2023 Women's Soccer

[zippy-claws]

I haven't seen a thing regarding the Women's team having any signings on NIL signing day.  Did I miss something?  I'd expect to see the coach's first class publicized, based on the shape of the program she inherited.  

[TennZip]

top drawer soccer shows that they have two 2023 recruits

https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer/college-soccer-details/women/akron/clgid-128/tab-commitments#sectionblock

[fknbuflobo]

4 hours ago, zippy-claws said:

I haven't seen a thing regarding the Women's team having any signings on NIL signing day.  Did I miss something?  I'd expect to see the coach's first class publicized, based on the shape of the program she inherited.  

Are you suggesting our WSOC program forgot to sign players?

[malonepioneer12]

The problem is that no one cares about the woman’s program.  So if they signed players or didn’t sign players….it doesn’t matter.  

[fknbuflobo]

We care about WSOC.  But the program has never realized it’s potential.  Same resources as MSOC.  Same facilities.  Some of the very best high school programs in the nation are a short drive from Akron, not to mention the various academies in the area.  It should be very doable to recruit at least red chip talent - without ever boarding a plane.  Hopefully, Simonetti can do that.  If she cannot, I know coaches who can.  Give her some time.

[malonepioneer12]

I respectfully disagree - the only people at the games are parents.  I don’t know that it still happens but I know a men’s ticket used to get you in free to watch a woman’s game.  If the men’s team doesn’t get close to filling up the stadium like 10 years ago unfortunately the women’s team doesn’t have a chance.  Couple that with the poor performance on the field …they are in a tough situation.  Nothing like showing all the MAC championships, NCAA appearances and College Cup appearances on the one side of the fence (up until last year) and the one MAC East title in 2009 for the women (if memory serves me right).  No disrespect to the women’s team.  I hope they win the national championship but like I stated before the attendance shows if people care.  That being said….Good luck to them in the upcoming season.  It is time to turn the program around.  Winning will make people care.  

[Zip_ME87]

Womens Soccer player signings were announced on ZipsWSoccer Instagram account.

[Zip_ME87]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoQGaOnpMDB/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[Zip_ME87]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoU4Jzzrjqf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[Zip_ME87]

According to ZipsWSoccer IG account, there is a women’s Spring match at Cleveland State at 1 pm today. Great to see Jen scheduling Spring matches. 
 

Go Zips!!!

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpaUaO6rzyz/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[ZippyRulz]

Don't look now but it's Aug. 1 and the women's season begins in 1 week.

 

[ZippyRulz]

Womens team hosts Robert Morris at 4:00, prior to the Mens game vs. Niagara.

 

https://gozips.com/news/2023/8/23/akron-hosts-robert-morris-in-womens-soccer-home-opener

 

[zippy-claws]

I know the 4 p.m. kickoff may deter a few, but it would be so nice to see a few of the Men's supporters and season ticket holders come early and give these women some support.  The women's team goes way out in their support of the Men's program, and Jared makes sure his guys are at the Women's games, which is appreciated to see.

[zippy-claws]

In town from FLA to escape the hurricane, and went to the match last night vs. Dayton, and boy....wow...don't know what to say.  The women played hard, and look a lot faster than last year, but after a nice early goal and a PK to go up by 2, it was all over but the lack of shouting.  The coaching staff is way over their head, and while Coach Simonetti may be a good D3 coach, it doesn't translate to D1.  This was not one of Guthrie's better hires, and he will never admit it.  They lose their shape on the field way too often and way too quickly.  They don't possess the ball much, so the D is stuck with lots of attempts on goal.  I know, you boys from the men's forum are going to tell me, "give her a chance", and "it's way too early" etc. but the main thing as to giving her a chance is, the recruiting class was not good.  Not even mediocre.  And it shows.  Portal?  2 athletes this year.  True, they miss Bower and Nguyen right now, but that's where the recruiting class comes in.  

 

How can a school with a Men's program like ours never produce even a middle-of-the-pack team after all these years?  Here's a thought....ask Ger or Michael or Attilla to become the Women's head coach, and let them share their thoughts with Jared to work out a plan to a) recruit better players both HS and Portal, and b) game-plan better strategies.  Don't know if they would consider it, but it would be a great place to start.

[72 Roo]

Unfortunately I think there is more reality in your post than the rest of us have come to believe. We are told this program is turning around. Then you see the product on the field and all you can do is shake your head. Jen will be given time. Last year was a pass. This year is only expected to establish the foundation for success. Next year is do or die. If she can't do it we just lost three years and we are following football's miserable tradition. At least JoMo came to rescue football. Who will put women's soccer on the map remains to be seen.  

[fknbuflobo]

I too attended Thursday night versus Dayton.  A long-time season ticket holder for MSOC, I attend 2-3 WSOC matches per season. 

 

I love futbol.

 

If I am the HC, I would make adjustments in my personnel once I go up early 2-0 to a side thought to be superior.  Especially since defending is my team's weakness.  Keep formation and system the same but move my best talent back in the formation.  In particular, move F to MF.  (Defensive midfield is where the Zips got crushed.)  Give some bench players a fresh look at forward.  Close out the contest.

 

I am familiar with freshman F Rachel Wenzel, having watched her play for many years in HS and in club.  She played the full 90.  I was surprised to discover that Rachel is among the best players on the roster.  In fact, most of the Zips players who caught my eye are underclassmen.  Sophomore F Emma King is a player.  Freshman GK Sara Bower is tough and technical, if not a bit short to play GK.  Freshman D Hannah Langstaff had a rough night, but her talent is evident.  Freshman Anna Simmons showed some spark off the bench at offensive MF.  Players listed above will be better in the future, and they are already among the best on the quad right now.  So, I disagree with zippy-claws regarding the recruiting of late.

 

Coach Jen Simonetti is a coach I would have hired as an Athletic Director.  She has the player pedigree and the coaching experience perfect for the position.  To speak with her personally, or to watch her conduct practice, one comes away impressed.  "There is a leader I would fight for," is the common response.

But you guys are right; results are what matter at this level.  Jen must convert these players and/or bring in a few of her own.  She has until next year to show real improvement.  It bears repeating that the facilities and resources at Akron deserve a topflight WSOC team.  And the girls' programs in NEO are among the very best in the country, whether HS or club.  Recruiting in this area should not require superhuman effort.

 

In summary, the Zips are a team of fast athletes playing the game very slowly.  They are thinking way too much instead of letting it flow.  Passes are tentative and without conviction, leading to passing inaccuracy and possession turnover.  Futbol is not classical music, it is improvisational jazz.  Zips are making sure to read the music correctly instead of just finding the groove.

 

Sorry zippy-claws, but the coaching staff of MSOC hardly should be held up as a shining example for WSOC to emulate.  The current MSOC staff has never won an NCAA Tournament match, and Embick/Coppinger last won an NCAA Tournament match in 2018.  MSOC have their own problems to fix.

 

[Zip_ME87]

21 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

At least JoMo came to rescue football. 

 

...yet to be shown.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Zip_ME87

[zippy-claws]

On 9/2/2023 at 1:43 PM, fknbuflobo said:

Sorry zippy-claws, but the coaching staff of MSOC hardly should be held up as a shining example for WSOC to emulate.  The current MSOC staff has never won an NCAA Tournament match, and Embick/Coppinger last won an NCAA Tournament match in 2018.  MSOC have their own problems to fix.

 

Seriously - did you re-read this after you wrote it?  Because if you did you wouldn't have hit "submit reply".  So, a team that has not had a winning record since 2009, has not produced a single All-MAC player, and has never had a recruiting class judged worthy of a mention in its history should not emulate a program which has produced 125 wins in the last 10 seasons, and only lost 25.  Or emulate a team that has made 8 of the last 10 NCAA tournaments, including a final?  Or emulate a program which has had top-10 recruiting classes year after year after year, who recruits locally, nationally and internationally?  Then if this isn't a program, readily available to study, ask advice from, learn from, then who or what program in your opinion is?  Sorry they haven't won an NCAA match since 2018, but all I'm asking is a program that can be middle of the road in the MAC for women, I'll take the MAC playoffs as a starting point, before I even have the luxury of worrying about not winning an NCAA match.

[Zip_ME87]

2 hours ago, zippy-claws said:

Seriously - did you re-read this after you wrote it?  Because if you did you wouldn't have hit "submit reply".  So, a team that has not had a winning record since 2009, has not produced a single All-MAC player, and has never had a recruiting class judged worthy of a mention in its history should not emulate a program which has produced 125 wins in the last 10 seasons, and only lost 25.  Or emulate a team that has made 8 of the last 10 NCAA tournaments, including a final?  Or emulate a program which has had top-10 recruiting classes year after year after year, who recruits locally, nationally and internationally?  Then if this isn't a program, readily available to study, ask advice from, learn from, then who or what program in your opinion is?  Sorry they haven't won an NCAA match since 2018, but all I'm asking is a program that can be middle of the road in the MAC for women, I'll take the MAC playoffs as a starting point, before I even have the luxury of worrying about not winning an NCAA match.

 

Wow. Talk about someone who should re-read their post and the post upon which they are commenting before hitting submit. Are you seriously laying the entire history of Zips Womens Soccer on Jen Simonetti, a coach who was hired 2 weeks before the start of the 2022 season, as you seem to be in your last several posts. No coach can be expected to right that kind of history in a season for which she had no time to prepare, one recruiting class of her own, and a few games into this season. 

 

As far as Zips Men's Soccer ... indisputably great record through the 2018 Season. However, buflobo is not out of line with his comments concerning recent Men's Soccer lackluster seasons. 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Zip_ME87

[zippy-claws]

5 minutes ago, Zip_ME87 said:

Are you seriously laying the entire history of Zips Womens Soccer on Jen Simonetti, a coach who was hired 2 weeks before the start of the 2022 season

No I am not.  I just tried to offer a "think-out-of-the-box" suggestion as to how to get out of the quagmire that is women's soccer at U of A.  Do I think she's the coach to guide us out?  No., I do not.  Am I blaming her for what the program is?  No.  And as I did not say any of these things, I also did not say he was out of line with his comments on Men's soccer.  I questioned why he doesn't think the men's program shouldn't be emulated if you're trying to build a winning program.  Can you answer that question?

[fknbuflobo]

You need never doubt my sincerity or deliberation.  I was formally trained in compositional deconstruction at the University of Akron.

 

I too would be satisfied with Zips WSOC hosting (and losing) the MAC Tournament.  That would be quite an improvement over struggling to achieve mediocrity.  But this is an unacceptable goal for MSOC, who are accustomed to much greater heights.

 

The histories of Zips MSOC and Zips WSOC are not comparable.   For a long while WSOC have not even been respectable.  MSOC enjoy a long and storied legacy.  It is far past time for WSOC to catch up to MSOC.  But MSOC have not recently been worthy of that stellar legacy.  They have instead become woefully pedestrian. 

 

So, I am challenging them, calling them out.

 

Certainly, crosspollination between the Men's and Women's programs is healthy and mutually beneficial.  The two programs share the same facilities and resources; they should likewise share methodologies and techniques.  But MSOC must regain relevance and stature before any of us download their instructional video or enroll in their weekend seminar.

[TennZip]

2 hours ago, zippy-claws said:

Seriously - did you re-read this after you wrote it?  Because if you did you wouldn't have hit "submit reply".  So, a team that has not had a winning record since 2009, has not produced a single All-MAC player, and has never had a recruiting class judged worthy of a mention in its history should not emulate a program which has produced 125 wins in the last 10 seasons, and only lost 25.  Or emulate a team that has made 8 of the last 10 NCAA tournaments, including a final?  Or emulate a program which has had top-10 recruiting classes year after year after year, who recruits locally, nationally and internationally?  Then if this isn't a program, readily available to study, ask advice from, learn from, then who or what program in your opinion is?  Sorry they haven't won an NCAA match since 2018, but all I'm asking is a program that can be middle of the road in the MAC for women, I'll take the MAC playoffs as a starting point, before I even have the luxury of worrying about not winning an NCAA match.

    I agree with Fknbuflobo.    His response is not talking about the last 10 years.     All zips fans should be very happy with the great results from 2015 to 2018.   In those 4 years, the zips went to 3 final fours and reached the final in 2018.   The coaching staff for those 4 years was Coach Embick, Leo Chappell, TJ Kolba and Ger Coppenger.    Leo Chappell departed the zips team late in the 2018 season and TJ Kolba left after the 2018 season to go to Michigan State.   The results in the last 4 years (with Michael Nanchoff joining Jared and Ger) have come no where close to the results achieved by the coaching staff from 2015-2018.   Yes, you can say that zips mens soccer fans have become spoiled.    The zips team of 2021...lost their last 3 games to Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Santa Clara.   Zips fans expect better than to lose to Santa Clara in the NCAA tournament.   Recruiting classes have still been ranked in the top 10 or top 15.   Yet, the on field results have not been what zips fan have expected.   The 2021 and 2022 teams both gave up a lot of goals on corner kicks and both teams scored almost no goals on corner kicks.   I am writing this response after watching the zips get dominated in the first half on a Friday night by a Michigan team that is picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten.   Yes, I would agree that Fknbuflobo's post is controversial.   Everyone who knows anything about zips soccer history.....loves and worships the entire Nanchoff family.   However, the facts clearly show that Michael Nanchoff has been part of the zips coaching staff for 4 years and that Ger Coppenger has been the lead assistant for 4 years and the zips have won 0 tournament games.  One year, the zips did not even make the 4 team MAC tournament.    With the talent on this team, the mens coaching staff needs to focus on their own team.

 

    I have never seen a women's soccer match in person.   All I will say.....is that Noreen Herlihy left her successor a pile of manure.   Larry Williams and Charles Guthrie should never have allowed Herlihy to be the zips coach and still live in the Pittsburgh area.    I know that the poor Akron U financial picture had an impact on Guthrie not firing Herlihy outright after the 2021 season...because the zips could not to afford to pay Herlihy for the 2022 season (when Larry W. had dumbly given her a multi year extension).   However, an excellent Athletic director would have found the funds to fire Herlihy after the 2021 season.

 

   If your response had said, I want women's soccer to emulate the zips coaching staff from 2015-2018, I would be more comfortable with your reply.    This current coaching staff does not have time to help the women.    This coaching staff needs to focus on this year's team.   None of us want to see Will Jackson leave Akron U. as a starter for 5 years and to have never won an NCAA tournament game.    Jared, Ger and Michael need to focus on the men's team.

 

       

[Zip_ME87]

2 minutes ago, zippy-claws said:

No I am not.  I just tried to offer a "think-out-of-the-box" suggestion as to how to get out of the quagmire that is women's soccer at U of A.  Do I think she's the coach to guide us out?  No., I do not.  Am I blaming her for what the program is?  No.  And as I did not say any of these things, I also did not say he was out of line with his comments on Men's soccer.  I questioned why he doesn't think the men's program shouldn't be emulated if you're trying to build a winning program.  Can you answer that question?

 

Yes, I can answer. As you say that I misunderstood you, buflobo did not say the Men's program shouldn't be emulated. He said "...the coaching staff of MSOC hardly should be held up as a shining example for WSOC to emulate." The current coaching staff has not maintained the standard. 2019 is a season we would all like to erase from the record book. Forget the COVID season(s)...doesn't count due to being out of anyone's control. 2021 and 2022 fell short...losing at home to Santa Clara and Pitt, and I'm not sorry to state that. The bar has been set high...maintaining it is difficult, yes. But, that is the expectation.

 

[fknbuflobo]

We do disservice to WSOC by continuing on this thread a referendum on MSOC.

My apologies for that. 

[mes102]

On 9/2/2023 at 1:43 PM, fknbuflobo said:

I am familiar with freshman F Rachel Wenzel, having watched her play for many years in HS and in club.  She played the full 90.  I was surprised to discover that Rachel is among the best players on the roster.  In fact, most of the Zips players who caught my eye are underclassmen.  Sophomore F Emma King is a player.  Freshman GK Sara Bower is tough and technical, if not a bit short to play GK.  Freshman D Hannah Langstaff had a rough night, but her talent is evident.  Freshman Anna Simmons showed some spark off the bench at offensive MF.  Players listed above will be better in the future, and they are already among the best on the quad right now.  So, I disagree with zippy-claws regarding the recruiting of late.

 

It bears repeating that the facilities and resources at Akron deserve a topflight WSOC team.  And the girls' programs in NEO are among the very best in the country, whether HS or club.  Recruiting in this area should not require superhuman effort.

 

 

I agree about the talent level in NE Ohio at the HS/Club level. I think it’s still too early to judge the new coach's recruiting at this moment, but I agree that so far it looks like she's done a decent job recruiting considering how late she got the job prior to last season. There is one decision on the recruiting trail for the class of 2024 that has me confused, but I want to see the entire 2024 class before I start to question the omission. 

Edited September 9, 2023 by mes102