The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Host Tulsa In Vital Conference USA Match Up
10/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 20, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's soccer team, in the midst of a three-game homestand, will face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at West Campus Field. It marks the fourth time the two teams have done battle on the pitch, splitting the series at 1-1-1.
The Blazers enter the game having defeated then-No. 18 Kentucky on Oct. 14, 1-0, in overtime on a goal by senior forward Jerson Monteiro just 1:27 into the first overtime. The game is crucial, as the Golden Hurricanes are two points ahead of UAB in the most recent C-USA standings (Tulsa-9 points, UAB-7 points).
Tulsa enters the game having won three of its last four contests to improve to 6-8 overall and 3-2 in C-USA play. The Golden Hurricane's only defeat in their last four contests came at the hands of top-ranked SMU (2-0 on Oct. 11).
Scouting UAB
UAB enters Saturday's contest coming off a hard-fought 1-0 overtime win vs. then-No. 18 Kentucky on Oct. 14. The Blazers scored a goal just 1:27 into the first overtime on a header by senior forward Jerson Monteiro. Sophomore midfielders Dejan Jakovic and Two-Boys Gumede assisted on the goal.
Monteiro, who earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors, leads the team with 10 goals and 24 points on the campaign, while senior forward Lukasz Kwapisz is second on the team in both categories (six goals, 12 points). Both players rank among the league leaders in goals and points on the campaign.
Redshirt freshman Wes Johnson, making his third career start, shut out the Wildcats offense, making two saves on the night. He improved to 4-0 on the season and it marked his second shutout of the campaign.
Scouting Tulsa
Tulsa enters its contest at UAB on a bit of a hot streak, having won three of its last four contests, including a 4-2 victory over Oral Roberts last Tuesday night.
The Golden Hurricane are led by Eric Burkholders four goals and 10 points on the season, while Jose Parada is second on the squad with three goals and eight points. As a team, Tulsa has scored only 15 goals on the season and been shutout seven times.
Goalkeeper Tyrel Lacey has been the starting netminder as of late, going 3-1 over Tulsa's last four contests, including two shutouts against two C-USA opponents (at FIU, vs. Marshall).
Saturday's game will mark Tulsa's fifth road game over its last six contests; however, the team has also been playing its best soccer of the season as of late. After beginning the campaign with two wins over their first seven contests, the Golden Hurricane have won four of its last seven. Currently, Tulsa is two points ahead of UAB on the conference standings entering the game (Tulsa has nine points, UAB has seven).
Monteiro Racking Up Awards
Coming off a pair of outstanding offensive performances this past week, senior forward Jerson Monteiro was tabbed the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week, league officials announced on Monday. Furthermore, the Houston, Texas native was also selected to the College Soccer News' National Team of the Week, following his performance against Memphis and then-No. 18 Kentucky. It marks the first time Monteiro has earned the National Team of the Week accolade, and the second time he has been tabbed a C-USA Player of the week (Sept. 8, 2003) in his career.
Thanks in large part to his five goals over UAB's last four matches, Monteiro is now tied with his brother, former UAB great Flavio Monteiro, in second place on the school's career scoring list with 30 goals.
One Goal Games
With the 1-0 overtime victory over No. 17 Kentucky Oct. 14, the Blazers won their sixth one-goal game of the season. UAB is now an impressive 6-2 on the campaign in games decided by one goal. In fact, the Blazers had won four consecutive one-goal games, prior to a 3-2 defeat at Memphis on Oct. 11. It marked the longest such streak since winning four consecutive one-goal games during the 2003 season. Head coach Mike Getman's teams are now 24-14 (.632) since the 2003 season in games decided by one goal.
Unbeaten Record At Home
The Blazers will enter the game against Tulsa with an unbeaten record at West Campus Field in 2006. UAB improved to 4-0-1 in with its 1-0 overtime victory over then-No. 18 Kentucky on Oct. 14, with the lone tie occurring the first home game of the season against Mercer (0-0. The Blazers have not had an unbeaten home record since the 2000 campaign, going 5-0-2 during that year.
Monteiro Ranks Among Nation's Leaders
Senior forward Jerson Monteiro is not only having a career year, but his numbers have earned him a spot among the nation's leaders. As of the most recent NCAA stats released on Oct. 15, the Houston, Texas native enters the Tulsa game tied for 17th in the nation in points per game, averaging 1.71 per contest. Furthermore, Monteiro also ranks among the nation's leaders in goals per game with .71 (t14th).
Blazers Ranked Fifth In Midwest Region
The UAB men's soccer team is ranked No. 5 in the Midwest Region, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's latest poll on Oct. 17. The Blazers also hope to re-enter the top 25 with a win this weekend against Tulsa. Earlier in the season, UAB spent five weeks ranked among the nation's top 25 before falling out in the Oct. 10 rankings. The Blazers received their highest ranking on the season of 15th, occurring during the week of Sept. 15.
Corner Kicks Galore
In the 2-1 victory over non-conference foe Centenary, UAB dominated play as shown by the 26-6 shot differential. The Blazers also recorded what is thought to be a school record 15 corner kicks on the night. With that effort, UAB has vaulted to first in C-USA in corner kicks, tallying 93 of them during the campaign.
Goalkeeper Depth
Redshirt freshman Wes Johnson has made it a competition in the net for the Blazers. Johnson made two saves in the 1-0 overtime win over then-No. 18 Kentucky on Oct. 14. The victory improved his record to 4-0 on the campaign. He earned his first start against Stetson on Sept. 17, and the redshirt freshman did not disappoint. Johnson made two saves en route to his first career shutout, a 2-0 victory over the Hatters. After that contest, Johnson entered the Marshall game at halftime and with the Blazers down 1-0. Johnson held the Herd scoreless in the second half, enabling UAB to record a 2-1 victory. Johnson also recorded a win over Centenary, 2-1, on Oct. 3. For the season, Johnson has only given up two goals, and has a 0.53 goals allowed average.
UAB Defeats No. 18 Kentucky, 1-0, in Overtime
Senior forward Jerson Monteiro's header just 1:27 into overtime lifted the UAB men's soccer team to a 1-0 upset victory over No. 18 Kentucky here Saturday night. The victory was the Blazers' third over a top-25 opponent this season, as they recorded wins over then-No. 10 Notre Dame (1-0 on Aug. 25) and then-No. 25 UNC Greensboro (3-2 on Sept. 8).
With the win, the Blazers, who are receiving votes to return to the top 25, improve to 7-5-2 overall and 2-2-1 in Conference USA play, while the Wildcats drop to 9-4-1 on the campaign and 2-2 in league play.
Monteiro's goal occurred on UAB's first attack in overtime. Sophomore midfielder Dejan Jakovic worked past a couple of UK defenders and sent a cross, which found the feet of midfielder Two-Boys Gumede. Gumede then one-timed a cross to a streaking Monteiro, who was able to drill a header past goalkeeper Dan Williams and into the back of the net for the game-winner. The goal was Monteiro's team-leading 10th of the campaign, and the 30th of his career, which ties him with his older brother and former UAB great Flavio Monteiro for second on the school's all-time scoring list. It also marked his fifth goal over UAB's last four contests.
Climbing The Record Books
Senior forward Jerson Monteiro enters the 2006 campaign as one of the top players in UAB men's soccer history. Monteiro has scored 10 goals in the Blazers' 14 contests this season. Currently, the Houston, Texas native has 30 career goals and 73 career points, placing him second in both categories on the school's all-time lists. Furthermore, Jerson enters the Tulsa game in a tie with his older brother, Flavio, for second on the school's all-time goal scoring list. Flavio, who played under Getman from 1999-2002 ended his career second on the all-time scoring list (30 goals) and points list (76). Combined, the Monteiro's have scored 60 goals and accounted for 149 points, which ranks as the ninth best brother duos at one program in NCAA history.
Home Sweet Home
UAB's West Campus Field is currently in its 14th season of service to the Blazer men's soccer team. Entering the Tulsa game, the Blazers are just six wins shy of reaching their 100th win in the facility. Since 1993, UAB has a record of 94-22-8 (.790) at WCF. UAB posted a school record 25-match unbeaten streak (24-0-1) that stretched from Oct. 17, 1993 through Oct. 6, 1996. UAB was 5-2 at home in 2005.
The on-campus facility also plays host to one of the more enthusiastic crowds in college soccer. During the 2003 campaign, UAB finished 16th in the nation in average home attendance (1,077/game).
Blazers Battle Through Tough Schedule
UAB has played one of the toughest schedules in C-USA this season. The Blazers have played five ranked opponents this season, with No. 1 SMU looming (at UAB on Oct. 25). UAB is 3-2 against ranked opponents on the campaign, defeating then-No. 10 Notre Dame (1-0 in double overtime on Aug. 25), then-No. 25 UNC Greensboro (3-2 on Sept. 10) and then-No. 18 Kentucky (1-0 in overtime on Oct. 14).
The Blazers have also lost to then-No. 12 Indiana (2-1 on Aug. 27), and then-No. 6 South Carolina (2-0 on Sept. 27).
Monteiro Among C-USA's Best
Senior forward Jerson Monteiro is showing why he is an All-American candidate, as well as a Conference USA Player of the Year nominee in 2006. Monteiro leads the Blazers in goals (10) and points (24) on the season. Not only do those numbers lead the team, but they also rank among the league leaders. Entering this weekend, Monteiro ranks second in Conference USA in goals and total points, fourth in shots (43) and tied for 10th in assists (4). A complete listing of all the Blazers in the league rankings can be found on page two.
