The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
South Carolina
Blazers Lose Heartbreaker At South Carolina, 3-2
10/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 2, 2010
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina's Bradlee Baladez scored the game-winning goal with just under three minutes remaining in regulation to lift his team to a stunning 3-2 come-from-behind victory over No. 23 UAB on Saturday night. The Blazers (6-3, 0-2 C-USA) held a 2-1 lead late in regulation, but surrendered two goals to the Gamecocks over the final 10 minutes.
"We did everything we needed to do to win this game and then we gave it away in the end," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "This is a very disappointing loss."
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the two teams combined for five second-half goals. Sophomore forward Kofi Gyawu led the way with a goal and an assist for the Blazers, while South Carolina's Blake Brettschneider and Will Traynor each tallied a goal and an assist for the Gamecocks.
UAB got things started at the 57:51 mark when Gyawu scored his fifth goal of the season. Sophomore defender Reed Matte and senior forward Anthony King were each credited with assists on Gyawu's goal.
South Carolina (5-2-1, 1-0) would answer at the 68:54 mark when forward Blake Brettscnhneider scored off a long clearance from goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer to even things at one apiece.
The Blazers continued to fight and it would pay off in the 76th minute, when junior forward Babayele Sodade scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Sodade, who entered the contest ranked 15th in the nation in total goals, received a long pass from Gyawu and beat Maurer to again give UAB a one-goal advantage.
But the Gamecocks would respond with a pair of goals in less than seven minutes apart. South Carolina evened things at the 80:25 mark when Will Traynor scored off a long throw in from teammate Mike Mangotic. Traynor and Brettschneider would then assist Baladez's goal at the 87:16 mark to lift the Gamecocks to the victory.
South Carolina outshot UAB, 16-10, on the night, with both teams collecting six shots on goal. UAB goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski made three saves, while Maurer collected four stops on the night.
The Blazers will next step out of conference play with a home contest against Mercer on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at West Campus Field.
