FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off a scoreless double-overtime tie against Portland on Thursday night, the FGCU men’s soccer team (1-0-1) returns to the pitch Saturday evening at 7 for a marquee matchup with 2010 National Champion Akron (0-2) at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

OVERVIEW
FGCU will be looking to start a season unbeaten in their first three games for the first time in program history. The four-time defending Atlantic Sun Conference Champions will host the Zips for the first time, but the two sides have previously met as the Eagles opened the 2012 season at then-No. 2 Akron and fell, 4-0.

The Green and Blue kicked off their year last Friday night with a 2-0 triumph over USF, the same team which knocked off Akron, 2-1, Thursday night. Akron tied the contest in the second half, but the Bulls scored with only 30 seconds remaining in the second overtime period to steal the win and send Akron to its first 0-2 start to a season since 2002.

WHAT TO KNOW
The game – presented by Moe’s – is a GREENOUT as all fans are encouraged to wear green. Dirty Birds are invited to a pregame gathering near the tennis courts beginning at 5:30 p.m. The contest will be video streamed free of charge by visiting ASun.TV or clicking on the links associated with this release. Live stats will also be available by following the attached link. FGCU students, faculty and staff are admitted free of charge with their Eagle ID, while adult tickets start at $6, a family pack (good for two adults and 3-5 children) is $18 and groups of 10 or more are $3. For additional ticket information, visit FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets.

Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU prior to arriving at Saturday’s match. The fully-customized loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU’s sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes that can’t be offered anywhere else.

SCOUTING AKRON
The Zips have made 27 NCAA Tournament appearances – including nine in a row – and were the national runner-up in 2009. Akron went 17-4-1 last year and took down defending national champion Indiana in the NCAA Championship First Round en route to finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the country. Akron started this year ranked No. 13 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire Preseason Poll and are currently receiving 38 votes in the poll, 10 behind FGCU as the Eagles are the first team outside the Top 25.

Akron began the season at now-No. 6 New Mexico, allowing a goal in the 3rd minute and never recovering en route to a 1-0 loss last Friday night. In that contest the Zips started six freshmen and seven newcomers overall.

RECAPPING PORTLAND
Thursday’s match against the Pilots was even throughout, with each team having a few quality chances. However, the Eagles had the better run of play late in the contest, outshooting Portland 4-0 in the second 10-minute OT session. Arguably the best effort of the evening came in the closing seconds when Xavier Madrid (Albuquerque, N.M./El Dorado HS/Westminster) played a ball into Miguel Jaime (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), but the freshman wasn’t able to make solid contact near the back post with two seconds remaining.

FGCU outshot the Pilots, 15-13, but Portland forced FGCU goalkeeper Nathan Ingham (Keswick, Ontario/Keswick HS) into four saves compared with one for its keeper. However, Ingham – the reigning A-Sun Defensive Player of the Week – was equal to each challenge as he recorded his second straight shutout to open the season and 12th of the redshirt junior’s career. Those dozen shutouts rank 10th on the all-time conference list and second on FGCU’s program list, eight shy of surpassing Adam Glick’s 19 from 2007-11.

DID YOU KNOW?
This is the first time FGCU has ever played three straight home games to open a season (program started in 2007). Last Friday was just the second time in program history the Eagles have kicked off a campaign at home, with the other coming in 2011 versus FAU.

NEXT UP
FGCU heads to the West Coast for a pair of matchups next weekend in California. FGCU will face the University of San Francisco on Friday and Saint Mary’s College on Sunday. San Francisco has made 31 all-time NCAA trips, claiming four national championships in the process – the fourth most in NCAA history. Saint Mary’s lost just one starter from last year's team which finished in the top four in the West Coast Conference – the same league which Portland and San Francisco play in – for the fifth time in the last six years.

For 2014 men’s soccer ticket information, visit the Alico Arena Ticket Office, call 239-590-7145 or log on to FGCUAthletics.com/Tickets. For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer and Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer.

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