Men's Soccer 10/13/2011 1:38:15 PM Chris Gondek, Hartwick SID

Men’s Soccer Set to Battle #5 Akron

Men's Soccer 10/13/2011 1:38:15 PM Chris Gondek, Hartwick SID

Men’s Soccer Set to Battle #5 Akron

             ONEONTA, NY – Following a 10-day hiatus, the Hartwick College men's soccer team will be back on the field on Saturday. The Hawks, who are riding a three-game winning streak, face a daunting task as they travel to nationally 5^th ranked University of Akron at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field in Akron, OH for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
            The Zips, who are 9-1-2 overall this season and 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference, are the defending national champions and four-time defending Mid-American Conference title holders.
            “We are under no illusion about the size of the task we face,” said Hartwick head coach John Scott. “Akron's achievements of the last few seasons speak volumes for the job Caleb Porter and his coaching staff have done. In college soccer, they are the team that has set the standard for everyone else to aspire to.”
            Akron has been a difficult team to defeat both at home and in the MAC in recent memory. The Zips are riding an NCAA-record home unbeaten streak of 44 games (41-0-3) dating back to an opening-season loss in 2008. Akron has also remained undefeated in its last 33 conference matches. The Zips' last loss came in the 2006 MAC final to Northern Illinois, 1-0.
            Arguably, no other program has given Akron more problems recently than Hartwick. In the last five meetings since 2008 (four UA wins and one tie), the two sides have been separated by just a goal or less. In four of those five matches, Hartwick held the lead on the Zips.
            In 2008, the Zips won 2-1 on Elmore Field during the regular season. Hartwick was less than four minutes from upsetting the Zips on their home field in the MAC semifinals, but a late goal tied the game and Akron advanced on penalty kicks.
            The following season, the Hawks did what no other team in the nation was able to do, hold a lead on the Zips – a feat they accomplished twice. In the regular season meeting in Ohio, two Hartwick goals deep in the first half gave the Hawks a 2-1 edge, but two goals from the hosts in the last 20 minutes gave them the 3-2 win. The game marked the only time all season that a team had scored two goals on the Zips, who finished the year 23-0-2.
            In the rematch in the MAC Championship just eight days later, the two teams traded goals in the first 19 minutes of the match. Akron secured the game-winner in the 77^th minute to earn its third straight conference crown.
            Last season on Elmore, an Owen Botting free kick gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead on the #2 Zips in the 55^th minute. Ben Speas tied it 14 minutes later and Michael Nanchoff provided a penalty kick goal in the 80^th minute as Akron escaped with a win en route to the national title.
            Hartwick (5-4-2 overall, 1-0 MAC) is currently in sole possession of third place in the conference tables. Junior Greg Mathers (Macclesfield, England/Binghamton Univ.), sophomore Tim Crawford (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), and juniors Simon Greatwich (Lewes, England/Lewes Priory) and Cleyon Brown (Kingston, Jamaica/Berkshire School) each have two goals this season to lead the Hawks. Mathers is also the Hawks' top set-up man with four assists. Crawford and Greatwich each have two.
            Akron is led by reigning MAC Men's Soccer Player of the Week Darren Mattocks, who has 11 goals in 11 games. He scored both goals in last Saturday's 2-0 shutout of Northern Illinois and tallied the game-winner on Wednesday night's 1-0 victory over Penn State. He ranks in the national top-10 in both goals and points. Teammate Scott Caldwell ranks second in the country in assists.
            “We are looking forward to this match,” added Scott. “Games against the cream of the crop don't come along every week so we're preparing to be ready Saturday night.”

Print Friendly Version