Z.I.P.

Thank you ZW!

Maybe a former player for the Director of Basketball Operations position. I would love to see Cedrick Middleton come back if playing in Europe doesn't work out for him. Any chance Dials would change his mind about working for the Sweaters? I know I'll get hammered for this, but it looks like the rats are abandoning the ship, like ASAP. Don't look outside your portals Zips fans, but that thar is an iceberg!

What they mean is the last four AT-LARGE teams. This is just another way to screw any possible Mid-Majors that might sneak in, while not touching Northern Arizona or Alcorn State. They don't have the balls to do this to their vaunted automatic qualifiers, a dozen or more of whom are worse than any at-large selection. Am I not correct, that the "bottom-four" at large teams will get stuck with 16 seeds?

Take your chill pill Zipper! I agree that such a move by the Big East would be a gamble -- but to even bring the "Akron-to-the-BE" up in the conversation is more absurd. The reality is that Villanova's consistent top-10 team -- with a national championship -- in the second biggest NCAA sport, makes them more valuable than Temple as an overall property. This is the same logic that went into the UConn decision to move up in football less than a decade ago. But that is a large public school -- does Nova have the reasources to equal UConn's potential in FB? I think that decision is the only thing that prevents Villanova from immediately jumping at the idea. For the Big East , this is one strategy to prevent the league from imploding into football and basketball leagues. Or it could be an admission that they will never get Notre Dame to join for football and Nova is the way second-place choice.

I think, if the U was smart, they would do like the Seattle Sounders after a poor performance, and offer everyone who attended their money back!

Didn't he used to be the basketball coach at South High School? Could this be his son -- anyone? edit: Joe Siegferth was the legendary basketball coach at Akron Central and Central-Hower HS from the early 60s till 80s, I believe. He coached future Basketball Hall-of-Famers Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson as well as Akron legend Billy Turner. Our Ticket Manager is Joe Siegferth III. I assume, his grandson.

"ACC teams, which held four of the top six spots and six of the top 12 in the preseason NSCAA Top 25, went 1-5-1 against other ranked teams in the opening week. Perhaps no result was more surprising than No. 24 Michigan State's 4-3 overtime victory over No. 6 Maryland (more on that later). Louisville, ranked No. 20, defeated North Carolina State and tied favored Duke. Six of the league's nine teams took losses, and Boston College and No. 2 Virginia were the only teams to get through the week unscathed. Overall, the ACC is a surprisingly mediocre 7-8-2." There is no dominant conference this year, it appears. But NIU, with their draw at Portland, looks like a potential top-25 (and NCAA tournament) team -- again. Last year they started the season with a draw at UNC.

Thanks MD, I was just about to post that seat chart from UCSB. Total capacity of Harder is 17,000 (it was the stadium for their football team which played D-1 until 1972 I think, then came back as a non-scholarship program -- I think they were in the same conference with Dayton) briefly in the late 80s-early 90s, before killing it off for good). I suspect the blue and gold areas only seat about 2500 max, and they have over 1000 season ticket holders (I'll ask their ticket Mgr, I e-mailed her yesterday). Probably most season tix holders won't attend the Cup, unless the Gauchos are playing. BUT -- IF UCSB makes it, the place could be packed to the gills. They draw up to and occasionally over 10k for regular season games. However, they lost their opener last weekend to Cal St Bakersfield -- so I wouldn't count on them getting the home field. I'm planning to arrive in SB on Tue. the 7th and do the Sideways Soccer Tour. No foam on my pinot, please.

If that is the worst team in the Big East, what does that say about the MAC? They would probably go undefeated if they were in our league.

Akron Zips Soccer on your phone??? Dude! I've been waiting for technology to catch up with The Beautiful Game. Now at last we're seeing it happen. As far as "boring" goes...well, I just want to thank ESPN for not placing that Syracuse game on the tube. If Michael Jackson had known the power of Akron football to cure insomnia he wouldn't have had to turn to that doctor's needles.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tickets for the College Cup went on sale last week. However, there is no need to buy now -- even if you are, like me, going regardless of which four teams play. I'm betting my favorite team WILL be playing, but I found this out -- the best seats, behind the team benches (no more than 2-3000 seats, I think) are reserved for UCSB season ticket holders and the four teams' ticket distribution. Therefore, I can't even get these tix yet, if I wanted. It guarantees that those buying tix through the school will have a perfect viewpoint. I was wondering, where were the teams' tickets located at Cary last December? Not as good as this year, I don't think. Rowdies, better start saving your $$$.

GOZips88, thanks for this great post/find. This website is absolutely incredible! It's amazing how soccer is beginning to develop this sort of web-based info and tools that aren't even available -- to my knowledge -- for other sports. Can you find game-based scouting reports for NCAA football or basketball players? I've never seen it. Addition: If you read the comments about Ampai on the Wake game and scroll down to the comments form the Spring game @Maryland, it is very interesting. He seems to think Ampai may have been carried to some extent by Blair and Zemanski's coverage in the middle. I'm sure this guy has to carry some weight in MLS circles, consider the MLS has virtually $0 for scouting of their own.

Yes, it's sad but true, this place is the home of the late Senator Jesse Helms and the irreverent GP-1. Definitely attracts Tea Party sympathizers and assorted Nascar Grizzly Mamas and Papas.

Conclusion says, this may be the first team in history to complete a season clean sheet. Last season, if memory serves, we outscored opponents 57-4. That's the record to beat. You can do it, fellahs.

Final score: Akron 2 Wake Forest 0. Favorite stat: Wake Forest 0 SOG.

87 minutes in the books. About time to make the second clean sheet official.

Seven cautions in the second half. That's a lot. These two might develop a rivalry.

52:45 Darling My Darlington Nagbe. GOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Akron 2-0. From 16 yards out. Assist to Sarkodie Rocks!

Thirteen fouls in the first half by Wake Forest. It didn't help them though apparently, as they trail 1-0 @ home to Akron at halftime.

Jared Watts, star of US U-17s into the game for Wake. He could be their most athletic player. Watch him. I mean you Zipmeister!

Meister stop pulling our leg! I can tell you for a fact that it hit the crossbar. It took off a piece of paint about the size of Darlington Nagbe's big toe!

How's THIS for a WOW! Carolina -- remember them, the team we took apart two days ago? They took apart Seton Hall 4-1, the team that drew with Wake on the other side of this tournament. Heels should still be no worse than #3, in my opinion.

Shot off the crossbar by Mike Nanchoff in the 22nd minute, Close call.

Notice -- Wake 7 fouls in the first 18 minutes. They are having a hard time keeping up with their faster opponent today.

GOALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!! Darren Mattocks from 8 yards out on the left. 14:11. 1-0 Akron. The Irie era has begun in Akrontown.