The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Louisville*
No. 23 UAB and Louisville battle to 0-0 tie
10/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 18, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The 23rd-ranked UAB men's soccer team battled the University of Louisville to a 0-0 tie here Saturday night in front of a season-high1,455 fans at West Campus Field. The Blazers controlled the game throughout, outshooting the Cardinals 21-6 on the night, while also adding nine corner kicks compared to none for Louisville.
"It is very disappointing not to win this game," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "I thought we played a near flawless game tonight. I am incredibly proud of this team. We have battled through a few tough weeks and played really well against a good Louisville team. I thought we took it to them from start to finish and did everything we were suppose to do, but just didn't get the break of a ball going into the net."
The opening 45 minutes was relatively quiet as the two teams combined for eight shots (UAB 6, Louisville 2). The half was controlled by the Blazers, as UAB (6-3-5, 2-2-2 C-USA) was able to put two of its six shots on frame and created numerous chances. UAB's best opportunity came with just under five minutes remaining as senior Mikey Spitzer sent a shot over U of L goalkeeper Brad Sokolowski from 35-yards out which hit the crossbar and fell out of play.
UAB continued its dominance in the second half, with nine shots to Louisville four. UAB saw numerous opportunities thwarted by the U of L defense and near misses. Sokolowski also did a good job of stopping the Blazer attack, making five saves on the evening. UAB goalkeeper Jeremy Drake had two saves, en route to his first career shutout.
The Blazers were led by freshman Jerson Monteiro and sophomore Leandro de Oliveira, each recording five shots on the night. Louisville (9-5-1, 4-2-1 C-USA) was led by Simon Bird's three shots. It was the third straight game resulting in a tie for the Blazers, making it the first time in school history UAB has recorded three consecutive ties.
UAB will return to action when it steps out of conference play to take on Centenary College on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. on West Campus Field.
