Zip_ME87

Credit to @TennZip for pointing me to this article which is tucked away in a Preseason section of MLSSoccer.com... Reunited in Ohio: Wil Trapp, Caleb Porter lead Crew in new era ...Over seven seasons at the University of Akron, head coach Caleb Porter built a machine. During his final two before departing for Major League Soccer, Porter's midfield lynchpin wasn't an upperclassman, but a kid who would spend two seasons on campus turning heads, winning individual awards and team trophies before also heading to MLS. It was a local kid, born and bred in Ohio, the 2010 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year. Together, the pair won two regular season MAC titles as well as one MAC Tournament title, with two NCAA Tournament bids over those two memorable years. Now, Porter and former Akron standout Wil Trapp have reunited in Ohio once again as Porter inherits a Crew side led by that familiar face. ...

I've had this discussion with @fknbuflobo a number of times. Kentucky would be an awesome addition to the MAC if they could be convinced to return. If I remember Gaucho Dan's RPI conference ratings in the Fall, I think the MAC may have finished 3rd as a conference in 2018 Men's Soccer RPI. Now is the time for the MAC to look to lure some of these teams you mention. Kentucky had a great 2018 season and would be a nice geographical fit as well.

I first noticed that Leo was gone at the MAC Tourney last year when another fan noted during the Zips v WVU match that he was not there. During the NCAA Tourney match v Stanford, which I watched at the JAR, this same fan mentioned running into Leo somewhere on Exchange St. Also, Leo was not listed in the College Cup Program among the Zips staff. Apparently, the Zips runs through the 2018 MAC and NCAA Tourneys were done without Leo.

Preseason Livestream: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/02/16/preseason-livestream-montreal-impact-vs-philadelphia-union

According to this article on the Crew's website, today's Carolina Challenge Cup matches will be streamed by the Charleston Battery. Scroll to the bottom of the article. (The Crew v Chicago Fire match is at 5 pm ET today with the Battery v FC CIncy at 7:30 pm ET) https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/2019/02/16/another-test-crew-sc-awaits-carolina-challenge-cup-opener ... Each match will be live-streamed online through CharlestonBattery.com, while supporters planning to be in attendance for the entire week can purchase a 2019 CCC Series Ticket Package, or can opt for single-day ticket options. For each day, gates open at 3:30 p.m. ET. ...

A Degree 10 Years in the Making For Portland Timbers defender Zarek Valentin, it was never a matter of if he would finish his degree, but when. In just three semesters at the University of Akron, he helped lead the Zips to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, where they ultimately captured the school's first National Championship title in 2010. After two successful seasons, Valentin elected to leave the university, becoming a part of the Zips' impressive draft class that included teammates Perry Kitchen and Darlington Nagbe. He went on to sign a Generation Adidas contract and was drafted fourth overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Chivas USA. Ultimately, Valentin was selected by Montreal in the Expansion Draft, and spent the 2012 season with the Impact before going international and joining FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway for two years. In 2016, he was traded by Montreal to Portland, and is preparing for his fourth season with the Timbers. This past December, Valentin graduated from Akron with a B.S. in Organizational Supervision after working for nearly ten years to finish his degree. He shared his story of persevering through an academic journey that spanned three different countries and why it was so important to him to graduate. ...

We know one game next Fall (https://gozips.com/news/2019/2/15/mens-soccer-akron-extends-embicks-contract.aspx) 8/30/2019 @ Xavier ... The Zips will open their 2019 campaign traveling to Xavier for a season-opening contest on Aug. 30 in Cincinnati, Ohio....

So well-deserved. Thanks to the university and to Coach Embick for staying with the best Men's Soccer Program in the country, which he was instrumental in building and will continue to make even better!!! https://gozips.com/news/2019/2/15/mens-soccer-akron-extends-embicks-contract.aspx

https://gozips.com/news/2019/2/14/akron-mens-soccer-unveils-challenging-spring-schedule.aspx 2019 Akron Men's Soccer Spring Schedule Fri., March 1 - at Pittsburgh Riverhounds – Pittsburgh, Pa., 3 p.m. Sun., March 3 – at Columbus Crew (Closed Scrimmage) – Columbus, Ohio, 11 a.m. vs. Lake Erie College, FirstEnergy Stadium – 5 p.m. Sun., March 10 – vs. Sigma FC U-21/U-19, FirstEnergy Stadium, 1/3 p.m. Sat., April 6 – vs. Kentucky, FirstEnergy Stadium – 1 p.m. vs. Notre Dame College (National Youth Football and Sports Complex) – Canton, Ohio, 5 p.m. Sat., April 13 – vs. Michigan, FirstEnergy Stadium, 6 p.m. vs. Case Western Reserve, FirstEnergy Stadium, 8 p.m. Fri., April 19 – vs. Ashland, Shrank Practice Facility, 4 p.m. vs. Ohio Valley, Shrank Practice Facility, 7 p.m. Sat., April 27 – at Dayton – Dayton, Ohio, 4 p.m. Nice!!! Lots of Spring soccer. Go Zips.

The last I saw was what TennZip posted above on Feb 9th.

There it is again (from a different angle) at ~5:16 ...

DOMESTIC MLS, https://www.mlssoccer.com/ Atlanta - Darlington Nagbe Colorado Rapids - Dillon Serna Columbus Crew - Wil Trapp FC Cincinnati - Darren Mattocks LA Galaxy - Perry Kitchen Montreal Impact - Evan Bush New England Revolution - Teal Bunbury, Scott Caldwell NYCFC - Jonathan Lewis, Abdi Mohamed (2019 MLS Superdraft) Orlando City - Joao Moutinho (trade from LAFC) Portland Timbers - Zarek Valentin USL Championship, https://www.uslsoccer.com/ LA Galaxy II - Nate Shultz Louisville City FC - Ben Lundt (on loan from FC Cincinnati) Memphis 901 FC - Morgan Hackworth, Adam Najem Orange County SC - Aodhan Quinn Portland Timbers 2 - Niko De Vera St. Louis FC - Jake Fenlason Tacoma Defiance - Nick Hinds USL League One, https://www.uslleagueone.com/ South Georgia Tormenta FC - Marco Micaletto INTERNATIONAL Canadian Premier League (CanPL), https://canpl.ca/ Hamilton Forge - Marcel Zajac English Premier League, https://www.premierleague.com/ Newcastle United FC - DeAndre Yedlin Thai Premier League, https://www.thaileague.co.th/official/ Bangkok United - Anthony Ampaipitakwong