AKRON, Ohio -- Skye Harter had a dream.

It began when he started playing soccer as a kid, and came into focus when he watched the University of Akron soccer team play.

“I was in junior high,” said Harter. “That was around 2010. Those games were amazing.”

In 2010, the Zips won the national title. That came after they were runners-up in 2009.

Harter is now one of the stars leading the Zips to the College Cup, the Final Four of Division I soccer. Akron will face Michigan State Friday night in Santa Barbara (ESPNU).

This is the third trip to the College Cup in the last four years for the Zips.

Or how about this? It’s Number 5 in the last 10 years!

If you want to debate the soccer superpower label because the Zips have won only one national title in that span, so be it. But a little context is needed.

Five trips to the Final Four in 10 years is remarkable for any Division I program.

Remember, we are talking about the University of Akron – not Ohio State, Texas or some other mega-athletic program.

The other teams in the 2018 College Cup are all from the Big Ten: Maryland, Indiana and Michigan State.

In 2017, the Final Four were Indiana, North Carolina, Akron and eventual national champion Stanford.

Stanford has won the last three national titles, but the Zips upset them on the road in a quarterfinal last week, 3-2, to reach the College Cup.

The winning goal was scored by Colin Biros, of Jackson High. It came after 35 passes.

“I doubt I’ve ever seen a 35-pass goal,” said Jared Embick, the Zips' coach.

Before beating Standford, Akron upset No. 1-ranked Wake Forest on the road, 1-0.

This is the Zips' most remarkable run to the College Cup, as they have won eight in a row, six on the road.

NO ACCIDENT

Akron soccer has been booting with the Big Boys for a long time.

It’s why Harter turned down some scholarships from other schools to walk on at Akron. The Copley High product had a part-time job as a freshman while making the team.

“Akron is the best program in the country,” said Harter, “I wanted to play with the best players. It was a challenge."

Harter has earned some scholarship money. Now, the junior is a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection along with teammate David Egbo, who is from Nigeria.

Harter now plays for a team that is tied with Wake Forest for the highest Division I soccer winning percentage in the last five years -- ever since Embick became coach.

GOOD TO GREAT

Akron has a strong soccer tradition. In 1986, Coach Steve Parker led the Zips to a runner-up spot in the College Cup Finals.

Ken Lolla coached the team from 1993-2005. The Zips made the NCAA tournament six times, but never reached the College Cup. His peak was the Sweet Sixteen.

But it was the hiring of Caleb Porter in 2006 that raised the program to elite status.

Porter came from soccer powerhouse Indiana. He brought in a more aggressive style believing it would attract better talent.

The style also is more suited to players thinking about turning pro.

It worked. As in 2009, the Zips were runners-up to for the title. In 2010, they came back and won it.

Porter left Akron to coach the Portland Timber of Major League Soccer after the 2012 season.

The promoted his top assistant, Jared Embick.

And they remained a national power.

Akron Soccer Coach Jared Embick has led his team to the College Cup (Final Four) three times in the last four years.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

After firing Terry Bowden, the Zips are looking for a new football coach. Regardless of who takes the job, the rules of NCAA Division I football with 85 full scholarships and some schools with 90,000-seat or more stadiums are stacked against the mid-majors such as Akron.

But not in soccer.

A Division I team is allowed only 9.9 scholarships.

Embick said only two to four players per year are likely to be on a full-scholarship. Most have some athletic money combined with academic or perhaps financial aid based on need.

Many players also have student loans.

Furthermore, some schools such as Akron simply make a greater commitment to soccer.

The Zips play home games on campus at FirstEnergy Stadium on Cub-Cadet Field. They consistently have been in the top 15 in attendance, averaging close to 2,000 per game.

A recent NCAA poll ranked Akron as one of the nine best places to watch a Division I soccer game.

“If we get a recruit on campus to watch one of our games, we have a great chance of getting him,” said Embick “We have a terrific atmosphere.”

Because soccer scholarships are so limited, Akron can out-recruit Ohio State for a player, something that never happens in football. In fact, the Zips are far more respected in the soccer world than the Buckeyes or most other football powers.

Akron places more emphasis on the sport. Embick is paid $260,000 – a very healthy salary for a college soccer coach, but a pittance compared to Division I football.

That allows Akron to keep a coach such as Embick.

A website called MOOXYE rates Akron as the No. 5 place in the country to play college soccer. The Zips are rated behind Stanford, Indiana, Wake Forest and North Carolina. Akron beat Stanford and Wake Forest and tied Indiana this season. It not play UNC.

CONNECTIONS & SUCCESS

The Zips attract the best local players, and top international players. They have players from 10 different countries on their roster, although several played high school soccer in the USA.

“It can be intimidating when you first practice with these guys,” said Harter. “I have seen some good players quit over the years because they weren’t ready for the competition and intensity.”

According to the university, the Zips lead all colleges with the most players selected in the top five and top 10 of the MLS draft since 2008.

Players and coaches know that, and it’s a talent magnet for Akron.

“We have built an identity in soccer,” said Embick. “It comes from our style of play. It’s from the support we receive from the university and the community. We’ll schedule anyone. We’ve shown if you want to play with the best and against the best, come here.”