Dec. 1, 2005

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No. 9 Seed Akron (18-1-3)

at

No. 1 Seed Maryland (17-4-1)

Time: 1:00 p.m. EST

Location: College Park, Md.

Stadium: Ludwig Field (4,500)

Radio: 1350 AM Radio Free Ohio/www.GoZips.com; Tommy Gelehrter and Aaron Galpert have the call.

About the Zips...

- Akron advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament with a thrilling win at UConn, advancing on penalty kicks, 4-3, after the game ended in a 3-3 tie in regulation.

- Junior Sinisa Ubiparipovic scored two first-half goals for Akron, giving him 16 on the year which is tied for the team lead.

- Sophomore defender Matt Augustin notched the first goal of his career with 13:25 to play, which gave Akron a 3-2 lead.

- Freshman goalkeeper Evan Bush was one of the stars of the game for the Zips, stopping a penalty shot in regulation, then making two saves during the penalty kick phase at the end of the match. Bush has a record of 18-1-3 in his inaugural season in goal at Akron.

- Akron has advanced to the elite eight in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history (1986).

- Matthew Tutich ranks tied for second on the squad with four game-winning scores, two behind team leader Ubiparipovic, and tied with Ross McKenzie. Tutich had two scores in the 5-0 win over West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, including the game-clincher.

- McKenzie scored his team-high tying 16th goal of the season against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, heading the ball in off a cross from Dino Campellone. He and Ubiparipovic are just three goals shy of making their way into the top five on Akron's single-season list.

- Akron has scored a Mid-American Conference record 67 goals this season. However, they are still shy of the school record of 73 goals set over 14 games in 1961.

- Akron continues to lead the nation in goals scored (3.05 per game) and goals-against average (0.48).

- Bush recorded his 14th shutout of the season against West Virginia on Nov. 23, setting a new Akron single-season record. Justin Christafaris (2000-03) set the old record of 13 in 2003.

- As a team the Zips have recorded 15 shutouts this season, also a school and Mid-American Conference record.

- Akron won its second-consecutive Mid-American Conference Tournament title by outlasting Buffalo, 7-6 on penalty kicks on Nov. 13. It is the fourth tournament title in head coach Ken Lolla's 13-year tenure.

- Bush came up with the game-winning stop on UB's seventh penalty attempt, making a diving lunge to his left.

- Akron is the No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It is the second time in school history that Akron has earned a seed and first-round bye. In 2003, the Zips were the No. 15 seed, defeating Rutgers, 3-2 at home in the second round.

- The Zips are led by 16 goals each from MAC Player of the Year McKenzie and Ubiparipovic. They are followed by 10 from freshman Geir Nyheim, and eight from Tutich.

- McKenzie also leads Akron with nine assists, followed by seven from Ubiparipovic and Yohann Mauger.

- Akron recorded an 11-0-1 mark at home this season. It has not lost at home since falling to Western Michigan, 1-0 on Oct. 15, 2004, a span of 13 games (11-0-2).

- Akron is 6-1-2 on the road this season.

- The Zips captured their eighth Mid-American Conference regular season title. It is the first time the Zips have claimed the crown outright since 1999.

- Akron has had 12 different players score a goal this season, and nine of those have more than one score.

- The freshman duo of Geir Nyheim (10) and Matthew Tutich (8) have combined for 18 of the team's 67 goals this season.

- Akron's 16-0-1 start was the best start in school history. The 1968 squad went 11-0 during the regular season, only to see its season come to an end with a 1-0 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Midwest Playoffs.

- Akron held the No. 1 spot in all four major college soccer polls for four weeks this season, the first time that any sport at the University of Akron, or sponsored by the MAC, has been ranked No. 1.

- Akron is ranked No. 1 in the final Soccer America regular-season poll which was released on Nov. 14.

- The Zips have recorded their 11th winning season in Ken Lolla's 13-year tenure. In the other two seasons the Zips finished at .500 (9-9-1, 1996; 7-7-3; 2000).

About the Terrapins...

Maryland advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over St. John's at home on Sunday afternoon. Stephen King gave Maryland a 1-0 lead, and scored the game winner 17 minutes into the second half. The Terps finished with a 16-12 advantage in shots taken and took six corner kicks to the Red Storm's two, including five in the second half.

Hermann Trophy semifinalist Jason Garey leads Maryland in goals scored (20) and total points (47). Maryland has outscored its opponents, 60-20, and Chris Seitz is 11-1-1 in goal with a 0.96 goals-against average. Head coach Sasho Cirovski is in his 13th season at Maryland and enters the game with a record of 185-88-13 at the school. He is assisted by Russell Payne and Rob Vartughian.

Series History...

- The series is tied at 1-1.

- Maryland won the last meeting between the two schools, 1-0 in the third round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament at Ludwig Field.

- The Zips' victory came in 1993, in head coach Ken Lolla's first season at Akron. It was also Sasho Cirovski's first game at Maryland, and the Zips came away with a 4-1 victory.

- Although it did not count in the standings, the two teams met in the preseason this year, with Akron taking a 2-0 victory to win the Westfield Cup title at Lee Jackson Field on Aug. 21.

Quite Prophetic...

With the inaugural 2005 Westfield Cup held at Lee Jackson Field in August, the goal was to bring three of the top teams in the nation to compete in a preseason tournament with the Zips. That seems to have been the case as 2005 participants Maryland, SMU, and Akron have all advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, while the Zips hold the No. 9 seed. SMU made it to the fourth round with a upset victory at No. 5 UCLA in the second round and a 3-1 victory over UNC Greensboro in the round of 16. Akron won the inaugural Westfield Cup with a pair of 2-0 wins over SMU and Maryland.

Zips Bits...

- Sinisa Ubiparipovic's two-goal performance at Connecticut made it the 10th game this season Akron has had at least one player score two or more goals in a game. The Zips have had two-goal performers in back-to-back matches with freshman Matthew Tutich scoring two vs. West Virginia.

- Ubiparipovic's six game-winning goals ties the MAC record.

- Ross McKenzie has scored more goals this season (16) than he did in his first three seasons combined (15).

- Akron has scored five or more goals in a game six times this season and continues to lead the nation in scoring with a 3.05 goals per game average.

- With 18 victories, goalkeeper Evan Bush has set the MAC record for wins in a season, breaking the old mark of 17 held by former Akron player Kyle Milligan.

- Defender Ossie Michalsen started the season opener on Sept. 2, then missed the next six games due to injury. After coming in off the bench at Oakland on Sept. 25, he has started each of the last 14 games.

- Ross McKenzie missed the game at Indiana due to a yellow card suspension. It was his first missed match since the 2003 season. He appeared in all 21 games in 2004, starting 17.

- In all, McKenzie has appeared in 80 of Akron's 85 matches since 2002.

- Starting all 22 games, Ubiparipovic has been held without a shot attempt just once this season (vs. Penn State). However, he did assist on each of the Zips' goals in the victory over the Nittany Lions.

- Akron's 12 goals vs. Cleveland State (Sept. 9) was a new MAC record for goals in a game.

- Akron has scored 67 goals this season, taking over the top spot on the MAC's all-time single-season list. Bowling Green held the old mark of 63.

- The Zips own five of the top six spots on that list.

- This is the third year in a row that Akron has led the MAC in total victories.

- Out of freshman Matthew Tutich's eight goals this season, four have been game-winning scores.

- Freshman Geir Nyheim has scored on a team-best 42 percent of his shot attempts (10 of 24).

Hop On Board Akron has received tremendous support from its fans this season, and the game at Maryland will be no different as five bus loads of fans are expected to make the journey to College Park, Md. By Tuesday afternoon, the UA athletics ticket office had already signed up four bus loads of students, with an additional "fan bus." The trip is being offered to Akron students, free of charge.

Akron vs. UConn Recap...

Akron freshman goalkeeper Evan Bush came up big for Akron (18-1-3) with a pair of stops during the penalty kick phase, and junior striker Sinisa Ubiparipovic scored two first-half goals as the Zips advance to the round of eight in the NCAA soccer tournament, topping Connecticut (16-3-2), 4-3 on penalty kicks after the game ended in a 3-3 tie in regulation.

"I am very proud of our guys' ability to keep competing after being up and the relinquishing the lead," said Akron head coach Ken Lolla who is making his first-ever elite eight appearance with the Zips. "We believed in what we were doing and that carried over to the penalty kicks."

Both teams made their first penalty kick attempt, then UConn took a 2-1 lead when Yohann Mauger's shot was blocked by UConn goalkeeper Adam Schuerman. Julius James took the third shot for the Huskies and found his attempt stopped by Bush.

After a make by freshman midfielder Matthew Tutich, Connecticut had its second-straight shot blocked as Bush guessed right on Willis Forko's attempt to his left. After Connecticut cleared its fifth attempt, all the Zips needed was a score from senior Ross McKenzie. McKenzie stepped up to the line and buried his shot to advance the Zips.

"This season is huge, both for us and the future of Akron soccer," Bush said. "We know Maryland is going to have a great atmosphere for the game."

Akron took a 1-0 lead 12:01 into the game off a beautifully-executed set play. With Connecticut called for a handball just outside the penalty box, Mauger tapped the ball back to Ubiparipovic who blasted it into the net for his 15th goal of the season.

It was 2-0 Akron at 30:45 when Ubiparipovic knocked home his second goal of the game. The play was set up in the midfield as a sliding Justin Sadler tipped the ball to Ubiparipovic who sent it into McKenzie in the left corner. Just as the ball was about to roll out of bounds, McKenzie hit a cross to the front the goal, and Ubiparipovic made a running shot for his 16th score of the season.

Connecticut was on the board at 42:52 with the score coming off a restart. Kevin Burns hit the ball into traffic and Dori Arad headed the ball in for his second goal of the season, cutting the Akron lead to 2-1. UConn held a 5-3 advantage in shots taken in the first half, and Bush had a solid first half between the pipes, coming up with some heady plays.

It looked as if the Huskies would tie the game at 2-all less than five minutes into the second half when Corey Sipos was called for a handball and UConn was awarded a penalty kick. Mpho Moloi took the kick, but Bush punched the ball out to keep the Zips on top.

However, the excitement was short-lived as just under a minute later, the Huskies tied the game as Chukwudi Chijindu sent home O'Brian White's serve from the right flank.

Ossie Michalsen came up with a big save with 14:40 left to play in regulation, clearing Moshe Shalchon's shot off the line.

That allowed Matt Augustin to give the Zips a 3-2 lead with his first goal of the season at 76:35. Geir Nyheim went for the header and the ball landed at Augustin. After the ball took one bounce, Augustin shot the ball into the net from 15 yards out.

The lead did not last long as Ryan Cordeiro sent the game into overtime with the Huskies' third goal of the game at 80:58.

Trailing 2-1, UConn nearly had the equalizer moments into the second half, but White's shot at the open net went wide, and Chijindu also could not take advantage of the open shot.

Connecticut finished the game with a 17-9 advantage in shots taken, and Bush tallied six saves on the afternoon. The three goals in the most allowed by the Zips in a game this season as Akron came into the match having allowed just eight goals all season. The Huskies sat right behind the Zips in the defensive standings, having allowed just nine goals heading into the game.

"There are steps in getting to North Carolina (where the College Cup will be played), and our focus is on that," Lolla said. "Our eyes are set on getting to the College Cup and winning a national championship."

Zips In The National Polls...

When the final regular-season polls were released on Nov. 14/15, there was no real consensus as to where the Zips should rank. Soccer America moved Akron back into the No. 1 spot after a 1-0-1 weekend vs. Western Michigan and Buffalo and its second-consecutive MAC Tournament title. College Soccer News placed the Zips at No. 2, while Soccer Times has the Zips tied at No. 3 with Indiana. Despite staying unbeaten over the weekend, Akron dropped from No. 5 to No. 8 in the NSCAA/adidas poll. Akron has been ranked in each of the polls for 11-straight weeks.

Zips Sweep MAC Awards...

In the midst of one of the most successful seasons in University of Akron soccer history, the squad has been honored by its peers with nine All-Mid-American Conference selections, Coach of the Year Ken Lolla, Player of the Year Ross McKenzie and Newcomer of the Year Evan Bush, the league office announced on Nov.11.

"I think the awards are indicative of type of season that we have had," Lolla said. "We are very proud of this group and it is nice to see them recognized, but none of it is possible without the effort of the entire team."

Seven Zips are All-MAC first team honorees, led by McKenzie. The senior forward lead the league in goals scored and total points, and has twice been named the MAC Player of the Week this season. Junior Sinisa Ubiparipovic earns his first All-MAC honor.

The strength of the Zips' midfield is evident with three first-team selections. Senior Yohann Mauger leads the way and is joined by senior Dino Campellone and freshman Matthew Tutich.

Defender Ossie Michalsen is a first-team pick in his first season in the blue and gold. Rounding out the group is goalkeeper Bush.

Junior defenders Corey Sipos and Jonathan McClain are second-team selections.

Lolla was voted coach of the year for fourth time in his career and the first time since the 1998 season. This year he has directed the Zips to their best start in school history, as well as the program's first-ever No. 1 national ranking. McKenzie is just the third Akron student-athlete to be named player of the year (Paul Wilkinson, 1993; Michael Apple, 1998), and Bush is the fifth newcomer of the year honoree.

The seven first-team selections is the most in school history, eclipsing the previous mark of six set in 2003. It is just the second time in league history that a single school has swept the coach, player and newcomer of the year awards.

New Faces...

In addition to the four freshmen that have seen game action this season, the Zips also welcomed three transfers into the fold. Senior Justin Sadler will spend just one year at Akron after three seasons at Drexel, but he has been an impact player for the Zips, appearing in all 22 games and making six starts. Sadler has tallied three goals and five assists this year, including a score in Akron's 5-0 win over West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Junior Jonathan McClain came to Akron from Wright State, and has been a big part of the Zips' defense in helping to lead the squad to a school-record 15 shutouts. After a solid spring campaign, McClain has started all 22 games, one of just five players to do so for the Zips. Junior Ashley Kozicki, a transfer from St. John's has appeared in seven matches this season.

Local Flavor...

When looking for the best players to don the blue and gold uniforms, head coach Ken Lolla often has to look no further than the NE Ohio area. Out of the 27 players currently on the Zips' roster, 12 hail from NE Ohio and a total of 14 (52 percent) are from the Buckeye state. Paul and Vince LaGuardia played their prep careers at Hoban High School , a mere three miles from the UA campus. Sophomore Matt Augustin is a Silver Lake resident and prepped at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls. Freshmen Andrew Tipton (Uniontown) and Stefan Ostegren (North Canton) also hail from just minutes away from the UA campus.

Freshman Phenoms...

Shh... don't tell Geir Nyheim, Andrew Tipton or Matthew Tutich they are only freshmen, because they sure haven't been playing like green newcomers. Coming to the Zips from Bergen, Norway, Nyheim has appeared in 19 games, making six starts, and is third on the team in goals scored (10) and total points (24). It was Nyheim who pounded home the game-winning score vs. Kentucky on Oct. 30. He also had his first career hat trick in a 12-2 victory over Cleveland State (Sept. 9), and added two scores in a MAC Tournament semifinal victory over Western Michigan.

After coming off the bench in the first nine games, Tutich earned his first career start vs. Penn State (Oct. 3) and has not looked back since. In that game vs. the Nittany Lions, it was his header in the 51st minute that proved to be the game winner. Tutich also produced game-winning scores at Princeton (Sept. 18), vs. Western Michigan (Oct. 23), and vs. West Virginia (Nov. 23), and is fourth on the squad in goals scored (8) and total points (17).

A journeyman in the defensive backfield for Akron, Tipton has appeared in 17 of 22 matches, and has started 13 of those 17 games. With starters Ossie Michalsen, Matt Augustin and Corey Sipos all missing games this season due to injury, it has been Tipton who has filled those spots without missing a beat. His play is a big part of the reason why Akron has given up just 11 goals this season, and has shut out 15 opponents.

In addition to the three true freshmen, redshirt freshmen Ossie Michalsen and Evan Bush have had big seasons for the Zips. Michalsen has stepped in as a leader along the Zips' back line, starting 15 of 16 games played, while Bush has been stellar in goal for Akron with 14 shutouts and a 0.49 goals-against average.

MAC Champions...

With a 5-1 win over Northern Illinois on Oct. 21, the Zips secured the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament and a 2-0 win at Western Michigan on Oct. 23 gave them the league regular-season title, its first solo crown since the 1999 season. Now in his 13th season as head coach, Ken Lolla has guided the program to eight regular season MAC titles and four tournament championships.

Youth is Served...

Akron's success may be a surprise to some, given that the Zips start just three seniors in their 11-man rotation. Forward Ross McKenzie and midfielders Yohann Mauger and Dino Campellone are the only seniors who are regular starters. Out of the remaining eight, three are juniors (F Sinisa Ubiparipovic, MF Jonathan McClain, D Corey Sipos), two are sophomores ( D Matt Augustin, D Steve Kalan) and three are freshmen (D Ossie Michalsen, GK Evan Bush, MF Matthew Tutich). In addition, freshman Andrew Tipton has started 13 matches this season, and freshman forward Geir Nyheim has been a starter in six games.

Second-Half Domination...

While the Zips may toy around with opponents in the first half, it is all business in the second half of play as the Zips enter Saturday's game with a 42-4 advantage in goals scored after the first period. Akron did not give up a score after the first 45:00 from the 81:38 mark against Loyola on Sept. 17, until 94:34 in overtime at Indiana on Nov. 3. That covers a span of 12 games or 1117:23 minutes. Akron has outscored its opponents 25-7 in the first half, but it has been total domination in the second half, including a 186-106 advantage in shots taken.

National Ledger (as of 11/27)

Several Zips appear among the national leaders in the latest NCAA statistical rankings, led by goalkeeper Evan Bush who is second in the nation in goals-against average (0.49). Ross McKenzie is fourth in the nation in scoring with an average of 1.95 points per game. Here is a complete rundown of where the team and individuals rank:

Team Rankings:

Scoring Offense: 1st (3.05 goals per game)

Goals Against Average: 1st (0.48)

Shutout Percentage: 2nd (0.68)

W-L-T Percentage: Shots On Goal Save Pct.: 3rd (0.855)

Individual Rankings

Points Per Game: Ross McKenzie (4th, 1.95), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (10th, 1.77)

Goals Per Game: Ross McKenzie (10th, 0.76), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (13th, 0.73)

Goals Against Average: Evan Bush (2nd, 0.490)

Shots on Goal Save Pct.: Evan Bush (5th, 0.847)

Scoring Frenzy...

The Zips have had little trouble finding the net this season as they have recorded 67 goals in 22 games for a 3.05 goals per game average, good enough to lead the nation. That number comes thanks to several high-scoring affairs, most notably a 12-2 victory over Cleveland State on Sept. 9. Akron also had 5-0 victories over Evansville (Sept. 2), Robert Morris (Sept 4), Western Michigan (Nov. 11), West Virginia (Nov. 23), and was a 4-0 winner over IPFW on Sept. 23. The 67 goals is the most scored by an Akron team since 1961 when the squad finished with a school-record 73 goals in 14 games.

Stingy Defense...

While Akron's offensive attack has produced 67 goals this season, the Zips also boast one of the toughest defenses in the nation, allowing just 11 goals in 22 games for a team GAA of 0.48. Opponents have recorded just 72 shots on-goal, with freshman goalkeeper Evan Bush recording 61 saves. Akron has posted 15 shutouts setting a new school record. In addition, the Zips allowed just one goal in five Mid-American Conference games, outscoring their opponents 17-1. The lone score came on a penalty kick vs. Northern Illinois.