TennZip

I really want to thank Akron Zips women's soccer....for publicizing all of their new recruits that signed on signing day (November 8th) Publicizing the signees...is a great way to keep the fan base interested during the off season I believe that this is another new signee...that we have not seen.... Elisabeth Rupp plays for the Minnesota Thunder in the prestigious ECNL. The 2nd link says that Ms. Rupp started every game in her 4 year high school career for Eden Prairie, MN. https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZi80FPvAN/ https://www.newsbreak.com/eden-prairie-mn/3155668800743-ep-soccer-captains-have-talent-experience Rupp, who has started every game during her four-year varsity career, has more options to move up into the play in her senior year. Always a force on offense with her throw-ins and corner kicks, she is making more runs from the back this season. “It is fun to get up in the field this year,” she said. But Rupp’s first priority is still defense. “We know how to shut them down,” she said.

I believe that this is a new 2024 recruit...that we do not know about.... club team in FC Alliance in the ECNL played high school ball for Webb School in Knoxville, TN the 2nd link below...showed that the zip recruit had 13 goals and 2 assists in games played thru September 20 of this year https://www.instagram.com/p/CzhGtz3pw0G/ https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/09/20/tennessee-high-school-girls-soccer-knoxville-2023-tssaa-season-top-players-midseason/70877826007/ Eesha Sutharshan, Knoxville Webb: Sutharshan, an Akron commit, has 13 goals and two assists. 3rd link shows that Eesha was selected to the All Region team https://www.chattanoogan.com/2023/10/25/477159/Division-II-AA-East-All-Region-Soccer.aspx Eesha was also invited to play in The Tennessee all star soccer game. You can see from Eesha's tweet below that she had a goal an assist in the all star game Eesha's tweet I had a great time at the TACA All-Star Senior Game! My East team won 6-1, and I had a goal and assist! Thank you for the opportunity.

yes, Joshua Bartels shows as a 23 recruit.....I hope that the zips play a strong spring schedule so that Joshua Bartels, Caleb Borneo, Nathan Ferguson....can see some excellent competition in the spring.

this is the goalkeeper that was written up in the Cleveland newspaper this morning

credit to Women's soccer.....for doing a twitter announcement on the signing.. photo attached

It appears that the lady Zips have a signing from Internationals SC Kailyn Biecker https://www.instagram.com/p/Czq21K0LxEC/?hl=en&img_index=6 Below is an article from a Wadsworth publication about Kailyn Biecker https://wadsworthbruin.com/13694/sports/kailyn-biecker-navigates-life-as-a-three-sport-athlete/

another video announcement.... Addison Lambert - class of 2024 https://www.instagram.com/p/CttnEM-vwe4/?hl=en

this one is really cool.... it is a video announcement for Kaitlyn Rogowski - class of 2024.... Hilliard Darby High school.... make sure that the sound is on even has a cool aerial view of the Akron campus https://www.instagram.com/p/CvmoGwyt42t/?hl=en

that is very encouraging.....!!! here is an instagram link for a 2025 signing from Ohio Premier https://www.instagram.com/p/CxeOf90ovDe/?hl=en

Top drawer soccer has an article today...that ranks the top recruiting classes for 2024. They list Akron at #20 (One comment from me....I think they are missing Cain Castellon...a midfielder from the Colorado Rapids) https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/article/?categoryId=26&articleId=52816&articleTitle=2024-mens-di-recruiting-rankings:-november 20. Akron (NR) Commitments: D James Buebendorf (St. Louis City SC – No. 153), M Kamden Held (Chicago Fire – No. 180), M Thomas O'Rourke (NYCFC), M Jack Roman (Cleveland Force SC) big east foe....Georgetown...has the #1 rated class

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2023/11/girls-soccer-all-stars-2023-meet-the-best-from-northeast-ohio.html Ariana Vakos, Avon, Sr. As expected, Vakos was a little bit of everything in her final season with the Eagles. As a goalkeeper, she tallied eight shutouts with 48 saves. As a field player, she contributed with nine goals and three assists. She earned first-team All-Ohio honors before heading to the University of Akron to continue her soccer career.

Congratulations again to former Zip Ryan Kingsford. Kingsford had the game winning goal tonight for Loyola Marymount. Last weekend, James Madison upset #4 overall seed Georgetown in the round of 32. Tonight, Ryan Kingsford scored a goal for the Loyola Marymount Lions at 67 minutes and Loyola Marymount defeated James Madison 1-0. Loyola Marymount has now advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals and will travel next week to battle #5 overall seed West Virginia. Ryan played for the zips in 2021 and 2022 and the zips were not able to win an NCAA tournament game in either year. I will be rooting next weekend for Ryan and his LMU team mates to win their 4th NCAA tournament game this year.

Like all zips fans, I am very glad that the zips are in the Big East. Like all Zips fans, I did not like the brand of soccer that was played by Western Michigan and other teams in the Mid American Conference. However, Western Michjigan deserves tremendous credit for their success in the past 2 years in NCAA tournament soccer. Last year, Western Michigan won 2 NCAA tournament games and advanced to the sweet sixteen. Thursday night, Western Michigan's Charlie Sharp scored 3 goals and led the Broncons to a 3-0 win over Wisconsin Green Bay Today, Western Michigan went on the road and had to play 110 minutes at #15 seed Duke. Western Michigan has now won 4 NCAA tournament games in the past 2 years as they defeat the Dukies 2-1. Charlie Sharp now has 4 NCAA tournament goals this year. Western Michigan will face the winner of #2 seed Notre Dame vs. Kentucky in the round of 16. I would think that Western Michigan would host if Kentucky is able to upset the fighting Irish.

great galloping run by Laryea !!!! game winning assist

Really rough year for Big East soccer. Only 2 teams got into the NCAA tournament. Xavier lost the first night 2-0 to 7-7-4 Kentucky. Today, number 4 overall seed Georgetown lost their first game 1-0 to James Madison. Credit to NCAA selection committee. James Madison was the only team that was below the RPI cut line...that got into the tournament. James Madison went on the road and beat Pitt 3-2 on Thursday night. James Madison, 3 days later, goes on the road again and knocks the number 4 seed out of the tournament. Congratulations to the top seed Marshall Thundering Herd. They advance to the round of 16 with a 3-0 win over Cal Baptist.

When I look at the Akron vs. Notre Dame box score...and compare it to other Notre Dame box scores.....ND was missing two key players when they played Akron. Forward Matthew Roou did not play against Akron. He was tied for ND's lead in goal scoring this year as he had 10 goals and 3 assists this year in 15 games. Midfielder Bryce Boneue did not play against Akron. He was tied for ND's lead in assists this year as Boneue had 3 goals and 6 assists in the 12 games that he played.

Former Zip Ryan Kingsford played 84 minutes last night for Loyola Marymount. Kingsford scored the first goal of the game and LMU advanced with a 4-2 win.

Kentucky is really playing well right now. Kentucky at Notre Dame ......will be a very good game on Sunday.

absolute great information. I am so glad that you have joined the board. I was not aware of the US Soccer collective. I will definitely pay the $5 for the USMNT prospects. I am so excited to read what was said about the great LB prospect. Thank you again . No need to apologize for the long post. I have obviously done a few long posts in my time.

NYC Zip, welcome to the board. It is good to see an optimistic poster on the board. What do you know about the 2024 recruiting class? I only follow top drawer soccer(TDS) and they do not have the 2024 recruiting class ranked highly. For 2023, the zips recruiting class was ranked #7 by TDS. The highlights of the claas were Caleb Borneo (#38 nationally) ; Josh Hardin (#82 nationally) and Nathan Ferguson (#188 nationally. ) Borneo and Hardin were both rated 4 stars by TDS. Of course, zips fans really did not get to see the 3 top 200 recruits this past year. Caleb got injured during the summer and was not able to play this year. Nathan got hurt on the first day of practice and was out all year. Joshua Hardin is an outside back so he got stuck behind Will Jackson and Malik and barely played. I am excited to see what Caleb, Nathan and Josh Hardin can do in spring and fall 2024. Also, Caleb Borneo's Columbus Crew academy teammate, Joshua Bartels , was listed as a 2023 recruit but Bartels will not join the zips until spring 2024. TDS does not have the zips 2024 recruiting class ranked in the top 10 and they have no Akron recruits rated as 4 stars. James Buebendorf from St. Louis SC is rated #153 in the country. Kamden Held from the Chicago Fire Academy is rated as #180 in the country. We all know that it is very hard to accurately rate all of the young players that are playing academy and high school soccer. In 2022, TDS had outside defensive Levi Stephens rated in the top 100 and rated as a 4 star recruit. Levi transferred from Akron after one year. Levi went to George Mason and barely played this year. TDS did not have Ashton Kamdem rated in their top 200 and Ashton has been an outstanding outside back for Akron. Again, I look forward to your contributions to this forum. I am just curious as to what makes you optimistic about the 2024 recruting class. I am super pumped to see what a healthy 2023 recruiting class can do in the fall of 2024.

I agree that playing Big 10 teams....might help with attendance. However, it could also hurt the zips for RPI. The Big Ten this year has 1 lonely team in the 48 team field. Ohio State and Michigan have both had many losing seasons in the past several years. Akron's tie this year against Michigan (a 5-6-7 record) did not help the zips in RPI.

Pitt is hosting a first round game. The committee felt that Pitt was one of the best 32 teams in the country. At large selections....that are having to play on the road....are Seattle, James Madison and Kentucky. Those 3 at large teams were probably the last 3 teams. As mentioned by Big Greent Truck and others, how a team finishes the year...matters to the committee. Kentucky had wins over Marshall and West Virginia late in the season. Akron finished the year 0-2-3. A win against either Butler or Marquetts probably would have earned the zips a spot in the tournament. Pitt also had a head to head win over Denver. Denver is also an at large team and they are hosting a home game.. Denver was probably one of the last 4 in. The Big East really had a down year this year. That hurt the Zips in RPI. Also, the zips had 9 wins. However, 3 of the wins were over 3 of the 17 lowest ranked teams in college soccer 211 teams in Div. 1. Akron had wins over N. KY (206) ; SIU (199) and Niagara (195). Cleveland State was 166 so that also did not help the zips. Depaul was 118. So, the zips had 9 wins...but only 4 wins over teams in top 87. The loss to #99 Creighton crushed the zips in RPI. SB Zip fan, Big Green Truck and I have tried to show why the committee liked Kentucky and Pitt. Just to be Slightly contrary....Akron and Pitt had one common opponent...Notre Dame. As YipaZip pointed out, the Zips completely dominated Notre Dame in a 0-0 tie. Pitt played Notre Dame in Pitt's last regular season game. Notre Dame beat Pitt 6-0. I suspect that the Zips will have a much tougher out of league schedule next year in case that the Big East has another down year.

speaking of power 5.....the Big Ten got 1 team into the tournament Indiana, the tournament champion

The committee went almost completely by RPI.....to determine the last teams in. VCU was the only team above the cut line....that did not get in. James Madison was the only team below the cut line....that got in.