The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Birmingham Southern
No. 3 UAB drops 2-1 decision at Birmingham-Southern
10/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 1, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Freshman Karim Dietz scored the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute to lead Birmingham-Southern to a 2-1 victory over No. 3 UAB at the BSC Soccer Complex here Wednesday night. It marked the first victory for the Panthers against the Blazers in the last seven contests between the two schools.
"Tonight's result was just a simple matter of Birmingham-Southern outplaying us," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "We had a tough time getting into a rhythm tonight. I am disappointed to lose such a big game, but in reality, it is very tough for a team to go undefeated throughout the season. We have another tough game this weekend against South Florida, so we just have to fix the things that weren't right and keep on going."
The two teams went scoreless through the first half of play; however, each team had a good scoring opportunity. The Panthers' first chance came in the 31st minute when a free kick found the head of BSC's Jamie Holmes, but UAB goalkeeper Alberto Robles was able to get his hand on the ball and tip it over the crossbar.
The Blazers (6-1-2) had a great opportunity a few minutes later at the 37:43 mark. Freshman Jerson Monteiro hit a shot off a corner kick which beat BSC goalkeeper Gavin Long, but Panther defender Thimo Langner was there to clear the ball off the line and harmlessly away from trouble.
The Blazers finally broke through in the opening minutes of the second half. At the 51:19 mark, Rogerio Oliveira chipped the ball over the BSC defense, onto the foot of a streaking Lukasz Kwapisz. The Oshawa, Ontario native was able to get his foot on the ball, poking it past the BSC goalkeeper to give UAB a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers (6-1-2) struck back at the 58:03 mark. Dietz took a corner kick which found its way through the UAB defense and was headed in by Jamie Holmes, knotting the game at a goal apiece.
UAB almost regained the lead in the 69th minute when senior co-captain Nnamdi Ngwe had a break-away down the right side of the field. However, his shot from 15-yards out hit the crossbar and went out of bounds.
Holmes set-up the game-winner when he took a free kick just outside the Blazers' 18-yard box, where he found a wide open Dietz streaking down the right side of the box.
The two teams played even throughout the contest, as each team had 13 shots and three shots on goal. It marked the first time BSC has ever beaten a ranked team.
The Blazers will try to bounce back in the win column when they return to play in Conference USA against South Florida on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. CT in Tampa, Fla.
