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NCAA moves match to Evanston, Ill., much to dismay of UA staff
Published on Saturday, Nov 29, 2008
Beacon Journal staff report
Despite the University of Akron being awarded the fifth seed in the NCAA Tournament and winning its second-round game Wednesday against Ohio State University, the NCAA Men's Soccer Committee has ruled that the UA men's soccer team will travel to unseeded Northwestern for its third-round match Sunday at 2 p.m.
Consistent snow, rain and heavy winds made the grass surface at Lee Jackson Field unplayable for the OSU match, which was postponed from Tuesday night and moved to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School's athletic complex, which has artificial turf.
The NCAA committee moved Sunday's game to Evanston, Ill., based on the possibility that the surface of Lee Jackson Field would continue to be too muddy and sloppy.
''I am very disappointed that as the No. 5 seed, we have to travel to Northwestern,'' UA coach Caleb Porter said in a prepared statement.
''However, we will make the best of this situation and prepare to face a very tough Northwestern squad. Our players will face this challenge head-on in hopes of getting back home to Lee Jackson Field for the quarterfinals. This team is on a mission and having to play on the road is not going to change that.''
The Zips (17-1-4) defeated the Buckeyes (9-9-3) 1-0 in the second overtime Wednesday.
Zips senior midfielder Matt Tutich headed in a goal with five seconds remaining off of an assist from junior midfielder Ben Zemanski, a Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy graduate.
The Zips are ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA/adidas poll and earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament and at least two home games.
After No. 4 seed Michigan State lost to the University of Illinois-Chicago in the second round, UA was granted the advantage of hosting through the quarterfinals.
''I am very disappointed for our student-athletes who worked so hard to achieve the number five overall seed and our great fans who supported this team in grand fashion throughout the year,'' UA Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades said in the statement. ''Equally disappointing is the process in which this decision was finalized.''
Unranked Northwestern (14-4-3) defeated visiting Notre Dame (12-7-2) 2-1 on Tuesday.
''I support the NCAA and its commitment to the greater well-being of all participating student-athletes,'' Rhoades said. ''I do not believe we were provided a fair opportunity to prepare and/or analyze the readiness of our field for Sunday's match.
''We have a wonderful grounds crew who worked tirelessly to prepare the field for Tuesday's match. However, weather and time were not on their side. I liked our chances to have provided a safe playing surface for Sunday.
'''We have notified the NCAA our field will be ready in the event we beat a very good Northwestern team. Special thanks to all our fans who have contacted the athletics department these past 24 hours in support of our men's soccer program.
''We do have plans in place for a new soccer facility and look forward to the time when this can be a reality.''
According to NCAA guidelines for the soccer championships, if it is determined in advance that a match cannot be played at the higher seed's home field, the site must be moved to the other participating school's home field.
Bus to game
UA's athletics department is chartering two buses to travel to Evanston for Sunday's game.
One bus is reserved for UA students, and the other is reserved for all non-student fans.
The buses will depart from James A. Rhodes Arena at 6 a.m. Sunday and will include a one-hour stop for lunch.
All those interested in making the trip must be at the JAR no later than 5:30 a.m. to check in.
There is no cost for UA students. All students who make reservations will receive a free ticket, bus ride and meal.
Students should e-mail reservation requests, including name and and phone number, to Willy Kollman at wrk1@uakron.edu. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis; the university will issue ticket confirmations.
Non-students must pay the cost of the game ticket and a meal, but will not be charged for the bus ride.
Non-students should e-mail reservation requests, including name and phone number, to Chad Welker at cvw1@uakron.edu or leave a message at 614-353-6988.
Tickets for Sunday's game are $7 for adults and $1 for infants.
Beacon Journal correspondent Michael Beaven contributed to this story.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 08:38 AM, 11/29/2008
This is bogus. There are plenty of artificial turf fields in the area, for example Hoban & Kent State, and the Rubber Bowl.
Posted 09:18 AM, 11/29/2008
Go Zips!!!
Posted 11:33 AM, 11/29/2008
Consider the fact that the decision on Lee Jackson Field was made immediately following the OSU match, 4 days before the NW match. The NCAA didn't even give UA a chance to work on the field.
