesterday's day / night game is what we all envisioned this season to be
Great weather, great game ( players and coaches ), GREAT FAN SUPPORT
the info didn't look too bad either
GO ZIPS!
JD definitely kept his job!
LOL.
JD definitely kept his job!
LOL.
At least he is out the door 5-1 against those losers.
Hopefully we can keep Kent State in contention by beating Temple next week. I really hate how the MAC just bent over for Temple, allowing them to duck Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green….the easiest MAC schedule that you can possibly create. Also, what's up with leaving Miami off of Akron's schedule for multiple seasons?
Now that Miami is just plain aweful, everyone else in the MAC East gets their free win except us??? Also, Akron/ Miami was a natural rivalry. You had the Miami crowd, most of whom come from upper and middle class backgrounds. They would quote Henry David Thoreau and talk about electivity and academic standards while making racist remarks and referring to our city as Crakron. (They are are basically from the same as some of the KSU fans you will see on here, but with higher ACT scores.)
Akron is the urban, open enrollment school. It is often referred to in a derogatory mannor as a "commuter school". I never considered this a bad thing. My understanding is that America is a land of OPPORTUNITY. Akron gives people who, for varying reasons, cannot get traditional college education the chance to achieve their goals. Akron is all about picking yourself up by your bootstraps and making opportunities for yourself.
The Akron/ Miami rivalry was pretty hot from 2000-2007 because both teams were decent and had exciting offenses. I looked forward to Akron/ Miami more than Akron/ Kent State when I attended UA because of the level of play and the gulf in social class distinction between the two schools. The MAC really needs to put that game back on the schedule.
This is a nice win for the short term. Strange game though. I was expecting the Kent D to be all over Nicely. Credit, at least the Akron staff went mostly with real quick passes and some more 2 back. Did I see a couple of direct snaps to the back with Nicely standing next to him? I couldn,t really tell from where I was. The defense almost let it get away but came up big when it had to. Was that the same O line we have been watching all year? And, a tip of the cap to replay review.
We will see if it was for real against Temple.
@ PSUGradstudent
Akron is only referred to in derogatory manner by disgruntled Kent fans. Akron has some very highly ranked academic programs and is as good as anyone in the MAC in that respect. People are just too quick to forget that Akron's academic vision is different from most other MAC schools. Miami, Kent, Ohio, etc all focus on the undergraduate level. Akron has bigger plans. Instead of creating a false sense of selectivity by denying kids and sending them to branch campuses, Akron is building something special right here in downtown Akron. Between the Austen Institute and the University Park Alliance, Akron is going to morph(even more so than it has already) into a really special school–on the national scene.
For isntance, check out the goals of the new austen institute:
"Our goal is to develop the No. 1 biomaterials and medicine program in the world within the next ten years, with:
* Nationally-ranked orthopaedic and wound care programs
* $150 million in annual academic and clinical research
* $50 million in annual commercialization investments
* Resulting in 2,400 new jobs"
Pretty lofty goals right? Well if ten years ago you would have told the average Akronite that UA's campus would look the way it does now, they would have called you crazy. In Proenza we trust!
I graduated in '74. Had to dodge cars on Buchtel Ave just to get to the library.
Akron's men's soccer has given a new meaning to our nickname – The Zips. Zip losses. Akron Zips. Nice job soccer… beat Northwestern if you get another shot… still angry about last year.
When are the sports writers at the Beacon going to adequately cover the #1 soccer team IN THE COUNTRY, the ZIPS?
The writers should be embarrassed by their effort and result.