Akron Visits VCU in Season Opener

Thursday, August 21

Richmond, Va.

7:00 PM

University of Akron

VCU

August 20 | Men's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – The 21st-rated University of Akron men's soccer team opens its 2025 campaign traveling to Richmond, Va., for a showdown with VCU on Thursday (Aug. 21). The 7 p.m. match with the Rams will be broadcast on ESPN+.

GAME INFO
Akron at VCU | Aug. 21 | 7 PM | Richmond, Va. | Live Stats | ESPN+

HEAD COACHES
VCU: Dave Giffard (MacMurray, 1999), Overall Record: 120-104-53 (16th Season), Record at VCU: 120-104-53 (16th Season)
Akron: Jared Embick (Indiana Wesleyan, 2000), Overall Record: 192-82-44 (16th Season), Record at Akron: 145-61-36 (13th Season)

SCOUTING VCU
VCU enters action on Thursday (Aug. 21) on the heels of a 4-6-7 record a season ago, including a 1-4-3 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

VCU returns two of its top three leading scorers from 2024 in junior Andrey Salmeron and senior Andres Rodriguez. The duo registered three and two goals, respectively, on the strength 58 combined shots, including 24 on goal. The Rams will be breaking in a new goalkeeper after John Ermini pulled in 52 saves en route to posting a 1.18 goals against average in 2024.

The contest will be a reunion of sorts for VCU head coach Dave Giffard, who served as an assistant coach at Akron under head coach Caleb Porter from 2006-09.

SERIES HISTORY
Akron is meeting VCU for the eighth time in program history with Akron leading the series, 5-1-1. In the previous encounter between the two schools, the Zips recorded a 4-0 triumph over the Rams on Sept. 6, 2024, at FirstEnergy Stadium.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (SEPT. 6, 2024 – AKRON, OHIO)
Sparked by the first career brace from Dyson Clapier, Akron held 13th-rated VCU scoreless and cruised to a 4-0 shutout victory on Sept. 6, 2024, at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Akron started the scoring when Jonas Buechte a goal in the 26th minute (25:04) knocking in the deflection off of a free kick from Victor Gaulmin, who earned the assist on the tally.

The Zips tacked on another score on the first career goal from junior Matt Dreas (Covington, Ky.) at the 38:29 mark, again assisted by Gaulmin.

Akron maintained a 2-0 lead at halftime on the strength of a 10-1 advantage in shots, including 4-0 on net.

The Zips assumed a 3-0 edge on Clapier's 56th-minute (55:12) goal. Emil Jaaskelainen and Malik Henry assisted the goal.

The Zips made it a 4-0 lead when Clapier found the back of the net at the 62:30 mark courtesy of assists from Henry and Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal.

Akron redshirt senior GK Mitch Budler (Lincoln, Neb.) recorded one save en route to posting the clean sheet in goal.

AKRON VERSUS THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE
• The Zips are meeting a team from the Atlantic 10 Conference for first time this season and the 43rd time in program history.
• In all, the Zips are 27-11-4 (.690) versus teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.

ZIPS IN SEASON OPENERS
Now in its 71st season of intercollegiate soccer in 2024, the Akron men's soccer team have posted a record of 42-19-8 overall in season openers since the Zips first took the field against Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 8, 1955. Over the last 10 campaigns, Akron owns a 5-3-2 mark in season openers.

BUDLER NAMED TO TDS PRESEASON BEST XI SQUAD
Mitch Budler was named by TopDrawerSoccer.com to its Preseason Best XI Third-Team squad.

BUDLER CHOSEN AS PRESEASON BIG EAST GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Mitch Budler was chosen as the preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year. Budler posted 51 saves on the campaign en route to recording a 0.93 goals against average on the strength of nine shutouts. In league play, Budler collected 23 saves and a 0.63 goals against average and notched six clean sheets in eight games.

A LEGACY OF SUCCESS
Since 2007, the Akron men's soccer program has posted the highest winning percentage in the nation (.737), with an overall record of 254-74-52. The Zips are followed by Wake Forest, 244-81-50 (.717), Maryland, 235-84-57 (.701), North Carolina, 229-85-60 (.693) and Georgetown, 228-88-49 (.692). 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.

ZIP TIDBITS
• The Zips own a 2-0-0 ledger in games versus VCU on the road.
• Akron has outscored VCU by a 16-7 margin in series history, including 7-5 in a pair of road contests.
• Four of the seven matches between Akron and VCU, have resulted in a shutout.
• Akron has scored two or more goals in five all-time meetings with VCU.
• The Zips have posted a pair of overtime triumphs all-time at VCU.
• Mitch Budler collected his 100th career save against Butler (Sept. 20, 2024) and enters play versus VCU with 135 career stops.
• The Zips rated second in the NCAA in total assists (60), third in assists per tilt (2.86), fifth in total points (158), points per match (7.52) and in scoring offense (2.33), sixth in goal differential (28) and in total goals (49), 12th in shots per game (15.48), 16th in shots on goal per contest (6.33), 23rd in shutout percentage (0.429), 29th in winning percentage (.667) and in goals against average (0.991) and 36th in corner kicks (5.81).
• Individually, GK Mitch Budler rated fourth in the NCAA in shutouts (9), 12th in goalie minutes played (1,846:14) and 27th in goals against average (0.926), Emil Jaaskelainen ranked first in total goals (23), total points (54), goals per match (1.10), game-winning goals (6) and points per outing (2.57), fourth in shots per game (4.38) and in shots on goal per contest (2.14) and 36th in total assists (8). Additionally, Malik Henry and Victor Gaulmin were 18th in total assists (9) and 43rd in assists per game (0.43), while Clapier and Jaaskelainen were 36th in total assists (8).
• Through 56 career games, GK Mitch Budler has been dominant in net for Akron having recorded 135 saves en route to owning a 0.97 goals against average on the strength of 23 shutouts.
• Thirteen different Zips scored a goal last season, including four newcomers.
• Twenty-three Zips have registered a shot a year ago, including 11 newcomers.
• All but one field player for the Zips to have played in a game last season has posted a shot for Akron.
• Twelve Akron newcomers appeared in a match for the Zips last season.
• Mitch Budler is nearing 5,000 career minutes in goal as he enters the campaign having been in net for 4,953:51.
• Akron posted double-digit shots in 15 tilts in 2024.
• The Zips were 2-2-2 versus ranked teams last season following a 2-1 overtime loss at No. 6 Indiana, 1-0 victory past No. 8 Princeton as well as a 2-1 overtime setback against No. 24 Georgetown, a 1-1 draw at No. 2 Notre Dame, a 1-1 tie at No. 5 Western Michigan and a 4-0 triumph past No. 13 VCU.
• Since 2021, the Zips own 30-4-8 record in regular season home games at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Since 2010, the Zips are 34-5-5 at FirstEnergy Stadium in regular season conference games. Overall, during that span, including postseason, Akron boasts a 50-8-6 mark versus league foes at home.
• Since the start of the 2015 campaign, the Zips own a 35-24-10 mark against ranked opponents.
• Senior Stefan Dobrijevic (Uniontown, Ohio) is Akron's active career leaders in goals (7), assists (10), points (24), shots (54), shots on goal (23) and game-winners (2). Dobrijevic, senior Ashton Kamdem (West Chester, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore Nathan Ferguson (Glen Carbon, Ill.) have scored seven, three and two goals, respectively.
• The Zips own a 145-61-36 mark over the last 13 seasons under head coach Jared Embick. Akron's 145 wins are ranked eighth in all of Division I.
• Under head coach Jared Embick, Akron's record following a loss is 29-14-7.
• The Zips have scored two or more goals in 111 of the squad's last 205 matches.
• Akron has held opponents scoreless in 46 of its last 95 home contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
• Akron owns a 93-18-15 record in its last 126 home matches.
• Since 2007, Akron maintains a league record of 79-14-16 (.798) 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.
• In all, Akron led all league members with 21 regular-season and 15 tournament championships in the MAC since 1993 and won both titles in the same season 12 times.
• In 30 seasons in the MAC/BIG EAST, the Zips produced 222 All-MAC honorees, including a conference-record nine first-team selections in 2010.
• Since Oct. 1, 2015, Akron owns a 98-48-32 record.
• In all, the Zips have produced 25 Academic All-American honors in its history, dating back to the 1998 season.
• Akron has long been associated with academic excellence. Over the last 10 seasons, the Zips have posted team GPA's of 3.11 (2024), 3.39 (2023), 3.01 (2022), 3.05 (2021), 3.40 (2020), 3.316 (2019), 3.21 (2018), 3.02 (2017), 3.09 (2016) and 3.20 (2015). Akron finished second in Division I in 2011-12 with a cumulative mark of 3.44. The remarkable feat follows years that saw the Zips post GPAs of 3.43 in 2010-11 and 3.33 in 2009-10.

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 15-MEMBER RECRUITING CLASS
Akron under the leadership of 13th-year head coach Jared Embick, boast a talented 15-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 (Montreal, Quebec), Matthew Paiva (Toronto, Ontario), Malte Schmaus (Hammersbach, Germany) and Dylan Wilkinson (Bradford, England).

The nine players are part of Akron's 2025 signing class joining six members in Aljaz Dodig (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Freddy Kossehasse (McKinney, Texas), Tyler Morck (Bethpage, N.Y.), Jose Pedro (Porto, Portugal), Jamai Royer (Markham, Ontario) and Jack Sullivan (Potomac, Md.), 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 welcomes Northern Kentucky to FirstEnergy Stadium for the squad's home opener on Sunday (Aug. 24) at 7 p.m.