The University of Akron men's soccer team captured the school's first team national championship on Sunday, using a late goal to defeat Louisville 1-0 at Harder Stadium in the NCAA College Cup.
The third-seeded Zips closed out their historic season with a 22-1-2 record, while the top-seeded Cardinals suffered their only loss of the year, finishing 20-1-3.
Akron, which was appearing in the national championship game for the second time in as many seasons, broke a scoreless tie in the 79th minute with a corner kick goal by Scott Caldwell. Anthony Ampaipitakwong provided service from the left side of the field. After a volley, Caldwell had his first shot deflected off a wall of defenders. But the sophomore collected the rebound and sent the ball into the upper right-hand corner of the net from 15 yards.
Lousiville, playing in its first national title contest, threatened to punch in the equalizer with a flurry of attempts in the final 1:30 of regulation. One shot was blocked by UA defender Chad Barson and Zips' goalkeeper David Meves stood strong as the final seconds ticked away and the celebration began.
The Zips celebrate with the national trophy after beating Louisville, 1-0, in the College Cup final.