Akron Soccer Tradition

IN THE NCAA

Akron soccer has a rich tradition, beginning with its inaugural season in 1955. Over the course of 64 years, the Zips have seen the program reach unthinkable heights.

Since 2007, The University of Akron men’s soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.792) with an overall record of 204-43-29, heading into the 2019 campaign.

The Zips advanced to the national championship game in back to back seasons in 2009 and 2010. After falling to Virginia in penalty kicks in ‘09, Akron made history with a 1-0 victory over Louisville the following year. It was the first team national championship in school history for any sport.

Akron has made 12 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2007-18), earning a first-round bye in eight seasons. The Zips have advanced to the NCAA’s Round of 16 in eight of the last 11 years.

Akron maintains a 33-27-9 mark in 69 matches in NCAA Championship history, including capturing the school’s first national championship in any sport in 2010. The Zips are 12-4-3 under head coach Jared Embick. Since 2005, Akron owns a 24-7-9 ledger.

The Zips are 24-7-9 in NCAA Tournament games since 2005. Akron’s win over Rider in 2018 enabled the Zips to go to 16-0-2 at FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field in NCAA Tournament contests since 2008.

The Zips are among an elite group of just four Division I programs that have qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of the past 12 seasons. Only Indiana, Maryland and Virginia can share that claim.

The Zips have assaulted the NCAA record book over the course of recent history. Fueled by one of the greatest defensive seasons in college history, UA matched an NCAA record by posting a perfect 23-0-0 record heading into the College Cup in 2009 en route to its runner-up finish. Akron didn’t allow a single goal during the NCAA Tournament that year and finished with 19 shutouts for the campaign, which represented the second-highest total all-time. Furthermore, its goals-against-average (0.27) and shutout percentage (.760) were ranked third-best in NCAA history.

Since the start of the 2007 season, Akron has gone 78-6-7 against MAC opponents, including postseason play.

Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 33 times, including each of the past 12 seasons and 15 of the past 16.

ALL-TIME AKRON NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (33)

1961 • 1963 • 1964 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1975 • 1976 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986* • 1998 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009* • 2010* • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018*

*advanced to NCAA national championship game

IN THE MAC

Since 2007, Akron is nearly unbeaten during the regular season against the Mid-American Conference, posting a league record of 56-6-4 (.879). Furthermore, the Zips have won 12 of the last 13 MAC regular season championships and 10 of the last 12 MAC Tournament titles.

In all, UA leads all league members with 19 regular-season and 15 tournament championships since joining the MAC in 1993, and has won both titles in the same season 12 times after doing so in 2016.

AKRON MAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS (19)

1993 • 1995 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000* • 2002* • 2005 • 2006* • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016

*co-champions

AKRON MAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS (15)

1998 • 2002 • 2004 • 2005 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 •  2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018

Akron has produced the MAC Player of the Year in 10 of the past 14 seasons and 12 times overall. Moreover, eight Zips have earned the league’s Newcomer of the Year honor in as many seasons dating back to 2007 and 13 times overall.

In 26 seasons in the MAC, the Zips have produced 191 All-MAC honorees, including a conference-record nine first-team selections in 2010.

IN THE CLASSROOM

The Zips matched a program high when four players were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team in 2012. Leading the way was NSCAA Scholar Player of the Year Scott Caldwell, who earned First Team honors. Joining Caldwell (3.94, Accounting) on the first team were Chad Barson (3.99 GPA, Biology) and Reinaldo Brenes (3.90 International Business). David Meves (3.77, Corporate Finance) was a second-team honoree.

In all, the Zips have produced 23 Academic All-American honors in its history, dating back to the 1998 season.

Current Major League Soccer standout Kofi Sarkodie was the first Zip to earn NCAA Academic All-American of the Year honors for men’s soccer in 2010. Sarkodie was one of four UA players to be named to the Academic All-America Team during that historic season. Sarkodie, who was a Hermann Trophy semifinalist and Soccer America’s Player of the Year, finished his career at the Akron with a 3.959 cumulative GPA as a biology major.

Akron men’s team under head coach Jared Embick was recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as a 2017-18 Collegiate Team Academic Award winner for the 11th consecutive year and 12th time overall after registering a cumulative 3.02 grade point average for the 2017-18 academic year.

Adam Najem was selected as a First-Team Scholar All-America award winner when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) unveiled its 2016 Scholar All-America team. Najem became the third Zip to garner First-Team NSCAA Scholar All-America accolades twice joining Chad Barson (2011, 2012) and Kofi Sarkodie (2009, 2010).

Akron has long been associated with academic excellence. In addition to posting a team GPA of better than 3.0 in 2012, the Zips finished second in Division I the previous season with a cumulative mark of 3.44. The remarkable feat follows years that saw the Zips post GPAs of 3.43 in 2010-11 and 3.33 in 2009-10.

Najem became the 11th Zip to garner CoSIDA All-America accolades in the sport of men’s soccer, and the first since Reinaldo Brenes, a two-time recipient, garnered third-team honors in 2013, with his selection to the 2016 Academic All-America® Division I Men’s Soccer Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The award marked the 18th time in program history in which an Akron men’s soccer standout has been so honored.

Tyler Sanda was named the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award for the 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. The award honors the individual with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.