After handing the Michigan men’s soccer team its second straight defeat in 7-1 fashion, it was pretty clear why Akron is ranked first in the country.

The Zips have yet to lose a game this season and the lopsided victory over the Wolverines (2-2-0 Big Ten, 8-4-3 overall) at Lee R. Jackson Field on Tuesday was a good testimony as to why.

“Akron is a very talented team,” Michigan coach Steve Burns said after the game. “They are deserving of their No. 1 ranking. I think we looked at this as an opportunity to play and not try to fit in, absorb the entire game or try to catch them in a quick counterattack. That’s not how our team is built. We looked to go toe-to-toe with them and play a wide-open game."

Unfortunately for Burns, his strategy proved ineffective.

Akron (12-0-1) didn't hesitate, jumping on Michigan early and often. Zip defender Kofi Sarkodie scored the first goal of the game in the 10th minute, added another eight minutes later, and completed his hat-trick late in the second half.

After Sarkodie's first two strikes, Burns's team found itself with a 2-0 deficit in the first half — it wasn't looking to good for the Wolverines early on.

“(Akron) is good at exploiting gaps,” Burns said. “We pushed up a little too high and left too much space behind us with our defense. They were able to do a really good job of finding that gap in behind our right defense, that’s where the first two goals came from. (Sarkodie) is a player that was able recognize that.”

Michigan freshman forward Soony Saad silenced the Akron crowd with his 12th goal of the season, off a free kick in the 32nd minute — the goal was the first for any road team playing in Akron's home stadium this season.

But Saad's goal sparked a flame under the Zips, as they responded with an aggressive press. The sudden upstart attack led to a third Akron goal in the 35th minute.

As the teams headed into half time, the Wolverines trailed 3-1 and the momentum was fully in the Zips's favor.

The second half didn't turn out any better for the Wolverines and junior goaltender Chris Blais, who surrendered another four goals in the last 45 minutes. Michigan struggled to keep the Zips out of its defensive zone, and the offensive was unable to find its legs.

Two Wolverines were given red cards during the match — junior midfielder Adam Shaw and freshman forward Malcolm Miller.

On Sunday, Michigan visited Big Ten foe Indiana (2-0-1, 7-4-1), but defensive lapses and a lackluster offensive attack led to a 2-1 loss.

After falling behind 2-0, Saad was the only Michigan player able to break into the scoring column in the second half, and his effort was too little, too late for the Wolverines.

Sunday's loss snapped Michigan's four-game winning streak and marked its second conference loss of the season.

Heading into a Wednesday-night matchup against Bowling Green in a week, Burns expects his team to rebound from a tough-luck weekend.

“Our players will respond just like good teams do and we will be ready for Bowling Green," Burns said. "We are a very strong team and we are looking to finish the season with 11 wins, which we are totally capable of doing. Now it’s just a matter of getting refocused.”