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UA Men’s Soccer Season Ends In Overtime At Marquette

The University of Akron men’s soccer team saw its NCAA Tournament run come to an end in the second round with a 1-0 defeat to No. 9-seed Marquette in freezing temperatures and a rock-hard playing surface at Valley Fields Sunday night.

After a scoreless regulation, the Golden Eagles (13-5-2) bagged the Golden Goal in the first overtime period with just 23 seconds left. Coco Navarro, who got free when an Akron defender slipped and fell to the ground, finished a long cross from Adam Lysak to give Marquette its first NCAA Tournament win in program history.

“It was disappointing for two teams who like to play soccer to have their game decided by the conditions of the field,” said UA head coach Jared Embick. “But give Marquette credit. They found a way to make a play.”

“Both teams had to hit long balls in the channels to decide the game. It’s not what you want. Both teams had to adapt through it and unfortunately, a slip on the field hurt us in the moment, and (Marquette) capitalized.”

It was a startling conclusion for the Zips (17-4-1), who nearly won the match in regulation when Zac Portillos banged a liner off the right post in the 76th minute. Then, just five minutes into overtime, Akron thought it had won a penalty kick opportunity when Reinaldo Brenes appeared to be tackled from behind in the box but no call came.

With temperatures that hovered in the low 20s and wind that made it feel much colder, players on both sides struggled to get solid footing on the frozen pitch and the pace of play suffered as a result.

After being out-shot 10-5 in the first half, UA settled in after the break and had the better of play but couldn’t cash in. Third-year sophomore Jake Fenlason turned in another commendable performance with nine saves – the most by an Akron goalkeeper all season – in a losing effort.

Much of the action took place in the middle third of the field in the first half.

The Zips had their best chance of the half in the 34th minute when Eric Stevenson chipped a ball over a Marquette defender for Brenes, who was streaking down the left side of the field. Brenes took a quick touch to avoid the MU goalkeeper, who had come off his line, but couldn’t quite get control of it as his shot hit the side netting.

Fenlason had to make three saves in the opening period as the Zips dealt with a number of dangerous crosses by the Golden Eagles. MU’s best look came in the 27th minute when a cross found C. Nortey with space in the midde of the box but hooked it wide of the left post.

In all, the Golden Eagles, who captured their first Big East Tournament Championship last weekend, out-shot the Zips 19-15. With the win, Marquette advances to play at No. 8-seed Virginia in the third round of the NCAA Tournament next Sunday (Dec. 1).

Akron Men’s Soccer Dominates Xavier

Akron quickly dispatched Xavier with a 2-0 scoreline Saturday afternoon.

It only took three minutes for Zac Portillos to score a  goal after breaking away from the Musketeer defense.

This was followed by another Akron goal in the second half from Aodhan Quinn. This goal was all about playing together as a team as Saad-Abdul Salaam and Matt Foldesy combined to set up Quinn from 12 yards out.  Salaam launched a cross into the box, where it was controlled by Foldesy, who deftly backheeled it to Quinn for the score.

Xavier never really threatened Zips keeper Jake Fenlason, who got his first start of the spring.  Akron dominated possession and the stat sheet, out-shooting the visitors 12-6 overall and 5-2 on goal.

It was another strong performance from the Zips, who earned their third shutout of the spring.  Further challenges exist in the coming weeks as Akron faces Butler and Maryland on the road to round out their spring schedule.

Event Photos

  • Four Akron players are expected to transfer, including Alfred Koroma, Andrian McAdams, and Andy Chiu.  Koroma struggled through illness, injuries, and just plain bad luck last year. He is eyeing Creighton and SMU as possible places for a fresh start.
  • This spring game was all about seeing what players were capable of.  Coach Embick experimented with shape and formation throughout the match, playing with a 4-2-4 and 4-2-3-1 at times.
  • You can’t judge who will start in the fall by this matchup.  Akron will be bringing in 6-8 recruits, several of which are international players with serious credentials.
  • Freshman Victor Souto was already in camp for the spring.  The Brazilian midfielder arrives from Sao Paolo and the Corinthians youth system.  He is expected to contribute immediately as the team believes he has the makings of something special.
  • Matt Foldesy, a midfielder from North Olmsted (OH), looks ready to be a key cog in the Akron attack.  He put in a quality performance on Saturday and we are excited to see what he will do against even better competition in the  form of Butler and Maryland later this month.

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