Mid-American Conference

No. 16 Akron 2, No. 10 Washington 0
Box Score

AKRON, Ohio – A first-half goal by senior Stuart Holthusen (Auckland, New Zealand) proved to be all the scoring the Akron men's soccer team needed as the 16th-rated Zips registered a 2-0 victory past No. 10 Washington on Friday, Sept. 1, at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.
 
The Zips' (1-2-0) garnered the triumph in their 2017 home opener and dealt the Huskies (2-1-0) their initial setback on the campaign.
 
Holthusen scored what proved to be the game-winning tally in the 31st minute (30:27) taking a pass at the top of the box from freshman Daniel Strachan (Lakewood, Ohio) and spinning past the defender before beating Washington goalkeeper Saif Kerawala from 15 yards out for his initial goal of the season. The assist was the first collegiate point for Strachan.
 
Redshirt sophomore Skye Harter (Copley, Ohio) nearly opened the scoring at the 27:55 mark as he played a ball off his chest and to his feet where he delivered a strike that was pulled in for a save by Kerawala.
 
Coming in as a defensive substitution in 33rd minute (32:08), redshirt junior Ezana Kahsay (Asmeras, Eritrea) fired a shot in the box which nearly found the back of the net if not for Garrett Jackson clearing the ball off the line for a team save.
 
Akron outshot Washington in the opening 45 minutes, 8-1, including posting a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Senior Manuel Cordeiro (Porto, Portugal) added another shot on goal for the Zips at the 50:49 mark, one that was saved by Kerawala.
 
Senior Sam Gainford (Liverpool, England), playing in his first game of the season, created his own offense in the 62nd minute (61:28) swinging a ball around the box and along the end line before connecting on a laser which bested Kerawala to the inside corner of the net for his first goal of the year.
 
The Zips finished the evening besting the Huskies in shots, 15-8, including a 6-2 margin in shots on goal.
 
Gainford led Akron with a game-high three shots, while Holthusen, Cordeiro and freshman David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria) added two shots apiece. Quentin Pearson and Joey Parish each recorded two shots each for Washington.
 
Junior goalkeeper Ben Lundt (Berlin, Germany) pulled in a pair of stops en route to collecting the clean sheet with his 12th career shutout at Akron. Kerawala registered a game-high three saves for the Huskies.
 
The Zips return to action on Sept. 9 as Akron travels to Santa Barbara, Calif., for a 10 p.m. ET tilt at UC Santa Barbara.

 
No. 19 West Virginia 4, Wright State 1
Box Score
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior Jad Arslan scored twice as the No. 19 West Virginia University men's soccer team beat Wright State 4-1 on Friday night at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
 
In their home opener, the Mountaineers (3-0) were again led by Arslan, who has scored four goals to open his senior season, including the game-winner in all three games. Sophomores Pascal Derwaritsch and Sebastian Garcia-Herreros also scored in the win, both being the first in their WVU careers, and junior Jorge Quintanilla registered a career-best three assists.
 
The lone goal for the Raiders (1-1-1) came on a penalty kick in the 21st minute. Junior goalkeeper Stephen Banick made three saves and has allowed just one goal in his first three career games as a Mountaineer.
 
Derwaritsch put West Virginia ahead early in the match, at 4:53, with his first goal of his WVU career. The header by Derwaritsch came on the near side inside the six after receiving a ball in from Quintanilla on a free kick on the left side about 25 yards out.
 
Arslan made it a 2-0 game less than six minutes later with his third goal of the season and first of the night at 10:39. On the far side, Arslan dribbled through the Wright State defense, to the edge of the 18 where he buried a long shot into the upper corner of the net.
 
The Raiders cut the deficit to 2-1 on a penalty kick at 20:46. A hand ball on the goal line was called on a WSU shot that resulted in the penalty kick, and AJ Paterson converted for Wright State.
 
WVU would add to its lead in the 82nd minute, when Garcia-Herreros struck from inside the 18. The pass came from junior Rushawn Larmond, who sent the ball across the box to Garcia-Herreros for his first career score. Quintanilla also registered an assist on the play.
 
Arslan capped his night in the 87th minute, when he received a long pass from Quintanilla 25 yards out. After dribbling into the box, he beat the WSU goalkeeper into the upper left corner.
 
The WVU defense held Wright State to nine shots, four on goal. The Mountaineers recorded 16 shots and five shots on goal, both season-highs. The nine shots allowed is a season-low, while the four shots on goal given up ties a season low.
 
Up next, the Mountaineers host Monmouth for a doubleheader matchup on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, and the WVU women will play at 6 p.m.  Tickets to see both games are available for just $5 at WVUGAME.com, 1-800-WVU GAME or on gameday at the DDSS ticket office.
 
Bowling Green 3, Drexel 0
Box Score
Junior Moe Mustafa scored two goals as the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team downed Drexel University, 3-0, on Friday night (Sept. 1) in Philadelphia. The non-conference match was held at Vidas Field.
 
Senior Alexis Souahy also scored as the Falcons improved to 3-0-0 on the young season.
 
More information will be available later Friday night. 
 
Western Michigan 0, Eastern Illinois 0
Box Score
CHARLESTON, ILL.- The Western Michigan men's soccer team tied Eastern Illinois at 0-0 today. The Broncos took 28 shots during the game with 16 of them being on goal.
 
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Drew Shepherd recorded his second straight shutout and his 18th career. Senior midfielder Brandon Bye took 13 shots in the game. Sophomore Anthony Bowie received a yellow card in the 87th minute. The Broncos extended their streak of not conceding a goal to 225 minutes.
 
Eastern Illinois goalkeeper Mike Novotny recorded 16 saves in the game.
 
Western Michigan returns to the WMU Soccer Complex Monday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. against Cincinnati.