Z.I.P.

Lack of interest? They could just as well cancel it this year -- since only one team has any chance of making the past-season -- no matter what happens! I guess that puts a little pressure on that one team, but maybe they need pressure, and the practice NIU and Hartwick will offer. I bet we lead HU at halftime this time (provided they beat - WMU?).

I'd look for St John's to somehow squeeze into the field. On the other hand, the other top-5 pre-season team that has struggled, Creighton, may need divine intervention. AND New Mexico will aided by the fact that it's their men's and not their women's team that's in question! UNM BYU

Glad to see the Zippers move up to the #1 slot, but man, this list makes me wonder! How in the world can Santa Barbara and Louisville be #32 and 34 with their wins? And Dayton with 13 wins is just #74. How do they get so far behind e.g., Harvard and Tulsa? Hopefully the committee will not rely too much on this RPI scheme, and leave out deserving teams.

Well...here's my prediction: We are going to get run over while playing right into their hands.When has a JD Brookhart-coached team ever shown the ability to adapt to what the opposition puts on the field -- or for that matter to what they have on the field themselves?So, my analysis says, to be competitive, Akron must not only STOP this dude Pierce who has 89 carries in the past three games, but must make plays and turn the ball over the same way Miami did last week -- and better yet, help out Patrick & Co. by putting points on the board defensively. Does anyone know if Devoe will be able to play this week? He seems to give us the long running threat we lack otherwise.

This sounds good to me, because as any Zips fan knows: We own Huber Heights! Our most recent recruits from there were NSCAA and Parade All-Americas Kofi Sarkodie and Chad Barson. --edit-- Gozips.com shows Barson from Lewis Center in Columbus area, but I thought that he and Kofi were both Huberians, and they played together for several years prior to Akron. So...Keith should be consulting with Caleb -- if he can get on Caleb's schedule -- regarding the twin recruiting targets from Dayton's NE side. Let's set our roots in Huber Heights.

Or the cheapest...

+1...With all due respect to the band, but futbol and bands don't mix. Sorry.what about the seattle sounders and their unique sound wave marching band?Having been to Qwest field this season, the best thing I can say about Drew's invention is that they are usually drowned out by the sound of the Sounders supporters section. They're so far from the field (at least were at the Barca game) that you can't hear them very well. They're just background noise to the real happening. They do add something to the pre-game march the supporters make to the stadium from the bar quarter though. They're a positive contribution to the atmosphere OUTSIDE the stadium.

+1...With all due respect to the band, but futbol and bands don't mix. Sorry.

Here's what stuck out on THIS one: Butler #4; Dayton #5; tOSU #6. But as we all know the rule -- if there are two midmajors in the same subregion -- they play each other on day 1!

And the GOOD NEWS is, he's NOT a carbon copy of Josh Egner. They have two completely different games. As different as night and day. As different as Andy and Bryan Hipsher. Well, that may not be the best example... And may cause Captain an apoplexy.

People, and I especially mean you Rowdies. Artificial noisemakers are the worst thing you can have at a futbol game. The intent is to make as much noise as you can with your OWN voice, chanting, singing, making general raucousness. If you want artificial, bring flares, smoke bombs, etc. Pretend your at the Bernabeu in Madrid or la Bombanera in Buenos Aires. Make Akron world famous among futbalistos!

Thank you for saving me $28.99 Zach! Blue Ribbon used to be worth the money, but it's gone downhill over the past few years. Ronnie Steward! Anything we get from him is gravy, man.

Still 1-0??? Should be in final 10 about now.

Here's a random comment wrapped around a quandary. It seems that Dakotah Euton is for all intents and purposes a carbon copy of Josh Egner, who has already verballed. Does anyone see any significant difference in the two games? SO, if they're the same thing, why do we need two of them? Is it possible that either Akron is not as high on Euton as has been believed, or that if Euton DOES verbal, that Egner becomes redundant -- to use a mostly British euphemism? Hip, hip.

This interesting piece of trivia appears on Gozips.com: "Akron, which leads Michigan State 22-10-1 in an all-time series dating back to the 1962 campaign, is undefeated in its last 22 matches (21 wins and one tie) with the Spartans." Suffice it to say, that while the series started in MSU's favor (like winning 10 of the first 11), we now OWN the team from East Lansing.2-0 sounds good to me. Let's keep that string of clean sheets going.

Okay -- I admit, I was going to spoof this whole techno-foible thing with some snarky comment along the line of "Yeah -- everytime I hit Akronu.edu I get some ISP site holder. What's up with that?". BUT -- this really got me -- try Googling Akronu.edu and see the 848,000 hits you get. The misuse/miseducation of the proper name of the university is amazing and huge. My favorite has to be the Encyclopedia Britannica article reprint titledProenza Aims to Enhance Akron U's Visibility. Sorry -- that "insert link" device isn't working again! The URL is: http://http//www.britannica.com/bps/additi...n-Us-visibilityWouldn't you think, at least the PRESIDENT would know the name of the place???

Okay, okay -- I agree with you folks who say that we made a step up this year. No one can argue with that. But hey, was the 11th-place prediction realistic? I think we should have been placed right about the middle of the pack -- and we exceeded that with a third place finish in the regular season. That IS to be congratulated and celebrated. But let's not spend too much time patting ourselves on the back. This team has a lot of work to do to get where it can, and in my opinion should be -- a MAC title contender every year, and a team that like at least our men's bb, is capable of surprising the experts by winning in the NCAA tourney. Zack, I'm looking at the roster, and I see only two seniors who were big cogs in this team's success -- Li'l Britni who is one of the top players in our 9-year history without a doubt, and Kate Ferrara who was a stalwart in the center of the field. A couple of others contributed, but look at what we have back next year -- beginning with our possible MVP GK in junior-to-be Jen Wolbert. Rachel Phillip, Wise, Petrole, Clark, Cloutier -- these ladies are the makings of a contender in 2010. All they have to do is believe from the start, and when they get to the post-season they'll have the experience and mental toughness needed to play to be as should be the habit in the Land of the Zips.

Freakin' right 24724! And welcome to the board. However, you are ASSUMING that all our players will be around until they finish four years. For Ampai and Blair, that could be assuming more than we should. After the season, they will have a chance to be evaluated by MLS scouts. I have a feeling, as great as those two All-Americans to be are, that there will be no drop off when Scott Caldwell takes over for one in, I guess, central midfield.BTW -- Did you all know that Perry Kitchen will be the youngest athlete ever to sign a letter of intent? He was born on February 29, 1992 and has had just four birthdays!

Where's that doggone horse? Ah, yes! Be dead all ye conspiracy theories! Mr Huggins left for the same reason all Akron coaches (the one's who aren't fired) who leave, leave: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Since it appears no one else will, let me thank See Tee Zip for pretty much expressing the feelings I've had for the Akron-K-ent "rivalry" since UA joined the MAC. The only reason these two schools are rivals, is because there's no one else wants to play with them. When I was at Akron U. about thirty years ago, I don't think we played Can't in any sport in my entire time there. Akron's main rival was -- uh, oh, talk about inviting trollers! -- Youngstown State. Ron Jaworski was one of the most hated people in Summit County in the mid-70s. They had a running back who absolutely killed us. Does that mean I want to go back to that rivalry? Hell no! But, honestly, from where I come from, I can't feel any more mirth toward K-ent State than I can to a stranded kitty. That being the case, this week's game is vs Stranded Kitty State, so let's kick the kat back where it came from! Sorry Humane Society and PETA!BTW -- don't bring up the boys from Cowlumbus -- there's plenty for Akron, Can't, YSU and every other state U in Ohio to hate about the relationship with THE Cowlumbus State University.

Does Teal have Zaki's upside, in terms of what you can't teach? -- Steve-o got the #1 pick based almost entirely on his pace. I have to feel that Teal -- more than Steve -- needs another year of seasoning before he can be assured of being a Generation Adidas initiate. However -- I believe MLS makes that determination independently do they not? IOW, the players who are considered of that class are informed of their position by MLS in order to help them decide.The Hermann is another issue altogether. As I wrote on Razor's blob, he has to already be near the top of the list, based on his leading the #1 team in the nation. If he gets even CLOSE to the 20 goal mark and what Zaki scored last year, there's a possibility a sympathy vote will kick in based on Steve being robbed last year. Call it the Paul Kennedy effect, after the Soccer America writer who keeps saying Steve was the Herman winner.NOW -- as far as our underclassmen who could make themselves available for the draft? Look at our junior class first. The two midfielders are prime candidates. P.S.: I did like the comment on the Big Soccer board: The problem for Caleb might be one of "over-recruiting". lol!

Any chance we could just kidnap the whole broadcast crew, and force them to show soccer instead??

Yeah, right! I heard Glenn Beck say the same thing!

I HATE that! So much momentum going into the post-season, then Kersplat! And the fact that it was Miami (MIAMI!) makes it that much worse! Coach Pfau, you have a good group of youngsters, now it's time to reach the next level. 2010 needs to be the club's breakout year.

Okay! What is this, some kind of joke?!?