Akron men beat Oakland

PONTIAC, Mich. –The No. 1 University of Akron men's soccer team used four first-half goals – two by freshman striker Darren Mattocks – to cruise to a 5-0 win at Oakland Wednesday night in front of 1,188 fans at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

With the victory, the Zips (8-0-1) extended their regular-season road unbeaten streak to 20 (17-0-3) games dating back to the 2008 campaign. Akron, which matched an NCAA record for consecutive shutouts earlier this season, has recorded a clean sheet in eight of nine games this fall.

It was all Akron from the get-go as the Zips scored four times in the game’s first 25 minutes and had a chance to rest its starters in the second half. For the game, UA out-shot Oakland, 27-5, overall and 13-0 on goal. The Golden Grizzlies fell to 3-7-0 with the defeat.

UA jumped on top early thanks to Mattocks' first of two first-half goals. A through ball from Darlington Nagbe found Mattocks, who had slipped past his man on the left wing and tucked a low kick just inside the near post.

Akron then put together a great sequence to make it 2-0 in the 14th minute. Ben Speas, who earned his first start of the season, chipped a pass from midfield that found Nagbe, who was racing down the left flank. Nagbe then touched the ball over to Mattocks, who turned and buried a shot from 15 yards.

It was the first multiple-goal performance of Mattocks' career. The true freshman striker from Jamaica has recorded four goals in his last four matches and has now found the net a team-leading six times this year.

UA scored its third goal of the first half on a set piece in the 23rd minute. After a foul by Oakland, Anthony Ampaipitakwong launched a free kick from 40 yards near the far touchline that found the head of Chad Barson, who banged it home from close range.

The Zips' relentless attack yielded the team's fourth goal of the first 24 minutes when Michael Nanchoff uncorked a free kick from 25 yards that deflected off a Grizzlies' defender and into the right corner of the net. It was Nanchoff's second goal of the season.

Akron shuffled in 10 reserves in the second half as the Zips held OU without a shot for the final 45 mintues. Freshman striker McKauly Tulloch provided the game's final margin with his first goal of the season in the 75th minute.

Akron will next head to DeKalb, Ill., to take on Mid-American Conference opponent Northern Illinois Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET)