Akron Set to Battle West Virginia

Thursday, August 21

Morgantown, W.Va.

7:30 PM

University of Akron

West Virginia

August 20 | Women's Soccer

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's soccer team is set to visit West Virginia for a 7:30 p.m. non-conference showdown against the Mountaineers on Thursday (Aug. 21).

GAME INFO
Akron at West Virginia | Aug. 21 | 7:30 PM | Morgantown, W.Va. | Live Stats | Live Video

HEAD COACHES
West Virginia: Nikki Izzo-Brown (Rochester, 1993), Overall Record: 415-151-75 (31st Season), Record at West Virginia: 402-146-75 (30th Season)
Akron: Maggie Kuhn (Bethany, 2004), Overall Record: 79-83-14 (10th Season), Record at Akron: 1-0-1 (First Season)

SCOUTING AKRON
The Zips registered a 1-0 triumph past Eastern Illinois on Sunday (Aug. 17) at FirstEnergy Stadium to move to 1-0-1 on the campaign.

Freshman Luisa Fragnoli (Medina, Ohio) leads the Zips in goals (1), while senior Emma King (Akron, Ohio) directs the squad in shots (10) and shots on goal (7). Senior Rielly Chesna (Chicago, Illinois) and sophomore Allie McMillen (Shreve, Ohio) each own an assist for Akron. Junior goalkeeper Sara Bower (Cincinnati, Ohio) owns 11 saves on the campaign en route to posting back-to-back shutouts and recording a 0.00 goals against average.

The Zips under the leadership of first-year head coach Maggie Kuhn return six starters in 2025, including sophomores Kailyn Biecker (Wadsworth, Ohio) and Olivia Heskett (Lewis Center, Ohio), King, junior Jordanne Oberhaus (Wadsworth, Ohio), sophomore Kaitlyn Rogowski (Hilliard, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore Rachel Wenzel (Akron, Ohio).

Akron will be led by team captains Bower and seniors Kaylen Goddard (Mechanicsville, Md.) and King as well as fellow returning players senior Kylie Schiemann (Geneva, Ohio), juniors Emalee Szablewski (Lancaster, N.Y.) and sophomores Addison Lambert (Galena, Ohio), McMillen, Eesha Sutharshan (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Ariana Vakos (Avon, Ohio).

The Zips are bolstered by a talented 11-member 2025 signing class, which includes eight freshmen and three transfers.

A year ago, Ella Hadley led the Zips in goals (2), points (5), shots on goal (8) and game-winners (1), while McMillen and Katie Stafford each owned a pair of goals. Morgan Pentz directed Akron in assists (2), shots (25), shots on goal (8) and game-winners (1). Bower pulled in 42 saves for Akron.

The Zips boast 11 newcomers to the squad as donning the Akron uniform this fall will be Chesna, junior Lilly Touhey (Fishers, Ind.), sophomore Taylor Allen (Blacksburg, Va.) and freshmen Freya Blatz (Bethel Park, Pa.), Fiona Buczak (Brunswick, Ohio), Fineen Cregan (Rochester, N.Y.), Luisa Fragnoli (Medina, Ohio), Addison Hall (Manchester, Conn.), Bailey Kerins (Dublin, Ohio), Olivia Pilato (Rochester, N.Y.) and Devyn Raymond (Shelby Township, Mich.).

AKRON NOTES
• Akron is meeting West Virginia in the regular season for the first time in program history.
• The Zips are playing a team from the Big XII Conference for only the second time in program history and first since Cincinnati bested Akron, 2-1, on Sept. 20, 2009, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• The Zips extended their shutout streak to seven consecutive non-conference regular season contests with a 1-0 win over Eastern Illinois on Sunday (Aug. 17). Akron owns a 5-0-2 mark in those contests and have outshot the opposition, 84-70. Sara Bower has posted 19 saves in those games, while Emma King has added a team-best 15 shots with nine falling on frame.
• The Zips have posted shutouts in seven consecutive non-conference contests and have not surrendered a goal in those games in more than 786 minutes (786:05).
• A trio of newcomers earned their first career start at Akron against Purdue Fort Wayne in Rielly Chesna, Luisa Fragnoli and Lilly Touhey. Overall, eight newcomers have appeared for the Zips this season.
• Akron leads the NCAA in goals against average (0.00), save percentage (1.000) and shutout percentage (1.000).
• Bower is rated first in the NCAA in goals against average (0.00), goalie minutes played (180:00), save percentage (1.000) and shutouts (2), while ranking 35th in total saves (11). King is 18h in shots on goal per contest (3.50) and 27th in shots per game (5.00).
• King needs one goal to enter the top 10 in program history in career goals having amassed 10 in her four seasons.
• King leads Akron's active leaders in career goals (10), assists (4), points (24), shots (72), shots on goal (41) and game-winners (2), while Bower paces the Zips in career saves (117), goals against average (1.61) and save percentage (.755).
• The Zips rank first in the Mid-American Conference in shutouts (2), goals against average (0.00) and save percentage (1.000), second in shots (31), shots per game (15.50), shots on goal (7.50) and saves (5.50), third in shots on goal per contest (7.50) and fourth in assists (1.00).
• King is rated first in the MAC in shots (5.00) and shots on goal (3.50) per game, Bower leads the league in shutouts (2), save percentage (1.000) and goals against average (1.000) and is second in saves (5.50) per match, while Kaitlyn Rogowski is ranked seventh in shots (3.00) and shots on goal (3.00) per outing. Additionally, Fragnoli is seventh in goals (0.50) and points (1.00) per game, Chesna and Allie McMillen are sixth in assists per match (0.50).
• Seven different Zips scored a goal last season.
• Twenty-two Zips have registered a shot a year ago, including six newcomers.
• The Zips recorded the squad's initial seven-game unbeaten streak since 2007 in 2024. The unbeaten streak matched the longest in program history set during both the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.
• Akron matched its 2006 squad as the only Zips' teams to post an unbeaten record in non-conference play.
• Akron posted the second most shutouts in a non-conference campaign in school history, trailing only the 2006 squad that registered six straight to open the 2006 season.
• Akron posted five consecutive shutouts for the first time since the 2009 campaign.
• The four 1-0 clean sheet victories last season represented the second-highest total in program history matching identical marks in 2007, 2009 and 2011. The 2006 Akron team holds the top mark with six 1-0 wins.
• The six shutouts by the Zips were the most for Akron in a season since posting seven in the 2011 campaign.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia enters play against Akron at 0-1 on the campaign after a 1-0 setback versus Virginia on Thursday (Aug. 14). The Mountaineers posted a 12-5-3 mark a season ago, including a 8-2-1 record in the Big XII Conference.

West Virginia is led by the return of seniors Ajanae Respass and Taylor White, who each registered seven goals last season and combined to post 14 goals, 36 points, 70 shots and 36 shots on goal. Redshirt junior GK Mackenzie Smith returns in net after pulling in 54 saves en route to collecting a 1.06 goals against average a year ago on the strength of seven overall and five solo shutouts.

SERIES HISTORY
Akron and West Virginia are meeting the first time in program history.

UP NEXT
Akron hosts Southern Indiana in a 1 p.m. tilt on Sunday (Aug. 24) at FirstEnergy Stadium.