Nov. 26, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern's men's soccer team didn't only earn the right to play another game with Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Notre Dame, the Wildcats earned the chance to play another contest at Lakeside Field. NU (14-4-3) will host fifth-seeded Akron (17-1-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday in a third-round matchup.
Free live streaming video and Gametracker can be accessed via NUsports.com.
Freshman Oliver Kupe scored a pair of second-half goals, the first two of his collegiate career, in the Wildcats' second-round victory over Notre Dame. NU tied Loyola Chicago in an opening round contest but advanced by virtue of a 4-1 victory in penalty kicks. The Wildcats are making their second appearance in the third round in school history, also doing so in the 2006 season en route to a berth in the quarterfinal round.
Akron is making its seventh NCAA tournament appearance in the last eight years, only missing out following the 2006 season. The Zips earned a first-round bye a year ago before falling 1-0 to South Florida in double overtime in a second-round contest.
Akron's lone loss this season was by a 1-0 margin at New Mexico Sept. 12. Northwestern and the Zips have six common opponents this season. The Wildcats posted a 5-2 record against Northern Illinois (won), Penn State (won twice), Indiana (lost), Michigan (lost), Notre Dame (won) and Ohio State (won), while the Zips went 6-0-2 against those same squads (tied Indiana and Penn State).
The Zips defeated Ohio State 1-0 in double overtime Wednesday and would normally serve as the host of the game, but poor field conditions forced the NCAA to move the match to Evanston. Akron was originally scheduled to host the Buckeyes on Tuesday, but poor weather and field conditions in the area forced the contest to be pushed back a day.
Sophomore Steve Zakuani leads the Zips and the nation with 20 goals and 47 points this season. Two of the top goalkeepers in the country will square off as Akron's Evan Bush has a 0.43 goals-against average, a .851 save percentage and 13 shutouts while NU's Misha Rosenthal sports a 0.48 GAA, a .848 save percentage and 12 shutouts.
Tickets for Sunday's game cost $7 for adults and $5 for students with a current valid ID. Cost for infants is $1.