The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Soccer Opens C-USA Championship On Wednesday
11/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 9, 2010
UAB Game Notes
| Gametracker
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's soccer team will open play in the 2010 Conference USA Championship when it squares off against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the opening game of this year's event. The Blazers earned the No. 5 seed and will take on the fourth-seeded South Carolina on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Memphis, Tenn.
UAB and South Carolina played one of the more entertaining games in C-USA this season the last time the two teams met on the pitch back on Oct. 2 in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks secured a 3-2 victory over the Blazers as USC's Bradlee Baladez scored the game-winning goal with just under three minutes remaining in regulation to lift his team to a stunning come-from-behind victory. UAB held a 2-1 lead late in regulation, but surrendered two goals to the Gamecocks over the final 10 minutes. Babayele Sodade and Kofi Gyawu each scored a goal for the Blazers in the losing effort.
UAB enters the 2010 C-USA Championship sporting a 10-6-1 overall record and a 4-4 league mark. Four of the Blazers' six losses have come against teams ranked in the nation's top-25: then-No. 2 Virginia (L, 2-1 on Sept. 3), then-No. 6 SMU (L, 3-2 on Sept. 24), then-No. 20 South Carolina (L, 3-2 on Oct. 3) and then-No. 14 Tulsa (L, 1-0 (2ot) on Oct. 23).
The Blazers enter Wednesday's contest playing well, having suffered only two losses in their last seven matches (4-2-1).
UAB continues to rank as one of the top offensive teams in Conference USA. The Blazers rank in the top three in several offensive categories, including goals scored (3rd - 34), goals per game (3rd - 2.00) and points (3rd - 96). UAB is also third in the league in assists (28) and assists per game (1.65).
The Blazers' offensive attack is led by second-team all-conference selection Babayele Sodade. The junior forward leads the team in goals (9), points (20), shots (41) and shots on goal (23). Sophomore Kofi Gyawu is second on the team with six goals, including a team-best four game-winning tallies. Senior midfielder Kevin Sawchak ranks third on the team with nine points (3g, 3a), while sophomore Flo Liu continues to lead his squad in assists with six on the campaign.
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski owns a goals against average (GAA) of 1.16, which ranks fifth-best in C-USA. He has allowed 17 goals while making 55 saves.
South Carolina comes into Wednesday's opening round matchup sporting a 9-6-2 overall mark and finished 4-3-1 in league play. The Gamecocks finished the regular season with a 2-1 loss at Kentucky on Nov. 7.
Three players on South Carolina's squad have combined for 15 of the team's 21 goals on the year. Leading the offensive attack is senior Blake Brettschneider, who has 18 points on five goals and a team-leading eight assists. Baladez and senior Will Traynor have also scored five goals each for the Gamecocks.
Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer has been strong in the net all season for South Carolina. He is tied for the league lead with seven shutouts, while also ranking third among C-USA goalkeepers in saves (64). He enters the tournament with a 1.16 GAA on the year.
The Blazers are making their 16th straight appearance in the C-USA Championship in 2010. In fact, the Blazers are the only team in C-USA to have reached the championship every year since the league began back in 1995.
The Blazers have captured two conference tournament championships in program history. The first came in 1994 when UAB fought its way to the Great Midwest Championship. UAB also captured its only C-USA Championship when it defeated USF and Saint Louis on its home field in 1998.
UAB and South Carolina have met just one other time in tournament play, with the Blazers taking a 3-2 win in the 2006 tournament held in Tulsa, Okla.
