Agunbiade Emerges Again With Game-Winner Against Syracuse

Tuesday, October 6

Akron, Ohio

7:00 PM

University of Akron

7-1-2, 1-1-1

No. 25 Syracuse

7-4-1, 1-2-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Syracuse	1	0	1
Akron	1	1	2

Game Notes Postgame Press Conference

Remi Agunbiade found his stride in the 86th minute for his third goal in two games.

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Agunbiade Emerges Again With Game-Winner Against Syracuse

October 06 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Noah Tylutki, Associate Director of Athletics Communications

AKRON, Ohio — Remi Agunbiade found his stride — and a way.

Tied 1-1 in the 86th minute between No. 25 Syracuse, the junior patiently prowled near midfield as Francisco Tolaba passed a ball up. Agunbiade immediately sprinted forward, beating his defender before gathering the ball and shooting it as he fell to the ground.

It found the bottom left corner, sending the FirstEnergy Stadium faithful into a frenzy as the Zips defeated the Orange, 2-1.

The reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week and MLS SuperDraft selection from last year scored twice against DePaul and notched his fifth career game winner. It also marked the Zips' fourth game-winning goal scored in the final 10 minutes of a match this season — each from a different player.

"We're obviously thrilled that he's back," head coach Jared Embick said. "Everyone's going to be bringing their best game. He's had to learn the focus mentality and how to fight through that, because he's only going to get their best defender. Now, he's showing what he can do. When he can do that, there's not going to be many better players in the country."

In both team's first match against each other since the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament in which the Zips reached their fourth-ever College Cup final, Akron struck first courtesy of Jack Roman in the eighth minute. Working quickly off a free kick, Matt Dreas caught Syracuse napping as he delivered a beautiful arching ball to Roman who lobbed it over the goalkeeper's head and into the back of the net.

Just seven minutes later, the Orange were able to get one back and knot the match at 1-1 where the score would remain at the half.

Only one minute into the fresh period, the Zips fouled the Orange in the box which set up a penalty kick attempt. Goalie Brett Kaminski guessed right as the ball hit hard off his leg and out of the box on the diving attempt.

Londen Sears had a great attempt off a Roman pass with six minutes left in the match, but the Syracuse goalie and a defender converged on the shot attempt and kept the ball from going in.

Kaminski made one more brilliant stop with two minutes remaining as he dove to keep a ball from trickling into the goal after the ball deflected off a Syracuse player's shin.

The Orange did outshoot the Zips, 12-10, and 28 combined fouls were called. Kaminski notched three saves as well.

Akron has now won two straight matches for the first time in a month and defeated a ranked opponent for the second time this season.

"I think now we're just starting to play our best game," Roman said. "You can see it in the past two games. We're connecting with each other more than we ever have the whole season, so I think if we can continue doing that the rest of it's going to play out how we want."

Up Next
The Zips will return to BIG EAST play to face No. 6-ranked Creighton on Sunday, October 6 at 6 p.m. for Senior Night.