Immortality awaits the Akron and Saint Louis men’s soccer teams at 1 p.m. Dec. 6.
The winner between the No. 14 Zips (13-4-3) and Billikens (12-2-8) advances to the College Cup.
Will Akron repeat its 3-0 regular-season win at home in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals or will Saint Louis get its revenge when it matters most? Here are five things to watch:
Playing at home can be huge for Akron
The Zips are 8-2-1 at home this season and haven’t lost on their home field since a 2-1 loss to Seton Hall on Oct. 3. Although Saint Louis holds an 8-5-1 series edge over Akron, the Zips are 4-0-1 in the last five meetings, with three of those wins coming at home. The last time Saint Louis beat Akron was Aug. 29, 2003, in a 1-0 game on a neutral site.
What 30-minute stretch could be crucial?
The last 15 minutes of the first half and first 15 of the second half can be huge when it comes to momentum. Akron’s win over Saint Louis on Sept. 23 proved that. Caleb Borneo scored for the Zips 12 minutes before the break. Remi Agunbiade came out in the second half with a goal 15 minutes in and Jack Roman closed out the scoring 5 minutes later.
Goals should come at a premium
Akron’s win over the Billikens was an albatross for keeper Jeremi Abonnel. The senior ranks fifth in the nation in shutouts (11) and is 10th in goals against average (.664). The Atlantic 10 Goalkeeper of the Year is also No. 20 in save percentage (.800). Abonnel has 54 career clean sheets.
Mitch Budler is even better for the Zips. The two-time reigning Big East Goalkeeper of the Year ranks first in shutouts (13) and seventh in goals against average (.600). The senior has 36 career shutouts and has only given up three goals in the last six games.
Don’t expect Saint Louis to crack in the rematch
The Billikens are riding a 13-game unbeaten streak. In the tournament, they’ve beaten Kentucky 2-1, No. 6 Indiana 1-0 and No. 11 Bryant 2-2 in penalty kicks, with the last two wins coming on the road. What’s more, Saint Louis is in its 52nd NCAA Tournament and has a NCAA-best 10 titles. This is the 25th time the Billikens have reached the quarterfinals. The last time was 2021.
The College Cup is next
Saint Louis has been to the semifinals 15 times but is looking to get back for the first time since 1997. The Billikens won titles in 1959-60, 1962-63, 1965, 1967, 1969-70 and 1972-73. Akron has been to the semifinals six times but not since 2018. The Zips won a title in 2010. This is their ninth time in the quarterfinals.
The winner plays either No. 7 Georgetown (14-3-4) or No. 15 NC State (14-2-4) on Dec. 12 in Park Cary, N.C.
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@usatoday.com and follow him on X at @bbournival.
