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UA in NCAA Tournament following double-OT win in snow
By Michael Beaven
Special to the Beacon Journal
Published on Monday, Nov 17, 2008
The weather was undesirable and the field conditions were sloppy Sunday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field, despite the best efforts of head groundskeeper Jim Fleming.
Cold temperatures were joined by rain, and then snow accumulated on the field as the day progressed. It was hardly the ideal situation for the Mid-American Conference men's soccer championship game.
Regardless, host University of Akron persevered and defeated Northern Illinois 1-0 in double overtime to win the MAC Tournament title in front of 667 brave fans and receive an automatic invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
UA sophomore forward Steve Zakuani scored the goal with 5:28 remaining in the second overtime. Zips senior midfielder Matt Tutich recorded the assist.
''Certainly the conditions were very tough,'' UA third-year coach Caleb Porter said. ''This is the type of game where really it's more of a mental drain and battle than anything. We knew we were not going to be able to play our style because of the conditions, but I thought we adjusted, and dealt with the field and dealt with the weather.''
The victory marks the second consecutive season the Zips (16-1-4) have won the MAC Tournament title and it's the seventh time in the past eight years they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Tutich started the decisive play with a crossing pass from the right side. Zakuani received the pass on the left and maneuvered around senior Joe Zimka, the Huskies (11-6-4) goalkeeper, who came out to challenge the pass.
Zakuani then kicked the ball with his left foot into the net from about 17 yards away. He leads the nation in goals (20) and points (47).
''I just took a chance,'' said Zakuani, the MAC Player of the Year. ''My legs were heavy, but I knew I could take one more chance. Tutich played a great ball over the top. I saw the goalie commit himself, so I dropped it by him. After that, it was a case of focusing and making sure I hit it right.''
The goal triggered a massive celebration at midfield.
Zakuani ran and hugged Zips senior goalkeeper Evan Bush and the two were joined by several teammates and fans.
''I don't remember what I said or he said, but I remember I kissed him [on the cheek],'' Bush said. ''And then the pile kept getting bigger and bigger on top of us, and we both couldn't breathe, so we were just hoping we would get out of there alive. It was a beautiful thing.''
UA held an advantage in shots on goal (7-1) and total shots (20-5), yet were offside 10 times.
''It was a little frustrating but we knew we were kind of taking that chance and walking that line,'' Tutich said. ''It was worth it. One time he was onside and we got a breakaway and we scored just like that.''
Zakuani, bothered by a sprained left ankle, entered the game as a reserve for the first time in 42 career games at UA.
''We knew going into the game that he could only play a certain amount of time,'' Porter said. ''He ended up playing more than we thought he could. The conditions certainly didn't benefit him, but he dealt with it and he found a way to score a goal. That's what special players do and he has done that all season for us. He has come up big.''
Zakuani said he couldn't miss the biggest game of the season.
''It hurts bad,'' Zakuani said of his left ankle. ''[Saturday] night, I didn't expect to play, but when the game came around, I didn't want to sit out.''
UA's defense — which consisted of Bush, sophomore Chris Korb, freshman Kofi Sarkodie, redshirt freshmen Matt Dagilis (Firestone) and Aaron Henkle — posted its 13th shutout.
''They have been unbelievable all season, especially [Sunday],'' Tutich said. ''The ball was bouncing around, but those guys are just focused back there. Look at how young they are. They just stepped it up. Evan has to be happy with them.''
Zips junior Stefan Ostergren (North Canton Hoover), sophomores Blair Gavin and Anthony Ampaipitakwong and freshmen Darlington Nagbe and Teal Bunbury were solid.
''I thought we passed a test,'' Porter said. ''That is a great thing for this young team that has all the talent in the world. I think tonight we grew up and we also looked like champions.''
At 6 tonight, the Zips team will gather at the Tommy Evans Lounge in Rhodes Arena to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show live on ESPNews. The event, which will reveal the 48-team bracket with pairings, is free and open to the public.
''I think we have done enough to get a top-four seed, but it will just depend on what the committee thinks,'' Porter said.
Zips notebook
This is the 23rd time UA has qualified for the NCAA Tournament since the program started in 1955. Its first appearance in the tournament was in 1961. UA has won six MAC Tournament titles and 11 MAC regular season titles since joining in 1993. . . . Tutich, Bush, Korb and Nagbe were named to the MAC All-Tournament Team. . . . Tutich, Korb and UA junior Ben Zemanski (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) had the muddiest uniforms at game's end.
The weather was undesirable and the field conditions were sloppy Sunday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field, despite the best efforts of head groundskeeper Jim Fleming.
Get the full article here.
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Posted 03:16 AM, 11/17/2008
Congrats to the Zips. They deserve at least a top four seed, especially when you look at what happened to other top ranked teams this past weekend.
