The Akron Zips men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

. The team is a member of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...

Division I

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twe ...

through the 2022 season, after which it will join the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

as a single-sport member. Akron is regularly ranked in the Top 10

NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of United States, American soccer Coach (sport), coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization i ...

collegiate men's soccer poll. They have been ranked No. 1 previously in 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2016. The Zips have played their home games at

FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field FirstEnergy Corp is an electric utility headquartered in Akron, Ohio. It was established when Ohio Edison acquired Centerior Energy in 1997. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the distribution, transmission, and generation of electr ...

, formerly named Lee R. Jackson Soccer Field and Cub Cadet Field, since 1966. They won their first national championship in 2010.

History

In 1954, an Oberlin College transfer named Stu Parry started the soccer team at Akron. That year, they finished the season with two wins and one tie. The next year, men's soccer was officially offered by the university and after starting the season with two losses, they ended with a 2–4–1 record, with the team's first win coming against rival

Kent State Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...

. Parry eventually led the team to nine Ohio College Soccer Association titles as well as six NCAA playoff appearances. In 1986, the men's soccer team gained the most exposure in the NCAA tournament, finishing second to

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, t ...

by a score of 1–0. A Duke player, Ken Lolla, took over the program in 1993 and then became Akron's all-time winningest coach, with a record of 160–68–25. He also led the team to their first No. 1 ranking, which was also the first ever MAC team in any sport to be ranked No. 1. In 2006, Caleb Porter became head coach, leading the team to first-place finishes in the conference every year from 2007 to 2012, an appearance in the final of the

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

(the College Cup) in 2009, and a national championship in 2010. Jared Embick succeeded Porter as head coach after the 2012 season. The team has finished first in the conference every year since, and reached the national semi-final in 2015. After the 2022 season, the MAC, whose men's soccer league had been decimated by conference realignment earlier in the decade, dropped that sport. Akron moved men's soccer to the Big East Conference, making it the only one of the four full MAC members with men's soccer teams that did not move that sport to the

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern United ...

Colors and badge

The team uses the school colors of blue and gold.

Stadium

Lee Jackson Field was dedicated on October 22, 1966. Along with the soccer venue, the complex also includes fields for the school's baseball, softball, and track and field competition areas along with a practice field for the

football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all-s ...

. The fields are located towards the southeast corner of the University of Akron campus, just west of

InfoCision Stadium InfoCision Management Corporation is a company that operates call centers. Based in Bath Township, Ohio outside of Akron, it is the second-largest teleservice company in the United States. It operates 30 call centers at 12 locations in Ohio, West ...

. Other expansions and upgrades for the stadium have included a grandstand with seating capacity of 2,200, berm seating around the stadium with a capacity of 2,600, and lighting which meets national television specifications. Announced in March 2011 was a partnership between The University of Akron and

Cub Cadet Cub Cadet is an American company that produces outdoor power equipment and services, including utility vehicles, handheld and chore products as well as snow throwers. History IH Cub Cadet was a premium line of small tractors, established in 196 ...

, the premier brand of Cleveland-based MTD Products, which will rename the Zips' new, state-of-the-art grass soccer field Cub Cadet Field. In June 2011, the field was renamed FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet field after Cub Cadet as well as

First Energy FirstEnergy Corp is an electric utility headquartered in Akron, Ohio. It was established when Ohio Edison acquired Centerior Energy in 1997. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the distribution, transmission, and generation of electri ...

plans were announced to build 300 new bleacher seats, permanent restrooms, and a concession stand along with the renaming.

Supporters

The AK-ROWDIES are a student organization which cheer on sports teams in various sports at the university. The ROWDIES were formed as an official student organization in 2005. During the soccer games, they can be found behind the goal area, heckling the opponent's goalie.

Notable alumni

* Niko De Vera (2014-2017) - Currently with

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at ...

* Conrad Earnest *

George Nanchoff George Nanchoff (born 1954 in Resen, Yugoslavia (SR Macedonia)) is a retired Yugoslavian-American soccer player. He spent three seasons in the North American Soccer League and seven seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned te ...

(1973–1976) – Retired * Louis Nanchoff (1974–1977) – Retired * Benny Dargle (1975–1977) – Retired * Shaun Pendleton (1982–1985) – Retired * Roderick Scott (1985–88) – Retired * Cameron Knowles (2001–04) – Retired * Devon McKenney (2003–2007) * Siniša Ubiparipović (2004–2006) – Retired * Evan Bush (2005–2008) – Currently with

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as on ...

Justin Sadler Justin Sadler (born October 29, 1982, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), is a U.S. soccer midfielder who last played for USL Second Division side Harrisburg City Islanders. Youth Sadler attended Cumberland Valley High School where he was a high sc ...

(2005) * Ben Zemanski (2006–2009) *

Steve Zakuani Steve Zakuani (born 9 February 1988) is a Congolese former footballer. He was born in Zaire—now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—and grew up in London. After a successful college career, he played for the Seattle Sounders FC and the Port ...

(2006–2007) – Retired * Chris Korb (2007–2010) *

Michael Nanchoff Michael Nanchoff (born September 23, 1988) is an American retired soccer player who is currently an assistant coach for the Akron Zips men's soccer team. Career College and Amateur Before college, Nanchoff played for Walsh Jesuit High School ...

(2007–2010) – Retired * Blair Gavin (2007–2009) – Retired *

Teal Bunbury Teal Alexander Bunbury (born February 27, 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward and midfielder for Nashville SC in Major League Soccer. Born in Canada, he represented the United States national team. Early life Bunbury ...

(2008–2009) – Currently with

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Darlington Nagbe Darlington Joephillip Nagbe (born July 19, 1990) is an professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer. Born in Liberia, he represented the United States national team. Nagbe spent the first seven ...

(2008–2010) – Currently with

* Anthony Ampaipitakwong (2007–2010) – Currently with Bangkok United * Kofi Sarkodie (2008–2010) *

Zarek Valentin Zarek Chase Valentin (born August 6, 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a right back for Major League Soccer club Minnesota United. A former youth international for the United States, Valentin represents the Puerto Rico national ...

(2009–2010)- Currently with the Houston Dynamo * Scott Caldwell (2009–2012) – Currently with the

Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in ...

* Chad Barson (2009–2012) – Retired * Darren Mattocks (2010–2011) – Currently with

FC Cincinnati Football Club Cincinnati, commonly known as FC Cincinnati, is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The team succeeded the lower-division team of the ...

Perry Kitchen Perry Allen Kitchen (born February 29, 1992) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder. He was part of the Akron Zips side that won the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, and was a fir ...

(2010) – Currently with

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...

* DeAndre Yedlin (2011–2012) – Currently with

Inter Miami CF Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. Established in 2018, the club began play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the 202 ...

* Aodhan Quinn (2011–2013) – Currently with

Phoenix Rising Phoenix rising originally describes the heraldic position of the image of a phoenix: its head upturned (to its right) with wings raised for flight. The term can also refer to: Film and television * ''Phoenix Rising'' (Hong Kong TV series), a 2 ...

* Wil Trapp (2011–2012) – Currently with

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* Dillon Serna (2012) – Currently with the

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* Saad Abdul-Salaam (2012–2014) – Currently with Seattle Sounders * Richie Laryea (2014–2015) – Currently with

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...

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(2013–2016) – Currently with

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* Jonathan Lewis (2016) – Currently with

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(2018) - 2018 MLS Superdraft First-Overall Draft Pick for

Los Angeles FC Los Angeles Football Club, commonly referred to as LAFC, is an American professional Association football team based in Los Angeles. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The club ...

Previous head coaches

''Listed according to when they became head coach for Akron (year in parentheses):'' * 1950s–1960s: Stu Parry (1955) * 1970s–1980s: Bill Killen (1970), Robert Dowdy (1974), Steve Parker (1982) * 1990s–2000s (decade):

Ken Lolla Ken Lolla is a soccer coach who was formerly head men's soccer coach at the University of Louisville. He is also a writer and professional speaker. Lolla played collegiate soccer at Duke University and professionally at various US professional ...

(1993), Caleb Porter (2006)

Achievements

NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I men's national champi ...

: ** Winners (1): 2010 ** Runners-up (3): 1986, 2009, 2018 * Mid-American Conference Tournament: ** Winners (15): 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 ** Runners-up (4): 1995, 1997, 2001, 2006 * Mid-American Conference Regular Season: ** Winners (17): 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 ** Runners-up (5): 1994, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004 * Ohio College Soccer Association: ** Winners (19): 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 * Mid-Continent Conference Regular Season: ** Winners (1): 1991

Records

* Most Goals in a game: 14 (12–2) vs. Cleveland State, September 9, 2005 * Most Goals in a half: 8 vs. Green Bay, 1986 * Lee Jackson Field attendance: 4,744 vs.

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, September 22, 2010 * FirstEnergy Stadium–Cub Cadet Field attendance: 5,819 vs.

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

, September 28, 2011

References

External links

* {{Big East Conference men's soccer navbox Akron Zips Soccer clubs in Ohio 1954 establishments in Ohio Association football clubs established in 1954