Zips fight back from early deficit to win crucial MAC game
After trailing 2-0 25 minutes into the match, the University of Akron men’s soccer team fought back, scoring some electrifying goals to give the Zips a crucial Mid-American Conference win.
On the first clear and dry evening in several days, the Zips took on one of their top MAC opponents in West Virginia University. Even with the clear skies the Zips came out playing like it was the middle of a hurricane. Slipping and sliding their way across the pitch, it took half of the first 45 minutes to begin to impose themselves on the game. It was some of these slip-ups that gave the Mountaineers the early lead.
In the 12th minute of play, WVU forward Andy Bevin scored the first of his two goals on the night. On a long pass towards the Akron goal, Bevin was able to power through several arm tackles by the Akron defense, eventually sending a Zips defender to the turf. Once the Zip defender hit the field, Bevin shot from the left side of the box, sending the ball towards the right side of the goal. Akron keeper Jake Fenlason was able to get his hands onto the shot, but it had too much power on it.
Only moments later with the Zips backed up against the wall, Bevin was able to score again in the 25th minute. In an almost exact spot as his previous goal, Bevin was able to shake his defender to open up space for a shot. In what was some poor defensive positioning, the Zips defender slipped on Bevin’s crossover, and fell to the ground. Bevin shot directly into the chest of Fenlason, but was able to simply knock in the rebound for his second goal of the evening.
It only took two minutes for Akron to cut the lead in half. In the 27th minute, the Zips had a resurgence on offense and were able to push forward. Stuart Holthusen from the right side of the box, swung the ball from the outside of the defender to the inside, cutting to the right side of the defender. With the ball a foot too far out of reach to get any power on a shot, Holthusen lunged forward and pushed the ball past WVU keeper Lee Johnston, first striking the outside post before spinning into the net. With a massive swing in momentum, it directly assisted Adam Najem a minute later.
With Najem roving around the top of the 18 yard box following the restart of play, the Zips were able to launch the ball towards goal. An outstanding touch by Najem saw him, let the ball use its momentum of the pass to chip over a Mountaineer defender and just a foot from the box, the defender clearly stunned by the move could only pull the goal bound Najem from behind for a clear foul. Placed in an extremely tight angle on goal, Najem bent the free kick right to left, going through the wall and placed perfectly into the right hand side of goal. In a truly magnificent shot, Najem again proved his worth to this Zips roster, adding his sixth goal of the season.
In a pretty uneventful rest of the first half, the best opportunity for the Zips came off a Sam Gainford shot from the left side of the pitch. Given some space by the WVU defenders, Gainford shot with the outside of his foot, bending the shot from left to right, sending the WVU keeper Johnston diving for what would have been a great goal for the zips. With the score tied back up 2-2 at half, the Zips entered the final 45 minutes fired up.
It only took seven minutes into the second half for the Zips to score the game-winning goal. Nate Shultz, a freshman from Mayfield High School (OH), was in the right place at the right time. Another young player for the Zips, Robbie Dambrot placed an excellent ball forward from his left back position to just feet in front of goal where Shultz was waiting. Making his run forward, Shultz essentially set a screen on the keeper for the Mountaineers, then just getting enough on his touch to redirect the ball into the back of the net. For Shultz, it was his first collegiate goal and it could not have come at a better time. Following the match Shultz had this to say about his goal.
“I just saw Robbie coming down the field, and I knew if I ran across my defender, I knew I had him beat. So Robbie played a beautiful ball in, and I slid, tapped it in. Best feeling ever representing Akron. It was awesome.”
Clearly frustrated with their lack of attacking options in the second half, the Mountaineers began to take their frustration out on the pitch. Three minutes after the Shultz goal, WVU player Jamie Merriam was sent off for his second yellow on the day. Picking up his first in the late minutes of the first half, Merriam was given his walking orders following a sloppy tackle from behind on Adam Najem of the Zips. In what could have been a direct red card, the official sent off the clearly frustrated forward.
Even playing a man down, West Virginia almost brought things level in the 89th minute. With the ball bouncing around the Akron box like a pinball machine, a WVU player was able to muster enough power to propel the ball towards goal. Just inches from clearing the goal line, Akron freshman Jesse Garcia leapt into the air, clearing the ball with his right foot, sending the ball well out of the danger zone. It was an amazing play by the freshman, who did not falter under pressure.
Following the match head coach Jared Embick thought this match would be important leading into their next conference matchup.
“I think it will help us grow more confident and know when we play like we did in the middle part of the game we can really score goals and open up teams. Western Michigan finished second last year, finished second, we had to play them in the championship game so it might be another one where if we can win that one, we put ourselves in really good position to win the MAC.”
The Zips will have the week off before hosting Western Michigan at home Saturday October 25th at 7:00. With two great wins this week against Michigan and West Virginia, look for the Zips to again sneak back into the top 25 as the season approaches the heart of conference play.
