Akron Zips men’s soccer gives Duke the cold shoulder, moves into NCAA Elite Eight with 2

AKRON, Ohio — For the first time since 2018, the Akron Zips are headed to the NCAA Division I men’s soccer Elite Eight after defeating Duke 2-0 on Sunday night at FirstEnergy Stadium on the campus of the University of Akron.

“I think with these tournament runs, there’s always talented teams that haven’t been able to figure out how to make a run, and it’s not as simple as people think,” Akron coach Jared Embick said.

“What’s special about this team is just the mentality is awesome. They train hard, they’re very coachable. They prepare better than almost any team we’ve ever had.

“The chemistry, the connectedness of this group is so strong. You can see they make each other better. Everyone’s better because of their teammates. In games like this, I thought we were going to win all week beca