The University of Akron men’s soccer team (6-3-1) opened Mid-American Conference play with what might have been its best performance of the season, defeating the Buffalo Bulls 4-0.

It was all Akron from the beginning as the Zips scored their first goal at the four-minute mark, when senior captain Brad Ruhaak delivered a header that found the back of the net coming from a corner kick from teammate Pau Belana.

The Zips wouldn’t score again until the 38th minute when junior Tyler Sanda scored his second goal of the season off an assist from teammate Jonathan Lewis. That would be Lewis’s team-leading sixth assist on the season.

With less than one minute to go before halftime, Adam Najem put away a penalty kick that would give the Zips a 3-0 lead. It was Najem’s team-high fifth goal of the season.

The majority of the second half was scoreless until the 88th minute, when freshman Marcel Zajac netted his first career goal off an assist from senior Goncalo Soares.

The Zips have still yet to concede a goal at home. The shutout was goalkeeper Ben Lundt’s sixth clean sheet of the season.

Akron is back in action Tuesday, Oct. 11, as the team travels to Michigan State University to take on the Spartans. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.