The University of Akron Athletics
Friday, October 3
Akron, Ohio
7:00 PM
University of Akron
vs
St. John's
No. 16 Akron Hosts St. John's in BIG EAST Tilt
October 02 | Men's Soccer
AKRON, Ohio – The 16th-ranked University of Akron men's soccer team welcomes St. John's to FirstEnergy Stadium for a BIG EAST Conference showdown on Friday (Oct. 3) as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend. The 7 p.m. match with the Red Storm will be broadcast on ESPN+ with John Higgins on the call.
Tickets for the contest against the Red Storm are available for purchase at http://www.gozips.com/Tickets. Fans are asked to park in Lots 6 and 9 surrounding InfoCision Stadium and the Stile Athletics Field House. For complete parking information click here.
GAME INFO
Akron vs. St. John's | Oct. 3 | 7 PM | FirstEnergy Stadium | Live Stats | ESPN+
HEAD COACHES
St. John's: Dave Masur (Rutgers, 1984), Overall Record: 463-210-117 (39th Season), Record at St. John's: 410-189-111 (35th Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 199-84-45 (16th Season), Record at Akron: 152-63-37 (13th Season)
SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S
St. John's enters action on Friday (Oct. 3) at 4-3-3 on the campaign, including 0-1-1 in the BIG EAST Conference, following a 2-0 setback at Georgetown on Saturday (Sept. 27).
The Red Storm are led by freshman Guilherme Gomes, who owns team-high marks in goals (4), points (8) and game-winners (1), while redshirt senior Antonio Biggs paces the squad in shots (14) and shots on goal (9). Senior GK Alec McLachlan has recorded 18 saves and maintains a 0.97 goals against average on the strength of three shutouts.
As a team, St. John's is rated 28th in the NCAA in corner kicks (6.3) and 47th in team goals against average (0.90).
SERIES HISTORY
Akron and St. John's are meeting for the sixth time in program history with the Zips trailing the series 0-2-3. In the last encounter between the two schools, second-rated Akron battled the Red Storm to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 23, 2023, in Queens, N.Y.
IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 23, 2023 – AKRON, OHIO)
Second-rated Akron trailed St. John's, 1-0, at the half, but fought back to tie up the game on an 82nd-minute goal from Rui Reis en route to earning a 1-1 draw on Sept. 23, 2023, in Queens, N.Y.
St. John's grabbed a 1-0 lead when Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau scored in the 28th minute, assisted by Ank Nibogora and MacOumba Ba.
Playing up two men the majority of the second half, the Zips responded to tie the game on a goal from Reis in the 82nd minute, assisted by Gyuwon Chong and Jason Shokalook.
HONORING LEGENDARY COACH STU PARRY
Akron men's soccer honored legendary men's soccer coach Stu Parry, who passed away peacefully on Aug. 15, prior to the squad's match versus Cleveland State (Sept. 1).
The first head coach in Akron men's program history, Parry began a decorated career guiding the Zips in 1955 and led the squad for 15 seasons en route to posting an enviable 118-43-4 record.
In those 15 years, Parry directed the Zips to nine Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Championships and developed 10 All-America soccer players, including Ed Bender, Fritz Kungl, Pete Milch, Joe Queiroga, Ford Brummer, Jim Malcolm and Eugene Alfred, and numerous All-Ohio and All-Midwest players.
In 1961, the Zips were invited to participate in their first NCAA post-season game. On five more occasions, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, and 1968, Akron earned NCAA invitations. In 1966 and 1968, Parry's fellow coaches honored him for his many years of devotion to and promotion of soccer by voting him the Ohio Soccer Coach of the Year.
ZIPS EARN 1-0 VICTORY AT BUTLER
No. 12 Akron garnered a game-winning goal from sophomore Remi Agunbiade (Toronto, Ontario) in the 77th minute (76:56) to earn a 1-0 shutout victory at Butler on Sept. 27.
The two sides battled through a scoreless tilt before Agunbiade netted what proved to be the game-winning tally at the 76:56 mark, assisted by junior Freddy Kossehasse (McKinney, Texas) and freshman Jose Pedro (Porto, Portugal). The goal represented the second career game-winner for Agunbiade.
Redshirt senior GK Mitch Budler (Lincoln, Neb.) collected two saves for the Zips out of nine total Bulldogs shots to earn his NCAA-leading eighth shutout of the season.
Akron recorded an 18-9 advantage in shots, including 8-2 eight on goal. Agunbiade posted a game-high five shots, including four on goal, while junior Jack Sullivan (Potomac, Md.) added four shots for the Zips.
AKRON UPSETS NO. 8 SAINT LOUIS, 3-0
No. 12 Akron men's soccer held No. 8 Saint Louis scoreless and ran away with a 3-0 shutout win on Sept. 23 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Akron grabbed a 1-0 lead when redshirt sophomore Caleb Borneo (Morgantown, W.Va.) scored his third goal of the season in the 34th minute (33:11) on a successful penalty kick.
The Zips increased their lead to 2-0 on a goal from Remi Agunbiade at the 61:01 mark, assisted by senior Stefan Dobrijevic (Uniontown, Ohio) and Jack Sullivan.
Akron expanded its lead to 3-0 on sophomore Jack Roman's (Canfield, Ohio) 67th-minute goal (66:01), his team-leading fourth on the campaign. Dobrijevic and Agunbiade assisted the goal.
ZIPS TRIO EARNS BIG EAST HONORS
Akron's Mitch Budler and senior Daragh Reilly (Meath, Ireland) were honored by the BIG EAST Conference with weekly accolades, the league announced on Monday (Sept. 29).
Budler was tabbed as the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week, while Reilly was selected as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week. Additionally, Remi Agunbiade was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll.
Budler continued his stellar campaign leading the Zips to back-to-back shutouts, including a 3-0 triumph past No. 8 Saint Louis (Sept. 23). He finished the week garnering his NCAA-leading seventh and eighth shutouts on the campaign, in only 10 matches, while posting four saves.
Reilly continued his dominating run of play for the Zips helping his squad post back-to-back shutouts. Reilly and the Zips opened the week limiting the Billikens to four shots in the match, only two of which came on net. Reilly then directed the Zips' defensive efforts to record their first-ever triumph at Butler holding the Bulldogs to only two shots on goal and only three corner kicks.
Agunbiade turned in a strong week for the Zips registering team-highs in goals (2), points (5), shots (7), shots on goal (5) and game-winners (1). In a 1-0 win for the Zips at Butler he netted the game-winning tally with a back-heel strike in the 77th minute (76:56). Earlier in the week versus No. 8 Saint Louis, he collected a goal in the 62nd minute (61:01), while garnering an assist on Jack Roman's goal at the 66:01 mark.
AKRON DUO COLLECT NATIONAL ACCOLADES
Daragh Reilly and Remi Agunbiade garnered national recognition for their efforts leading the Zips to a pair of victories a week ago.
Reilly was honored by College Soccer News as its National Defensive Player of the Week, while Agunbiade was tabbed by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its National Team of the Week.
A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, the Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.738), with an overall record of 262-76-53. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 250-83-53 (.716), Maryland, 241-85-59 (.703), North Carolina, 234-86-67 (.691), Indiana, 259-98-71 (.688) and Georgetown, 235-90-51 (.693). Akron 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 their last 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 36 times, including 20 of the past 24 seasons.
SEPTEMBER DOMINANCE
For the month, the Zips have been led by four goals and one assist from Jack Roman, while Caleb Borneo, Stefan Dobrijevic and Remi Agunbiade have added three, two and two tallies, respectively. Akron has outshot the opposition, 104-44, including 36-20 on frame. Mitch Budler has been stellar in goal for the Zips owning a 0.57 goal against average on the strength of 16 saves and five shutouts.
Over the last 23 seasons (2003-present), Akron boasts a 104-33-21 (.725) ledger in the month of September, including a 5-2 mark this fall.
OWNING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
The recent success of the Akron men's soccer program over the past 19 seasons (2007-present) can be attributed to its play in the month of October. Since the start of the 2007 campaign, the Zips own a 93-17-17 (.799) ledger in the month, including a 52-7-7 (.841) mark in matches at FirstEnergy Stadium.
ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips are meeting St. John's for the sixth time in program history.
• Two of the five matches between Akron and St. John's have resulted in a shutout.
• Akron earned a 0-0 draw with St. John's in its lone previous home encounter with the Red Storm on Sept. 14, 2012.
• Three of the five all-time meetings, including the last three of the last four, have gone to overtime.
• Akron earned a 1-1 draw at St. John's on Sept. 23, 2023, after battling the No. 10 Red Storm to a 0-0 draw on Sept. 14, 2012, and garnering a 2-2 double-overtime draw at No. 4 St. John's on Oct. 12, 2005.
• Akron is rated No. 17 in the latest NCAA men's soccer RPI report on Oct. 2.
• The Zips' showdown with UConn marked the 250th game for head coach Jared Embick at Akron.
• Akron's Jack Roman was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as a member of its Men's Soccer Honor Roll, the league announced on Sept. 15.
• Mitch Budler was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 8, while Caleb Borneo was selected to the BIG EAST Honor Roll.
• Akron junior Matthew Paiva (Toronto, Ontario) was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as its Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Sept. 2.
• Freshman Farrel Ngongang (Montreal, Quebec) was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as its Men's Soccer Freshman of the Week on Aug. 25.
• Stefan Dobrijevic and senior Ashton Kamdem (West Chester, Ohio) were named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll (Aug. 25).
• The Zips are 2-1-1 versus ranked teams this season following a 0-0 draw versus No. 8 West Virginia (Aug. 29), a 2-0 win at No. 16 Ohio State (Sept. 5), a 1-0 setback at No. Vermont (Sept. 13) and a 3-0 triumph past No. 8 Saint Louis (Sept. 23).
• The Zips recorded a season-best 20 shots at VCU (Aug. 24).
• Akron have posted double-digit shots in nine of 10 tilts in 2025.
• The Zips have not allowed a first-half goal this season.
• Four different Akron reserves have accounted for goals this season for the Zips in Remi Agunbiade, Dobrijevic, Ngongang and redshirt sophomore Tyler Morck (Bethpage, N.Y.).
• Six different Zips have scored a goal this season, including a pair of newcomers.
• Nineteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including 10 newcomers.
• Budler collected his 150th career save against UConn (Sept. 19, 2025) and enters play versus St. John's with 154 career stops.
• The Zips are rated third in the NCAA in shutout percentage (.800) and in corner kicks (7.60), eighth in goals against average (0.40), 19th in goal differential (12), 20th in total assists (22), 21st in save percentage (.826), 27th in assists per game (2.20) and in winning percentage (.750), 30th in shots per tilt (14.70), 37th in total points (54), 46th in points per match (5.40) and 48th in total goals (16).
• Individually, Budler is rated first in the NCAA in shutouts (8), fifth in goalie minutes played (900.00) ninth in goals against average (0.40) and 25th in save percentage (.826). Additionally, Agunbiade, Borneo and Roman are 23rd in game-winning goals (2) and Dobrijevic is 20th in total assists (5) and 39th in assists per game (0.50).
• Budler is rated first among NCAA D1 active leaders in career shutouts (31), third in goalie minutes played (5,853.85), ninth in goals against average (.876), 27th in saves (154), 35th in games played (66) and in save percentage (.727). Additionally, Kamdem is 35th in games played (66) and Dobrijevic is 39th in games played (65).
• Through 66 career games, Budler has been dominant in net for Akron having recorded 154 saves en route to owning a 0.88 goals against average on the strength of 31 shutouts.
• Budler surpassed 5,000 career minutes in goal at VCU (Aug. 21) having been in net for 5,943:51.
• Since 2021, the Zips own 34-5-9 record in regular season home games at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Since 2010, the Zips are 34-6-5 at FirstEnergy Stadium in regular season conference games. Overall, during that span, including postseason, Akron boasts a 50-9-6 mark versus league foes at home.
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, the Zips own a 37-25-11 mark against ranked opponents.
• Dobrijevic is Akron's active career leaders in goals (10), assists (15), points (35), shots (77), shots on goal (30) and game-winners (3). Dobrijevic, Borneo, Roman, Agunbiade, Kamdem and redshirt sophomore Nathan Ferguson (Glen Carbon, Ill.) have scored 10, four, four, four, three and two goals, respectively.
• The Zips own a 152-63-37 mark over the last 13 seasons under Embick. Akron's 152 wins are ranked eighth in all of Division I.
• Under Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 31-15-7.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 115 of the squad's last 215 matches.
• Akron has held opponents scoreless in 51 of its last 101 home contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron owns a 97-19-16 record in its last 130 home matches.
• The Zips average attendance in 2025 is 1,625 to rank 18th nationally. In 2024 it was 1,098 fans per game, while in 2023 Akron ranked 13th nationally (1,699), while rating 17th nationally (1,290) in 2022, 13th (1,565) in 2021, 12th in 2019 and 16th in the country (1,419) in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, the Zips rated 10th nationally in attendance averaging 2,147 and 1,819 fans per contest, respectively.
• Since 2007, Akron maintains a league record of 80-15-16 (.793) mark in league play. Furthermore, the Zips won 11 consecutive MAC regular season championships (2006-16) and 11 of the final 14 MAC Tournament titles.
including a conference-record nine first-team selections in 2010.
• Since Oct. 1, 2015, Akron owns a 105-50-33 record.
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL
The University of Akron men's soccer program opens its 71st season of intercollegiate soccer tabbed to finish as the top team in the Midwest Division of the BIG EAST Conference, including earning 10 first-place votes in the division.
ZIPS IN THE CLASSROOM
Academic success has been a staple for the Zips under head coach Jared Embick. Akron has posted a cumulative team GPA's of 3.0 or better in 23 of 25 semesters overall under Embick, including registering cumulative marks of 3.11, 3.39, 3.01, 3.05, 3.40, 3.316, 3.21, 3.02, 3.09, 3.20 and 3.37 during the 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, 2014-15 campaigns, respectively.
AKRON UNVEILS TALENTED 14-MEMBER RECRUITING CLASS
Akron under the leadership of 13th-year head coach Jared Embick, boast a talented 14-member signing class for 2025.
Donning the Akron uniform this fall will be Ignacio Alem (Potomac, Md.), Abdi Bahur (Toronto, Ontario), Gavin Crane (Hinckley, Ohio), Braxton Hayes, (Bowie, Md.), Logan LaMaina (Sellersville, Pa.), Farrel Ngongang, Matthew Paiva and Malte Schmaus (Hammersbach, Germany).
The nine players are part of Akron's 2025 signing class joining six members in Aljaz Dodig, Freddy Kossehasse, Tyler Morck, Jose Pedro, Jamai Royer (Markham, Ontario) and Jack Sullivan, that signed with the Zips prior to the spring semester.
DID YOU KNOW
• Zippy is just one of eight female-gendered college mascots in Division I athletics. Do you know the other seven? (YoUDee, the Delaware Blue Hen; Mrs. Wuf of N.C. State; Lucy Lobo of New Mexico; Sue E. Pig of Arkansas; Miss Pawla of South Alabama, Kate the Lion of Hofstra; and Wilma Wildcat of Arizona).
• One of the unique nicknames in collegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron.
• Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth "Red" Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletics teams.
• Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
• The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for Zippers, a $6 pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company.
• The evolution of Zippy, UA's mascot, began 40 years ago when the student council decided the University needed a mascot.
• "Zippy" the kangaroo was officially declared the school's mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as "Zippy" was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name "Zippy" came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing "Mascot - 'Zippy' - Charles Huettner."
• In 2007, Zippy was named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
UP NEXT
Akron travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to battle No. 19 Cornell on Tuesday (Oct. 7) at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the contest against the Red Storm are available for purchase at http://www.gozips.com/Tickets. Fans are asked to park in Lots 6 and 9 surrounding InfoCision Stadium and the Stile Athletics Field House. For complete parking information click here.
GAME INFO
Akron vs. St. John's | Oct. 3 | 7 PM | FirstEnergy Stadium | Live Stats | ESPN+
HEAD COACHES
St. John's: Dave Masur (Rutgers, 1984), Overall Record: 463-210-117 (39th Season), Record at St. John's: 410-189-111 (35th Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 199-84-45 (16th Season), Record at Akron: 152-63-37 (13th Season)
SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S
St. John's enters action on Friday (Oct. 3) at 4-3-3 on the campaign, including 0-1-1 in the BIG EAST Conference, following a 2-0 setback at Georgetown on Saturday (Sept. 27).
The Red Storm are led by freshman Guilherme Gomes, who owns team-high marks in goals (4), points (8) and game-winners (1), while redshirt senior Antonio Biggs paces the squad in shots (14) and shots on goal (9). Senior GK Alec McLachlan has recorded 18 saves and maintains a 0.97 goals against average on the strength of three shutouts.
As a team, St. John's is rated 28th in the NCAA in corner kicks (6.3) and 47th in team goals against average (0.90).
SERIES HISTORY
Akron and St. John's are meeting for the sixth time in program history with the Zips trailing the series 0-2-3. In the last encounter between the two schools, second-rated Akron battled the Red Storm to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 23, 2023, in Queens, N.Y.
IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 23, 2023 – AKRON, OHIO)
Second-rated Akron trailed St. John's, 1-0, at the half, but fought back to tie up the game on an 82nd-minute goal from Rui Reis en route to earning a 1-1 draw on Sept. 23, 2023, in Queens, N.Y.
St. John's grabbed a 1-0 lead when Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau scored in the 28th minute, assisted by Ank Nibogora and MacOumba Ba.
Playing up two men the majority of the second half, the Zips responded to tie the game on a goal from Reis in the 82nd minute, assisted by Gyuwon Chong and Jason Shokalook.
HONORING LEGENDARY COACH STU PARRY
Akron men's soccer honored legendary men's soccer coach Stu Parry, who passed away peacefully on Aug. 15, prior to the squad's match versus Cleveland State (Sept. 1).
The first head coach in Akron men's program history, Parry began a decorated career guiding the Zips in 1955 and led the squad for 15 seasons en route to posting an enviable 118-43-4 record.
In those 15 years, Parry directed the Zips to nine Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Championships and developed 10 All-America soccer players, including Ed Bender, Fritz Kungl, Pete Milch, Joe Queiroga, Ford Brummer, Jim Malcolm and Eugene Alfred, and numerous All-Ohio and All-Midwest players.
In 1961, the Zips were invited to participate in their first NCAA post-season game. On five more occasions, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, and 1968, Akron earned NCAA invitations. In 1966 and 1968, Parry's fellow coaches honored him for his many years of devotion to and promotion of soccer by voting him the Ohio Soccer Coach of the Year.
ZIPS EARN 1-0 VICTORY AT BUTLER
No. 12 Akron garnered a game-winning goal from sophomore Remi Agunbiade (Toronto, Ontario) in the 77th minute (76:56) to earn a 1-0 shutout victory at Butler on Sept. 27.
The two sides battled through a scoreless tilt before Agunbiade netted what proved to be the game-winning tally at the 76:56 mark, assisted by junior Freddy Kossehasse (McKinney, Texas) and freshman Jose Pedro (Porto, Portugal). The goal represented the second career game-winner for Agunbiade.
Redshirt senior GK Mitch Budler (Lincoln, Neb.) collected two saves for the Zips out of nine total Bulldogs shots to earn his NCAA-leading eighth shutout of the season.
Akron recorded an 18-9 advantage in shots, including 8-2 eight on goal. Agunbiade posted a game-high five shots, including four on goal, while junior Jack Sullivan (Potomac, Md.) added four shots for the Zips.
AKRON UPSETS NO. 8 SAINT LOUIS, 3-0
No. 12 Akron men's soccer held No. 8 Saint Louis scoreless and ran away with a 3-0 shutout win on Sept. 23 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Akron grabbed a 1-0 lead when redshirt sophomore Caleb Borneo (Morgantown, W.Va.) scored his third goal of the season in the 34th minute (33:11) on a successful penalty kick.
The Zips increased their lead to 2-0 on a goal from Remi Agunbiade at the 61:01 mark, assisted by senior Stefan Dobrijevic (Uniontown, Ohio) and Jack Sullivan.
Akron expanded its lead to 3-0 on sophomore Jack Roman's (Canfield, Ohio) 67th-minute goal (66:01), his team-leading fourth on the campaign. Dobrijevic and Agunbiade assisted the goal.
ZIPS TRIO EARNS BIG EAST HONORS
Akron's Mitch Budler and senior Daragh Reilly (Meath, Ireland) were honored by the BIG EAST Conference with weekly accolades, the league announced on Monday (Sept. 29).
Budler was tabbed as the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week, while Reilly was selected as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week. Additionally, Remi Agunbiade was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll.
Budler continued his stellar campaign leading the Zips to back-to-back shutouts, including a 3-0 triumph past No. 8 Saint Louis (Sept. 23). He finished the week garnering his NCAA-leading seventh and eighth shutouts on the campaign, in only 10 matches, while posting four saves.
Reilly continued his dominating run of play for the Zips helping his squad post back-to-back shutouts. Reilly and the Zips opened the week limiting the Billikens to four shots in the match, only two of which came on net. Reilly then directed the Zips' defensive efforts to record their first-ever triumph at Butler holding the Bulldogs to only two shots on goal and only three corner kicks.
Agunbiade turned in a strong week for the Zips registering team-highs in goals (2), points (5), shots (7), shots on goal (5) and game-winners (1). In a 1-0 win for the Zips at Butler he netted the game-winning tally with a back-heel strike in the 77th minute (76:56). Earlier in the week versus No. 8 Saint Louis, he collected a goal in the 62nd minute (61:01), while garnering an assist on Jack Roman's goal at the 66:01 mark.
AKRON DUO COLLECT NATIONAL ACCOLADES
Daragh Reilly and Remi Agunbiade garnered national recognition for their efforts leading the Zips to a pair of victories a week ago.
Reilly was honored by College Soccer News as its National Defensive Player of the Week, while Agunbiade was tabbed by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its National Team of the Week.
A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, the Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.738), with an overall record of 262-76-53. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 250-83-53 (.716), Maryland, 241-85-59 (.703), North Carolina, 234-86-67 (.691), Indiana, 259-98-71 (.688) and Georgetown, 235-90-51 (.693). Akron 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 their last 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 1961, the Zips have advanced to the NCAA postseason 36 times, including 20 of the past 24 seasons.
SEPTEMBER DOMINANCE
For the month, the Zips have been led by four goals and one assist from Jack Roman, while Caleb Borneo, Stefan Dobrijevic and Remi Agunbiade have added three, two and two tallies, respectively. Akron has outshot the opposition, 104-44, including 36-20 on frame. Mitch Budler has been stellar in goal for the Zips owning a 0.57 goal against average on the strength of 16 saves and five shutouts.
Over the last 23 seasons (2003-present), Akron boasts a 104-33-21 (.725) ledger in the month of September, including a 5-2 mark this fall.
OWNING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
The recent success of the Akron men's soccer program over the past 19 seasons (2007-present) can be attributed to its play in the month of October. Since the start of the 2007 campaign, the Zips own a 93-17-17 (.799) ledger in the month, including a 52-7-7 (.841) mark in matches at FirstEnergy Stadium.
ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips are meeting St. John's for the sixth time in program history.
• Two of the five matches between Akron and St. John's have resulted in a shutout.
• Akron earned a 0-0 draw with St. John's in its lone previous home encounter with the Red Storm on Sept. 14, 2012.
• Three of the five all-time meetings, including the last three of the last four, have gone to overtime.
• Akron earned a 1-1 draw at St. John's on Sept. 23, 2023, after battling the No. 10 Red Storm to a 0-0 draw on Sept. 14, 2012, and garnering a 2-2 double-overtime draw at No. 4 St. John's on Oct. 12, 2005.
• Akron is rated No. 17 in the latest NCAA men's soccer RPI report on Oct. 2.
• The Zips' showdown with UConn marked the 250th game for head coach Jared Embick at Akron.
• Akron's Jack Roman was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as a member of its Men's Soccer Honor Roll, the league announced on Sept. 15.
• Mitch Budler was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 8, while Caleb Borneo was selected to the BIG EAST Honor Roll.
• Akron junior Matthew Paiva (Toronto, Ontario) was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as its Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Sept. 2.
• Freshman Farrel Ngongang (Montreal, Quebec) was honored by the BIG EAST Conference as its Men's Soccer Freshman of the Week on Aug. 25.
• Stefan Dobrijevic and senior Ashton Kamdem (West Chester, Ohio) were named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll (Aug. 25).
• The Zips are 2-1-1 versus ranked teams this season following a 0-0 draw versus No. 8 West Virginia (Aug. 29), a 2-0 win at No. 16 Ohio State (Sept. 5), a 1-0 setback at No. Vermont (Sept. 13) and a 3-0 triumph past No. 8 Saint Louis (Sept. 23).
• The Zips recorded a season-best 20 shots at VCU (Aug. 24).
• Akron have posted double-digit shots in nine of 10 tilts in 2025.
• The Zips have not allowed a first-half goal this season.
• Four different Akron reserves have accounted for goals this season for the Zips in Remi Agunbiade, Dobrijevic, Ngongang and redshirt sophomore Tyler Morck (Bethpage, N.Y.).
• Six different Zips have scored a goal this season, including a pair of newcomers.
• Nineteen Zips have registered a shot this season, including 10 newcomers.
• Budler collected his 150th career save against UConn (Sept. 19, 2025) and enters play versus St. John's with 154 career stops.
• The Zips are rated third in the NCAA in shutout percentage (.800) and in corner kicks (7.60), eighth in goals against average (0.40), 19th in goal differential (12), 20th in total assists (22), 21st in save percentage (.826), 27th in assists per game (2.20) and in winning percentage (.750), 30th in shots per tilt (14.70), 37th in total points (54), 46th in points per match (5.40) and 48th in total goals (16).
• Individually, Budler is rated first in the NCAA in shutouts (8), fifth in goalie minutes played (900.00) ninth in goals against average (0.40) and 25th in save percentage (.826). Additionally, Agunbiade, Borneo and Roman are 23rd in game-winning goals (2) and Dobrijevic is 20th in total assists (5) and 39th in assists per game (0.50).
• Budler is rated first among NCAA D1 active leaders in career shutouts (31), third in goalie minutes played (5,853.85), ninth in goals against average (.876), 27th in saves (154), 35th in games played (66) and in save percentage (.727). Additionally, Kamdem is 35th in games played (66) and Dobrijevic is 39th in games played (65).
• Through 66 career games, Budler has been dominant in net for Akron having recorded 154 saves en route to owning a 0.88 goals against average on the strength of 31 shutouts.
• Budler surpassed 5,000 career minutes in goal at VCU (Aug. 21) having been in net for 5,943:51.
• Since 2021, the Zips own 34-5-9 record in regular season home games at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Since 2010, the Zips are 34-6-5 at FirstEnergy Stadium in regular season conference games. Overall, during that span, including postseason, Akron boasts a 50-9-6 mark versus league foes at home.
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, the Zips own a 37-25-11 mark against ranked opponents.
• Dobrijevic is Akron's active career leaders in goals (10), assists (15), points (35), shots (77), shots on goal (30) and game-winners (3). Dobrijevic, Borneo, Roman, Agunbiade, Kamdem and redshirt sophomore Nathan Ferguson (Glen Carbon, Ill.) have scored 10, four, four, four, three and two goals, respectively.
• The Zips own a 152-63-37 mark over the last 13 seasons under Embick. Akron's 152 wins are ranked eighth in all of Division I.
• Under Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 31-15-7.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 115 of the squad's last 215 matches.
• Akron has held opponents scoreless in 51 of its last 101 home contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron owns a 97-19-16 record in its last 130 home matches.
• The Zips average attendance in 2025 is 1,625 to rank 18th nationally. In 2024 it was 1,098 fans per game, while in 2023 Akron ranked 13th nationally (1,699), while rating 17th nationally (1,290) in 2022, 13th (1,565) in 2021, 12th in 2019 and 16th in the country (1,419) in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, the Zips rated 10th nationally in attendance averaging 2,147 and 1,819 fans per contest, respectively.
• Since 2007, Akron maintains a league record of 80-15-16 (.793) mark in league play. Furthermore, the Zips won 11 consecutive MAC regular season championships (2006-16) and 11 of the final 14 MAC Tournament titles.
including a conference-record nine first-team selections in 2010.
• Since Oct. 1, 2015, Akron owns a 105-50-33 record.
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL
The University of Akron men's soccer program opens its 71st season of intercollegiate soccer tabbed to finish as the top team in the Midwest Division of the BIG EAST Conference, including earning 10 first-place votes in the division.
ZIPS IN THE CLASSROOM
Academic success has been a staple for the Zips under head coach Jared Embick. Akron has posted a cumulative team GPA's of 3.0 or better in 23 of 25 semesters overall under Embick, including registering cumulative marks of 3.11, 3.39, 3.01, 3.05, 3.40, 3.316, 3.21, 3.02, 3.09, 3.20 and 3.37 during the 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, 2014-15 campaigns, respectively.
AKRON UNVEILS TALENTED 14-MEMBER RECRUITING CLASS
Akron under the leadership of 13th-year head coach Jared Embick, boast a talented 14-member signing class for 2025.
Donning the Akron uniform this fall will be Ignacio Alem (Potomac, Md.), Abdi Bahur (Toronto, Ontario), Gavin Crane (Hinckley, Ohio), Braxton Hayes, (Bowie, Md.), Logan LaMaina (Sellersville, Pa.), Farrel Ngongang, Matthew Paiva and Malte Schmaus (Hammersbach, Germany).
The nine players are part of Akron's 2025 signing class joining six members in Aljaz Dodig, Freddy Kossehasse, Tyler Morck, Jose Pedro, Jamai Royer (Markham, Ontario) and Jack Sullivan, that signed with the Zips prior to the spring semester.
DID YOU KNOW
• Zippy is just one of eight female-gendered college mascots in Division I athletics. Do you know the other seven? (YoUDee, the Delaware Blue Hen; Mrs. Wuf of N.C. State; Lucy Lobo of New Mexico; Sue E. Pig of Arkansas; Miss Pawla of South Alabama, Kate the Lion of Hofstra; and Wilma Wildcat of Arizona).
• One of the unique nicknames in collegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron.
• Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth "Red" Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletics teams.
• Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
• The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for Zippers, a $6 pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company.
• The evolution of Zippy, UA's mascot, began 40 years ago when the student council decided the University needed a mascot.
• "Zippy" the kangaroo was officially declared the school's mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as "Zippy" was a 1965 Zip football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name "Zippy" came Sept. 24, 1965, in an identification of a photo of the cheerleaders listing "Mascot - 'Zippy' - Charles Huettner."
• In 2007, Zippy was named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
UP NEXT
Akron travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to battle No. 19 Cornell on Tuesday (Oct. 7) at 7 p.m.
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/ Men's Soccer2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer Post-Game Press Conference vs. St. John's - 10/3/25
Saturday, October 04
2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer Post-Game Press Conference vs. Saint Louis - 9/23/25
Wednesday, September 24
2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer Post-Game Press Conference vs. UConn - 9/19/25
Saturday, September 20
2025 Akron Zips Men's Soccer - Post-Game Comments at Vermont - 9/13/25
Sunday, September 14
