Z.I.P.

Don't tell anybody, but I think this is going to be Nick's last year as a collegian. First rounder in MLSSD is likely.

Does goal differrential matter in RPI?

Skye Harter! Looks like two very tired ballclubs on the pitch now. We have the advantage, in fitness as well as goals!

Halftime. We controlled the last 20 minutes of the half! Looking better, but this is a very dangerous opponent. I wouldn't want to face them in the post-season. And they finally replayed Nick's goal. Split the defenders and the keeper deep in the middle of the box.

Did you see that play??? Two Pittsburgh players run into each other and... EZ gets carded!!! Playing the role of Cleveland State to UNLV!

Skye gets taken down just outside the box. Moutinho's set piece kick is blocked high by the Pitt keeper. Good opportunity. Let's get into the warmth of the locker room! We ARE starting to rally and get shots on the Panther net, however! Maybe we can get another before the break.

Thank you Nick for that early goal! We are frankly being outplayed in the first 20+ minutes. Pitt looks as skilled as anyone we've played! I think we need to schedule more ACC and BigEast teams, rather than Denvers and UVUs.

Is it the background of beige brick, or is this field extra large? Also, looks COLD!!! I gotta say also, those kits look like a new purple color on my screen. Love it! Wish the basketball and football teams would try and copy!

Turned on the stream and...One-Zip to the good. And Nick's being carted off (after scoring?)!!

I would have been upset if Jared had NOT been livid!

The ESPN3 replay: http://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=3175681

This is absolutely unbe-fricking-lievable! I turned off the stream after 87 minutes!!! Just seconds before the Brennan red card -- still not sure how the OTHER BG player got red carded! And we give up the most inept goal I have ever seen an Akron team allow. That could have -- I mean the whole end of this one could have made #SCTopTen. THANK YOU Ezana and friends for providing a heart-stopping ending. Now DON'T do that again!!!

Shades of Michael Green, aka the Dark Knight of --was it St Ed's? -- who Caleb did not recruit, instead recruiting the more unknown kid named Darlington Nagaway or something like that.

Ohhhhh. I thought this was the game played at the 49ers Stadium in Santa Clara...Wrong!!! FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, as in Tejas! https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2017/05/23/frisco-bowl-to-debut-this-season-in-texas-at-mls-stadium/102067374/ BTW -- I found like about 5 sites doing bowl "prognostication", and that was the only one that has Akron in ANY bowl!

Did someone say "garbage time stats"?

I haven't watched a replay of the ESPN3 telecast, but they showed each penalty call 2 or 3 times, and I definitely agreed with the first one -- the keeper definitely obstructed the attacking player and took him down without (pretty sure here) touching the ball. The second call that was made, the Akron player (Stuart, I believe) looked to me to have stepped into the box just before he was pushed from behind. My only question is the amount of pressure applied by the defender. Had that been in MLS, the ref likely would let it pass, but college refs tend to allow less contact to call a PK. Then there was the earlier play in the second half where Stuart collided with the Notre Dame GK. The keeper did make contact with the ball before the collision, so no penalty.

In press releases like that, they (NDU in this case) nearly always place their own school first in order, so the '3' is for the Irish. I think the UA uses the same format. University specific, not sport specific. Though I still always shake my head when college broadcasts on TV show the road team first on their scoreboard. PAC-12 and B1G nets both do that! US Broadcasters of pro footie have learned the "proper" method, but for college ball it still tends to be backwards.

And that does it folks! Akron wins a big one 2-0 at home over ...what? No. 7 Notre Dame? In any case, this team of Roos belongs in the top 10. Two MAC teams in the top 10! Don't think THAT has ever happened!

Late penalty given to Notre Dame with 2:22 showing on clock. Holthusen pushed in the back just inside the box. Gainford takes the kick...stopped by GK, but Hinds is right on the spot to put the rebound away. 2-0, just what I was looking for!

And with that, a blast by Holthusen after a fine deek on the left side of the ND box just misses the far post. And right after that Stuart gets a breakaway, and is taken down by the Irish goalkeeper. No call! Guess he (the keeper) got a hand on the ball.

I don't like how we have lost our edge offensively in this second half. Notre Dame not possessing the ball much, but Akron not being very aggressive offensively. Let's not play for a one-goal win!

Notre Dame looking a better team at placing defensive pressure in the second half, but no real scoring chances while I've been watching. Still 1-0, down to 22 minutes remaining.

And just like that an Akron attacker is taken down about 5 yds from the goal line by the keeper, earning a PK. Penalty put away by Sam Gainford. 1-nil Akron Zips.

Played 30 mins, 0-0. Akron controlling about 65-70% of possession. I saw NDU play @Indiana, and would say we are just about as dominant, or a little more so than the Hoosers were against the Irish. Hope we can break thru before the break. As I wrote that we had a break-away opportunity, and Egbo, I think hit it early and a couple yards left of goal.

Tor Saunders has earned the starting job between the posts (again). Looks like its his to lose at this point.