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By Michael Beaven
Special to the Beacon Journal
POSTED: 01:38 p.m. EST, Nov 13, 2008
The Mid-American Conference announced its men's soccer awards today, and the University of Akron earned the three major individual awards and was well represented on the first and second teams.
Sophomore Steve Zakuani was named MAC Player of the Year, freshman forward Darlington Nagbe was named MAC Newcomer of the Year and the Zips' Caleb Porter earned the MAC Coach of the Year honor.
That trio will lead UA, ranked No. 3 by Soccer America and No. 4 in the coaches poll, into a MAC semifinal match at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
UA had seven players on the All-MAC first team: Zakuani, Nagbe, sophomore midfielders Anthony Ampaipitakwong and Blair Gavin, senior midfielder Matt Tutich, freshman defender Kofi Sarkodie and senior goalkeeper Evan Bush.
Zips junior midfielder Ben Zemanski and senior defender Ossie Michalsen were named to the All-MAC second-team.
''The thing I like about this team is we're diverse; we're explosive,'' Porter said. ''We have a lot of different guys that can score at different moments. It's tough to match up with our team because we have a number of guys that can get it done. We're really clicking in our attack.''
Zakuani is the fourth consecutive UA player to win the top MAC award. He follows Ross McKenzie (2005), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (2006) and Corey Sipos (2007). This is the second consecutive season Porter won the coach's award.
Zakuani leads the nation with 19 goals and 45 points.
''Steve wants to win, first and foremost. He wants to win a national championship,'' Porter said. ''He is not focused on himself; he is not a selfish person. He is very mature, very level-headed and an unselfish person. I think he obviously likes getting the accolades, it feels good, but I don't think it's something that he thinks much about.''
UA has outscored opponents 44-9 this season. The defense, led by Sarkodie and Michalsen, has shut out 12 opponents. Zemanski has a team-high nine assists; Tutich has eight.
''I think we're just a really dangerous team because our attack can come from anywhere,'' Zemanski said.
Bush owns MAC records for career shutouts (46) and career wins (60). He has started all 82 games in which he has played.
''The thing that pleases me about Evan is that he is a fifth-year senior, and he has continued, over the years that I have coached him, to get better,'' Porter said. ''He has been consistent throughout his career, but he has really turned it up a notch this year. That shows his work ethic, his drive and his determination.
''What makes him special is that he is an elite athlete that also has a great head on his shoulders. He is mentally tough, he is a leader and he doesn't get rattled.''
Tutich, Bush, Michalsen and senior defender Andrew Tipton (Lake) all started on the 2005 team that achieved a No. 1 national ranking and reached the quarterfinals in the NCAA Tournament.
UA local players
The Zips have seven area players on the roster.
Zemanski (CVCA) and redshirt freshman defender Matt Dagilis (Firestone) have started all 19 games.
Tipton, junior forward Stefan Ostergren (North Canton Hoover), freshman defender Chris Barton (Walsh Jesuit) and redshirt freshman midfielder Cameron Carris (Walsh Jesuit) have contributed in reserve roles.
Sophomore Michael Nanchoff (Walsh Jesuit) contributed as a freshman midfielder in 2007, but has not played this season due to illness and probably will redshirt. He would have three years of eligibility remaining.
The Mid-American Conference announced its men's soccer awards today, and the University of Akron earned the three major individual awards and was well represented on the first and second teams.
Sophomore Steve Zakuani was named MAC Player of the Year, freshman forward Darlington Nagbe was named MAC Newcomer of the Year and the Zips' Caleb Porter earned the MAC Coach of the Year honor.
That trio will lead UA, ranked No. 3 by Soccer America and No. 4 in the coaches poll, into a MAC semifinal match at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
UA had seven players on the All-MAC first team: Zakuani, Nagbe, sophomore midfielders Anthony Ampaipitakwong and Blair Gavin, senior midfielder Matt Tutich, freshman defender Kofi Sarkodie and senior goalkeeper Evan Bush.
Zips junior midfielder Ben Zemanski and senior defender Ossie Michalsen were named to the All-MAC second-team.
''The thing I like about this team is we're diverse; we're explosive,'' Porter said. ''We have a lot of different guys that can score at different moments. It's tough to match up with our team because we have a number of guys that can get it done. We're really clicking in our attack.''
Zakuani is the fourth consecutive UA player to win the top MAC award. He follows Ross McKenzie (2005), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (2006) and Corey Sipos (2007). This is the second consecutive season Porter won the coach's award.
Zakuani leads the nation with 19 goals and 45 points.
''Steve wants to win, first and foremost. He wants to win a national championship,'' Porter said. ''He is not focused on himself; he is not a selfish person. He is very mature, very level-headed and an unselfish person. I think he obviously likes getting the accolades, it feels good, but I don't think it's something that he thinks much about.''
UA has outscored opponents 44-9 this season. The defense, led by Sarkodie and Michalsen, has shut out 12 opponents. Zemanski has a team-high nine assists; Tutich has eight.
''I think we're just a really dangerous team because our attack can come from anywhere,'' Zemanski said.
Bush owns MAC records for career shutouts (46) and career wins (60). He has started all 82 games in which he has played.
''The thing that pleases me about Evan is that he is a fifth-year senior, and he has continued, over the years that I have coached him, to get better,'' Porter said. ''He has been consistent throughout his career, but he has really turned it up a notch this year. That shows his work ethic, his drive and his determination.
''What makes him special is that he is an elite athlete that also has a great head on his shoulders. He is mentally tough, he is a leader and he doesn't get rattled.''
Tutich, Bush, Michalsen and senior defender Andrew Tipton (Lake) all started on the 2005 team that achieved a No. 1 national ranking and reached the quarterfinals in the NCAA Tournament.
UA local players
The Zips have seven area players on the roster.
Zemanski (CVCA) and redshirt freshman defender Matt Dagilis (Firestone) have started all 19 games.
Tipton, junior forward Stefan Ostergren (North Canton Hoover), freshman defender Chris Barton (Walsh Jesuit) and redshirt freshman midfielder Cameron Carris (Walsh Jesuit) have contributed in reserve roles.
Sophomore Michael Nanchoff (Walsh Jesuit) contributed as a freshman midfielder in 2007, but has not played this season due to illness and probably will redshirt. He would have three years of eligibility remaining.
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