DePaul University Athletics
Saturday, November 9
Akron, Ohio
6:00 P.M. CT
DePaul University
at
No. 13 Akron
Men’s Soccer Faces 13th-Ranked Akron in BIG EAST Quarterfinals
11/8/2024 9:19:00 PM | MEN'S SOCCER
AKRON, Ohio – DePaul men's soccer travels to take on No. 13 Akron in the 2024 BIG EAST Quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 9. First touch from FirstEnergy Stadium is set for 6 p.m. CT.
The match can be streamed live on FloFC with a valid subscription while live stats are available here.
Demon Doings
The Blue Demons are back in the postseason for the first time since 2016 after a regular season of enduring adversity and coming out on the other side for the better.
DePaul (6-7-3, 2-4-2 BIG EAST) clinched the final spot in the tournament field after a thrilling 5-3 win over Butler on the final day of the regular season.
With 31 goals in 2024, the Blue Demons are having their best offensive season in nearly three decades. Their 1.94 goals per game average is 32nd in the nation while points per game ranks 33rd. DePaul has seen contributions from up and down the lineup with 13 unique goal scorers on the campaign, the most since at least 2002.
Sophomore midfielder Noeh Hernandez has shined for the Blue Demons with a team-best eight goals and nine assists for a total of 25 points. His point tally is 21st nationally while his assists per game (.56) is 14th among Division I players.
Graduate forward Logan Finnegan is second on the squad in goals (six), points (13) and shots (25).
Santiago Davila has 64 saves on the season en route to a 2.16 goals against average and two clean sheets.
Mark Plotkin is in his seventh season at the helm of his alma mater.
Akron Notes
The Zips, in their second year as affiliate members of the BIG EAST Conference, enter the league tournament as the No.1. seed after a regular season that saw a 10-3-4 record including a 7-0-1 mark in conference action.
Senior forward Emil Jaaskleainen has been on a tear leading the nation in goals (20) and points (47) while ranking third in shots at 4.47 per game. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Mitch Budler owns a .094 goals against average and owns eight shutouts to his credit in 2024.
In last season's BIG EAST quarterfinal match, the Zips fell to Xavier 1-0 on the road.
Jared Embick is in his 12th season leading the Akron program.
Series Stuff
The two sides meet for just the third time on Saturday. The Zips hold a 2-0 edge in the series including a four nil victory in Chicago on October 19. A season ago, then No. 5 Akron bested the Blue Demons 3-0 at First Energy Stadium.
Blue Demons in the BIG EAST Tournament
DePaul is making its ninth all-time appearance in the BIG EAST postseason first in the Plotkin era. The Blue Demons hold a 3-6-3 overall record in the conference tournament, last advancing to the semifinals in back-to-back seasons in 2007 and 2008.
Up Next
The winner of Saturday's contest will advance to the semifinals of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep which are set to take place on Thursday, Nov. 14 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.
Follow the Blue Demons
For all the latest information on DePaul Men's Soccer, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the BlueDemons on X,Instagram and Facebook.
The match can be streamed live on FloFC with a valid subscription while live stats are available here.
Demon Doings
The Blue Demons are back in the postseason for the first time since 2016 after a regular season of enduring adversity and coming out on the other side for the better.
DePaul (6-7-3, 2-4-2 BIG EAST) clinched the final spot in the tournament field after a thrilling 5-3 win over Butler on the final day of the regular season.
With 31 goals in 2024, the Blue Demons are having their best offensive season in nearly three decades. Their 1.94 goals per game average is 32nd in the nation while points per game ranks 33rd. DePaul has seen contributions from up and down the lineup with 13 unique goal scorers on the campaign, the most since at least 2002.
Sophomore midfielder Noeh Hernandez has shined for the Blue Demons with a team-best eight goals and nine assists for a total of 25 points. His point tally is 21st nationally while his assists per game (.56) is 14th among Division I players.
Graduate forward Logan Finnegan is second on the squad in goals (six), points (13) and shots (25).
Santiago Davila has 64 saves on the season en route to a 2.16 goals against average and two clean sheets.
Mark Plotkin is in his seventh season at the helm of his alma mater.
Akron Notes
The Zips, in their second year as affiliate members of the BIG EAST Conference, enter the league tournament as the No.1. seed after a regular season that saw a 10-3-4 record including a 7-0-1 mark in conference action.
Senior forward Emil Jaaskleainen has been on a tear leading the nation in goals (20) and points (47) while ranking third in shots at 4.47 per game. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Mitch Budler owns a .094 goals against average and owns eight shutouts to his credit in 2024.
In last season's BIG EAST quarterfinal match, the Zips fell to Xavier 1-0 on the road.
Jared Embick is in his 12th season leading the Akron program.
Series Stuff
The two sides meet for just the third time on Saturday. The Zips hold a 2-0 edge in the series including a four nil victory in Chicago on October 19. A season ago, then No. 5 Akron bested the Blue Demons 3-0 at First Energy Stadium.
Blue Demons in the BIG EAST Tournament
DePaul is making its ninth all-time appearance in the BIG EAST postseason first in the Plotkin era. The Blue Demons hold a 3-6-3 overall record in the conference tournament, last advancing to the semifinals in back-to-back seasons in 2007 and 2008.
Up Next
The winner of Saturday's contest will advance to the semifinals of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep which are set to take place on Thursday, Nov. 14 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.
Follow the Blue Demons
For all the latest information on DePaul Men's Soccer, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the BlueDemons on X,Instagram and Facebook.
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