MDZip

Zeke currently sits at 49 blocked shots, standing right now in third place for most blocked shots in a season (probably not going to break into the top two), tied for the most blocked shots in a single game (6 against Niagara) and with one more will move into a tie for the most in a career (Marcel Boyce - in 59 games) and only three back of #7, Nate Linhart. Here's to a dozen against the Flushes!

I know that folks here don't agree, but being in the top 100 means a lot.If we beat K-ent, and somehow lose the tournament by a shot at the buzzer, we do have a shot at the Dance, and at least the NIT.And I would rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA. Not that it's going to happen.When we beat the Flushes, we will have an automatic invitation to the NIT, no matter what happens in the MAC tournament. I'd still rather make the NCAA tournament no matter the outcome of either.

OK, we all know that the winner of the Zips-Flushes game gets the top seed and the loser is #3. The rest of the league's other top two seeds could be any one of five teams right now, so that's kind of interesting. So I did a little analysis so we could see how the rest of the top of the league is shaping up.The four teams at the top of the west (EMU 8-7, Ball St 8-7, CMU 8-7, WMU 7-8) all play each other, EMU v. CMU, Ball St vs WMU. WMU cannot win the west nor get a top four seed under any circumstances. We are lucky we won at BGSU, however, because EMU wins the West if they win their game period (if Western beats Ball St, EMU wins it outright at 9-7, otherwise EMU wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with Ball St. at 2-0). If Central beats EMU and Ball St loses, Central wins it outright at 9-7. If CMU and Ball St win, Ball State wins because they are 1-1 vs. CMU and Ball State beat both Miami and Buffalo, one of whom will have nine wins and neither CMU nor Ball St. beat the Zips or Flushes. So EMU, CMU and Ball St. are all still alive for the #2 seed.Buffalo gets the 4th seed (at ten wins) if it beats Miami. If Miami wins then they and Buffalo will be tied. If no one from the West other than the champ finishes at 9-7, Miami gets the four seed by beating Buffalo twice. If Ball State does not win the West but finishes at 9-7, they get the four seed by virtue of victories over both Buffalo and Miami. If CMU finishes at 9-7 (with Miami and Buffalo) and is not the west champ, then Miami gets the four seed (beating both CMU and Buffalo twice). Buffalo could finish as high as the 4th seed if they win or as low of the 7th seed if they lose. I didn't bother with the lower seeds (though I am pretty sure Toledo will be #12 ). Lot of playing to be done yet, but my prediction is that if Buffalo ends up as the seven seed, we will see an all-East semi-final.I think this is all correct, I will see if it shows up on Ohio.com like it did when I showed that the BG game was actually important.

Actually it helps the East a little by doing it this way, otherwise all the East team would draw each other in the 2-3 bracket. The only way you don't draw the West winner in the semi's is if a 7 or 10 seed upsets them. The team it really screws over is the fifth if there are at least four good teams in the East (like last year and this year), but if you're finishing fourth in the East anyway, perhaps you don't deserve the first round bye. I think it is OK the way it is.

Now it is set up the way that it should be. Win and you get the regular season championship. That would be huge for us. Bet ESPN2 is glad they picked this game up a while ago. C'mon Zips, put on a show!

Just heard a very distinct ZI - PS!

Well really just a mid-major controversy.

I would like to have a word with the person who designed that pamphlet they made for the event... What didn't you like about it? Didn't look that bad to me.

I'd say if like Michigan gave the first offer we'd see him commit there right away...but this is Akron we are talking about. As much as I love the Zips I just don't know what would make him want to come here, instead of a BCS school...That's why we need to come out of the gate winning. Look at our offers so far. Scout list. 6 offers, and 5 of them have at least three stars, while the one that doesn't will be rocketing up the charts soon. The coaches are shooting high. We're not going after recruits that receive interest from lots of MAC schools. The only way to land them is to beat 2 of the three BCS schools on the schedule this year and to have a winning conference record. Show them that we're at least on the same level or above the BCS bottom feeders, not one of the worst teams in the country.But we are. But if I'm a recruiter in that situation, and I'm not recruiting a kid who is obviously going to play at a BCS school right away, I'd go with the angle of being able to play as a freshman (and not getting buried with a boatload of other three/four star recruits). We don't have a lot of advantages but that might be one. At least we don't have to do distance drive-bys of the Rubber Bowl any more.

With the same "last name" you're probably just another helicopter parent already angling for playing time.

Following this game on Saturday we will have only one other game until March 11th (of course it's a big game ). I don't think rest is going to be a big factor under consideration, there is pletny of time for recuperation.

I don't think people are quite getting it that this game could matter a lot. It isn't quite what Zach stated but it is close. Here is the tiebreaking procedure:1. Head-to-head competition2. Winning percentage* vs. ranked conference teams (top to bottom, regardless of division; versus common opponents, regardless of the number of times played)3. Sport specific component (if applicable)4. Coin flip* Winning percentage is used instead of record because of situations where teams do not play each other the same number of times. Therefore, a team that is 1-0 (1.000) would win the tiebreaker over a team that is 1-1 (.500).So that means it doesn't matter who wins the West only what their record is. EMU is our kryptonite, if they finish ahead of Miami under any of the tiebreaker procedures and we tie Can't for the title at 12-4, Can't gets the number one seed. If Miami finishes in front of EMU, then its ours. So the best way to insure the #1 seed is to win both games. This one against BGSU absolutely matters. It only becomes meaningless if Miami wins and EMU loses, then we're in great shape, but we won't know that before the end of our game. Of course Miami is also playing Can't so that sets up some potentially bad possibilities as well. So those of you that think the BGSU game won't matter, it very well could.

Happens all over the country - Go to Atlanta for a baseball game and you'll get "...home of the Braves". Go to Baltimore and you'll hear "O's say does that star spangled banner yet wave ...". Thats whole stadiums full of people and generally a live singer. To each his own, that's exactly what our national anthem represents. There are limits of course, but its not that big of a deal.

Just a short paragraph from College Soccer News praising the teams that had great seasons - The Zips obviously one of them. Oh, so agonizingly close ...Akron - It was great to be an Akron Zip in 2009. Akron reeled off twenty-three consecutive victories equaling the NCAA single season record for consecutive wins in a single season. Caleb Porter’s squad advanced to the National Championship match where they came out on the short end of a penalty kick shootout to Virginia. Although they did not attain their goal of winning the national championship in 2009, Akron had a brilliant season and was the dominant team in college soccer. The Zips were the consensus number one team for the majority of the 2009 season. Their attack, led by Hermann Trophy Award winner Teal Bunbury, netted a total of fifty-eight goals while a tenacious Akron defense recorded nineteen shutouts and allowed opponents to score a total of only seven goals. At the end of the national championship match Akron mentor Porter stated, “What I’ll remember more than anything this year is the way we played this game and how we approached going against the best teams in the country.” He added, “We didn’t hope to win, but expected to win. We didn’t hang on potential results, but dictated the game.” Porter’s comments sum up what was special about the 2009 team and the legacy that they leave for the teams that Akron will put on the pitch in the future. Porter, who has an overall record of 68-12-8 during his four year tenure to date at Akron, was named the 2009 NSCAA National Coach of the Year.

The "curse" is officially lifted. We can play again. By the way, OU's buzzer beater over Miami was play #8 on ESPN's top ten plays of the day. #6 was Cal State Fullerton winning on a 3 pt bank shot that looked eerily like the Penno shot.

In my best Lee Corso voice - "Not so fast my friend", there is a scenario under which we could beat Can't and still not get the #1 seed if we lose to BGSU. Without going into too much detail on tied teams, should EMU finish ahead of the RedHawks in the standings (or even tied with them because that gets into the complicated tied-teams scenarios, though it is to our advantage that Miami beat EMU), we would lose out on the #1 seed. EMU is only one game back of Miami, so its not a stretch. Our ace in the hole team is Miami, Can'ts is EMU. Both of us would have losses to Buffalo and BGSU so that is a wash. I was disappointed to see Miami lose on a last second shot, a win would have been far better for us. So there is still definitely something to play for against BGSU.

So what happened to our NCAA champ from last year? I hardly ever hear her mentioned any more.

they do tend to copy cheers from other schools, so I wouldn't be surprised....If you don't hear exactly what they are saying, sometimes ZI - PS can sound a lot like that.

buffalo coming back too...I wish we could keep a leadActually, the ebb and flow of this game reminds me a lot of the MAC Championship game last year, I'm not that worried about this one. Zips seem to be doing well.

Arrgghh - Flushes back within two.

Flushes down by 12 at the half. Go Falcons!

Nice start for the Zips 18-4. Hope the MAC scores hold up as they are right now. Can't down by 10 to BGSU.

Channelsurfing has it

Teams that we could possibly draw in our first round that I am not least bit interested in playing, only one: OU. Somebody please knock them out early.

Five hours until game time. Go Zips!