Leaderboard

That's because you're hearing what you want to hear. You keep just saying move on from JoeMo and it will make us magically better. Others are saying we need additional resources regardless of coach. Just because someone points out that the program is underfunded doesn't mean they're saying the program can never succeed in the MAC. They're saying that if we want to have success in the future we need to find ways of increasing resources. Whether that falls on getting more donations, playing more buy games, or whatever else. Replacing a coach is just a bandaid. I'm not even opposed moving on from JoeMo. I just want there to be a plan in place for how we're going to be financially competitive with the other MAC schools. Without it you will be here in 2-3 years demanding we fire another coach.

Excellent observations.... A few random observations.... The first game was on September 23. That means that Saturday's game...will be almost 2.5 months since the first game. As Zips fans, we have seen great improvement from Thomas O' Rourke and Matthew Paiva during the season. I am sure that St. Louisd has also had many players improve during the season. Since that first game, St. Louis has not lost a single game. Since the first game, the Zips have a record of 7-2-2. The Billikens have a record of 8-0-5. St. Louis has only lost 2 games all year...A regular season game at Indiana and the game at Akron. As we all know, St. Louis avenged their regular season loss to IU with a huge round of 32 road win at IU. as @Zip_ME87 pointed out, SLU is finding ways to not lose. They have not lost in their last 13 games. Against IU in the NCAA round of 32, St. Louis was dominated on the statistical front but they found a way to win. In the tournament game against St. Louis, IU led 16-3 in shots, 3-1 in shots on goal and 8-0 in corner kicks. St. Louis did not have a single corner kick and they were outshot by more than 5 to 1. Yet, St. Louis found a way to win. Again, that first game(St. Louis at Akron) was a lifetime ago....2.5 months. How did the Zips and Billikens do against teams in the NCAA tounament? St. Louis has 4-2-2 record against teams that made the tournament. 1-0 win over eventual 5 seed SMU. 1-0 win over Seton Hall. 1-0 regular season loss to eventual 6 seed Indiana. 0-0 tie against eventual 8 seed Portland. Portland is still alive in the tournament. 3-0 loss at Akron. 2-1 tournament win over Kentucky (Kentucky was regular season Sun Belt champ (league includes Marshall and West Virginia) ; 1-0 win over 6 seed Indiana. 2-2 PK win over 11 seed Bryant (#6 in final RPI). In that PK win, the St. Louis players were absolutely clutch. 4 spectacular, professional penalty kicks. the zips were 4-4-3 against tournament teams. 0-0 tie with WVA ; 4-0 win over W. Michigan ; 1-0 loss at Vermont ; 3-1 home loss to U Conn ; 3-0 win over St. L ; 2-1 home loss to St. John's ; 0-0 tie at Cornell ; 1-1 tie against Seton Hall. 2-1 neutral field loss to UConn; 1-0 win over Notre Dame ; 2-0 win over the Dukies. The Zips were brutally efficient in the first St. Louis game. The zips had 4 shots on goal and scored 3 goals (75% conversion rate). The zips have scored 31 goals and they have had 97 shots on goal. (closer to a 32% conversion rate). Another observation about the first St. Louis game. The Zips earned 147 corner kicks during the year (about 6.7 per game). In the game against St. Louis, the Zips had 1 corner kick. That was the season low for the Zips. During the season, teams committed 212 fouls against the zips (about 9.6 per game). St. Louis only committed 6 fouls against the Zips. Again, that was a season low for a zip opponent. Based on the first game, the Zips are not going to get many dead ball/free kick opportunities. The weather on Saturday is going to be much different than the September 23 game. The September 23 game had a very experienced referee (Chico Grajeda). Who knows...whehter Saturday's referee will be as solid as Chico Grajeda. Saturday is going to be a battle. The Zips should be favored due to being at home and the fact that they are in good form. However, I do not expect an easy 3-0 win. The Zips need to come out ready.......and win this game in Regulation. I am sure that Indiana was very, very confident against St. Louis since they had won during the regular season. The Zips are hungry and they can beat the Billikens two times this year....but it is going to be a knock down battle. Go, ZIPS !!! https://gozips.com/sports/mens-soccer/stats/2025/saint-louis/boxscore/10933

Yay, for him. Maybe he has great success. It's been one year. Little Zips history lesson... J.D. Brookhart 2004-09 (29-43) fired Rob Ianello 2010-2011 (2-11) fired Terry Bowden 2012-2018 (35-52) fired Tom Arthur 2019-2021 (3-24) fired Oscar Rodriguez interim 2021 0-3 It's obvious that Akron WANTS to win at football because they are not afraid to change coaches, I don't doubt that, but they either keep striking out with coaches OR they give up on them when it starts getting rough. Bowden went 8-5 and won the first bowl game in school history and was let go three years later when he went 4-8... It isn't always greener on the other side. Joe Moe has shown improvement each year despite having the odds stacked against him. Things like one less practice a week are a big issue. Not having NIL money is a big thing yet somehow, he still brings in decent talent and is able to compete in the MAC with really nothing to offer except playing time. I just don't understand the urgency to get rid of him when the team has shown improvement. I agree that there were games that could have/ probably should have been won, but nearly every program could say the same thing and there aren't too many undefeated teams still out there. Everyone on here that wants rid of Joe Moe assumes the next guy is automatically going to be better or is going to be the next Ryan Day and what if it isn't? What if it is the next Kenni Burns and it sets the program back ten years??? Joe Moe has steadily improved the program with no money, less staff, less recruiting opportunities, and less practices I would rather see him stay and see what he can do with those things added.

Thought Barre had an excellent game for the minutes he was in.

Just jumping in to say that this season was a pleasant surprise and the post season run was incredible. You could see the on- field chemistry. So gutted for the guys. If the ending was hard to see as a fan, quadruple that feeling for the players. And I don't blame Stefan one bit for continuing what was working for him - how many PKs did he successfully convert prior to this one? No player has a 100% conversion rate even at the pro level. Eventually, an attempt will be saved or will go wide or high. As for the SLU game ...sheesh...as long as I've been watching soccer (a long time) and playing (maybe too long) I can't recall that many unfortunate occurrences in a single match over such a short time period and to such detrimental effect. Lady luck must have been on a cruise. These are the types of games that can propel a group forward. I'm happy to hear that the incoming class is talented. That taken with the now experienced returners should produce another good year. Congrats to the players and coaching staff for getting Akron soccer back on the map. Onward and upward!

This loss is the bitterest pill of all to swallow. Everything had aligned to set up a once in a lifetime run for the Zips to our second star. We have talent. We play a beautiful brand of soccer that attracts that talent. We had an opponent whom we respected, yet we knew we could beat. The coaches had, over the season, developed a scheme that worked considering we lost 23 goals in Emil last season and 8 starters. What an incredible job they did! The crowds were responding to this team. Then comes the game and we beat ourselves. SLU played hard for 90 minutes, but what they did was insignificant compared to what we did to ourselves. I feel so bad for the players. They like each other and play for each other. They are proud to be Zips. They are excellent students. They are what we want in D1 athletes representing our school no matter what the sport. Next year can't come soon enough!

What a heartbreaking loss that was! It was all right there for the Zips to take. Much appreciation for the really good senior class! Thanks for the memories, boys! The very harsh, straight red card on Matt Dreas killed the match.

I hope UGA gets it. NIL can't only be a one way deal in favor of the athlete.

Home and away. They come here next year.

Anyone thinking Zips’ victory will come easily on Saturday is very foolish. Long-time Zips faithful have been to this stage of the tournament many times. These contests are frequently decided in either OT or PKs. Remember vs. California in 2010? Remember vs. Creighton in 2012? Remember vs. Creighton in 2015? Defeating a quality tournament opponent requires squad cohesion, maximum effort, and near flawless execution. And a little luck also helps.

I just wish something would happen one way or the other. Wish he’d take a job or announce he’s here for another year.

Back with Minnesota

I'm missing your point. Every one of those calls involved video review. The only call I question was the straight red against Matt Dreas. Was it reckless for him to go high with his foot?...yes. However, it could have been a yellow card caution and not red. It was borderline in my opinion, and I thought refs tended to not want to tip the balance with "big" calls. Unfortunately, in the exuberance of the game, Matt made a decision to go high with his foot and put himself in a position for the ref to make a judgement call. NCAA Tournament games go the way of the team that weathers the storm. SLU had a bad first half and benefitted from a series of unfortunate events by our Zips. I'm devastated by the loss, more so for our players, especially the seniors who have no next season for the Zips. In solace, it was a great season thanks to a group of outstanding student-athletes and coaches. I can't thank them enough for this season. There's so much of which to be proud. I try to focus on positives and will remember this season for qualifying for an exclusive 4-team BE Tournament by winning a tough final regular season road game and getting to the NCAAT Elite 8, playing all of our NCAAT games at home. The win at Xavier in the regular season was a personal highlight as a special friend attended that game with me and then he left for his drive/move to Salt Lake City that evening. These Zips made that "goodbye" special for both of us. We have a great memory and picture with the team and other Zips fans as we celebrated the program's 800th win. Toujours de premiere classe! (Always First Class) Thanks 2025 Zips Men's Soccer!!!

So the Big East had two chances to get to the College Cup and got neither. The College Cup will be a 15 seed, a 16 seed, and two unseeded teams. St Louis last won in 1973, and none of the other three have ever won a national championship.

I haven't chimed in but wanted to share the following post from the boogeyman himself Connor Stalions when talking about the MSU hire - It's insightful. "People need to understand coaching is just one piece of the pie. More times than not, it’s a huge factor because talent & resources are usually close. But at Northwestern, it’s not even in the same ballpark as the rest of the conference. The academic standards make recruiting damn near impossible. The administration doesn’t care about winning. It’s basically an Ivy League school in the Big Ten. Pointing to a couple bad seasons (from a record standpoint) is lazy. Speaking from personal experience (yes, at a much different scale): I coached at Mumford HS in Detroit as the DC for a few months. We had 3 coaches & 18 total players in the program with a team-wide average GPA of a 0.9 when we arrived in the summer, and had to play JV & Varsity games with those 18 players (do the math on that). We somehow won a game. But of course we lost to Cass Tech 70-0. Went to Belleville right after the regular season as the OC and won 70-0 first game in the playoffs. Do you think I didn’t know how to coach then all the sudden learned in one week for a 140-point turnaround? No… We won at Belleville because we had Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, etc. We lost at Mumford because we didn’t (and played against CJ Sadler, Don Tabron, etc.). While talent gaps are much greater in high school, I’m explaining the point that coaching only matters when the talent gap is manageable." Akron like Northwestern's issues are largely structural (and financial here), and Moorhead is not to blame there. Without addressing those underlying issues, a coaching change seems cosmetic. Unless they could line up someone like Jason Taylor. They are working to address the underlying issues though.

Cornerback signing

I was really concerned for @NWAkron when they rolled out the new t-shirt cannon. He was safe because they clearly didn't practice with their new toy. But after a few more games....

Apparently not 100000000000% committed after all

Congratulations to Mitch Budler. He will participate in the pre draft showcase..... The MLS draft will be held on December 18th.

This should be a high-scoring affair with the Zips averaging 96.2 ppg and Murray State averaging 89ppg. Murray State leads the MCV in 3-point shooting. Will the Zips be able to guard the perimeter? Recently, it seems to be a struggle. Murray also focuses on offensive rebounding to get extra possessions. They've had games with 19 and 16 offensive boards. Can the Zips limit second chance points?

Probably the most talented, definitely the deepest. One area they continue to get beat on defense is on the perimeter. They are dedicated to playing help defense which has the defenders on the off side of the ball sagging into or close in the lane when the ball is on the other side of the floor. When the opponent swings the ball quickly they're caught responding late leaving open threes. They're also getting occasionally beat by cutters to the basket.

Agreed on the red being a debatable decision, but Matt can't put himself and the team in that position as a captain. Everything the Zips did in the second half was dumb, his high boot being no exception. Also, never again to I want to see a stutter step PK. Very unfortunate loss that hurts even more considering we would've been the highest seed remaining with a legit shot at a second star. Gutwrenching to say the least. Saint Louis may just be a team of destiny. I hope they prove me right by winning it all for their 11th star and first in 50 years.

That makes this loss tougher with the higher seeds losing but still an unexpected season. Great job guys!

KSU fires their CH during the season and yet ends up with exactly the same record as Akron. I have been and will continue to maintain that Akron can not compete at the DI level unless some huge changes in commitment are coming from the Administration. Simply changing the HC might make some feel better. But that alone won't get long term improvement.

Pretty unbelievable that the lowest seed in the pod was able to get three home matches.

Don't worry, they won't be able to hold a candle up to it now. 😉

Absurd start to the season for Tavari.

Yes, also if you go back to 2012 their enrollment was about 23k. In 2025 their enrollment is now north of 50k and is still growing so it has more than doubled in less than 15 years. Meanwhile, ours has been cut in half. If our student body was ~3.5x the size that it is currently (to make it comparable to Kennesaw St) we would also be in a better position to fund athletics.

Perry Kitchen-esque to send Furman to their first ever College Cup.

Does a football program really need 105 scholarships? I don't think so. The college game has been great at 85. It seems to me that the SEC and Big Ten are hell bent on spending their opposition into oblivion. I do believe that these two conferences want the rest of the D1 schools out of the big TV revenue picture. They will formalize the existing feeder system the other programs are to them and have their own national champion. A by-product of their greed will be that they kill fan interest in college football. When the fans turn off their TV's the money will no longer be there. It will take a decade or two, but I believe it will happen. For me, I'm OK will a G5 champion. The sooner the better.

I asked ChatGPT to help be breakdown this matchup. Below are some of the things that I thought I'd share. The strength of their team appears to be their guards and they do a decent job of protecting the basketball, which could prevent some of those run outs that we all love to see. Given they play a lot of zone it's no surprise to see they are a below average rebounding team. I think this is a game that Evan or Lyles can feast by cleaning up on offensive boards and getting some putbacks. Tulane Green Wave Tulane plays at a more modest offensive clip (~ 76.0 PPG), but they shoot efficiently (~46.1% from the field) which suggests they look to get quality looks rather than volume. FOX Sports+1 Their tempo and style seem more controlled, which can contrast sharply with Akron’s fast-paced, high-octane offense. On the roster, they boast a top backcourt — guards who can shoot from deep and create offense off the bounce. Key Players & Matchup Difference-Makers Rowan Brumbaugh — The preseason 1st-team All-Conference guard is a difference-maker. He’s putting up nearly 20 PPG, hitting threes at a high rate (≈ 42%), and adding steals on defense. Tulane University Athletics+2FOX Sports+2 Curtis Williams Jr. — Provides a strong second scoring option; his inside/outside ability and rebounding help balance the attack. Recently posted 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 steals in a tight win. CBS Sports+1 Tulane’s guard-driven backcourt and ability to hit shots from distance — if their shooters are hot, they can slow down Akron’s transition game and make the Zips pay. What the Matchup Looks Like — Key Questions Can Tulane slow down Akron’s pace? Akron thrives running and pushing transition; if Tulane can control tempo, get stops, and force Akron into half-court sets, they have a shot. Who wins the guard battle? The clash between Akron’s scorers (Johnson / Lyles) and Tulane’s backcourt (Brumbaugh / Williams) might decide the game — whoever gets hot probably swings the outcome. Three-point shooting & ball movement — which team executes better? Akron lives on threes and assists; Tulane needs disciplined defense and clean looks to stay in it. Depth vs. top-end talent: Akron has depth and balanced attack; Tulane has top-tier guards. Can Tulane’s stars overcome Akron’s overall team balance?

4pm tip. Freeze your butt off at soccer at 1, drive home to watch some hoops under 3 blankets at 4. Sounds like a great saturday

Groce was not happy with the defense in the post-game. He said if they're going to be great, as opposed to just good, they have to get better on defense.

Barre had the heart condition flare up at Duquesne which seemingly really limited his availability. The hoopla surrounding him came from his highlight film when he committed. He's quite athletic and long; fits this system really well once he gets going.

Good luck to 290 lb Rob hauling his butt up and down the court chasing the Zips gazelles.

It’s crazy to me how we have 7 players capable of going off and beating you every single night (both Mahaffey’, Tavari, Shammah, Sharron, Lyles and even Hardman). Liking seeing Barre get more time. A true big that can play is going to be important in March.

Congratulations to Zips Men's Soccer alum Diogo Pacheco on signing with San Antonio FC for the 2026 season. https://www.sanantoniofc.com/news/2025/12/03/san-antonio-fc-announces-initial-roster-decisions-for-2026-campaign/

Bring on Hiram!

Forever a Zip

Up to 7!

Not at all true. It was the worst kept secret that Akron planned to appeal the decision if they became bowl-eligible and expected to win that appeal. The players knew if they beat Kent and BG, they'd likely go bowling.

1) My expectations are to find a coach who loves football so much that he doesn't give a damn about the excuses. 2) If a football coach is worth their paycheck, they find a way to win 2-3 games within the first couple of years, then push .500 or better in years 3 or 4 - especially in the MAC. Terry Bowden went 1-11 in his first year, then 5-7 in each of his next 2 before going 8-5 in year 4. Sean Lewis at Kent went 2-10 in year 1 and went 7-6 with a bowl win in year 2. 3) What are we doing comparing Akron football to the Big Ten? Nobody is asking Joe to compete against P4 schools. 4) Joe is in year 4 at Akron. He faced 4 new HCs this year and a 5th who got canned weeks after our game vs. them. Joe's record in those games: 2-3, including a loss to our rival who had only won 1 game the previous 2 seasons. This schedule had 8 wins on it. Joe found a way to lose 4 of those and stole one vs. Buffalo. 5) The eye test of the discipline (or lack thereof) and X's & O's on the field aren't meeting expectations. Those two categories are completely independent of any financial troubles that allegedly plague this program. The play calling and execution sucks. The stupid penalties and mistakes we consistently see suck. Money isn't fixing that. 1 more practice a week isn't fixing that. If the 1 extra practice is a big deal, maybe someone should've raised Hell when the NCAA decided to only punish Akron despite several other schools in the same time period also failing the stupid APR metric. Once the program decided to roll over and accept the punishment, that can no longer be an excuse. As fans, if we continue to allow the program to use all of the excuses as crutches for their shortcomings, they will continue to fall short.

Being OK with Moorhead leaving doesn't make you a hater. I think he's a solid coach, I wouldn't be upset if be stayed, but I would also be OK with change if he left. My primary reason is I don't see significant progress. Was this year's team noticeable better than 2024, or did they just get to play a UMass team that had so many injuries they had coaches taking practice reps and a beat up BG team on their 3rd QB? They had one win against a good team in 2024 (Toledo) and one this year (CMU). Sports-reference.com ranked us 136 out of 136 for SOS. Could it get worse? Absolutely. You could 100% get another Arth that would be far worse and set the program back even further. But it could also get better. Maybe you find a coach who can find a recruiting strategy that works despite the lack of resources. Maybe you find a coach who donors and alumni are excited about, and support more both financially and with personal engagement to the team. Maybe you find someone who can do better than average, even if it's for a short time before moving on. Do you truly believe Joe Moorhead can lead you to a MAC Championship at some point? If yes, you keep him. But if no, I would rather take the shot at someone else, even knowing the risk. I don't ever want to just settle for mediocrity, which is where we are right now.

Got our first!

So basically you are saying we should be having buy games at the Jar vs Marquette and Providence

I'm Happy all these analytic charts use the Z. AD Goodrich, you need to put your stamp on the programs without spending a bunch of money. I think I know a waaaay.

They can't leave the conference soon enough.

College football is an unsustainable, dying entity in its current form.

Thought he showed potential, but it seemed clear he was on the staff’s bad side for reasons I am sure were legitimate. Think he’ll end up transferring down.

It was actually a very good write-up, but I have one major quibble. WE ARE NOT IN THE MAC ANYMORE! 😊