The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Soccer Travels to No. 16 Old Dominion
9/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
UAB (3-5-0, 0-1-0 C-USA) at No. 16 Old Dominion (4-1-1, 0-0-1 C-USA)
Details: Friday, September 25 | 6 p.m. CT
ODU Soccer Complex (4,000) | Norfolk, Va.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Watch Live | Twitter | UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's soccer team travels to No. 16 Old Dominion Friday for its first Conference USA road match of the season.
First kick is set for 6 p.m. CT from the ODU Soccer Complex in Norfolk, Va. Live stats and live streaming will be available and can be accessed in the links above.
First Kick
- UAB hits the road for the first time in more than two weeks Friday for Norfolk, Va. to face No. 16 Old Dominion.
- The Blazers enter Friday's match looking for their first win against the Monarchs in program history. The two programs have met twice all-time in Norfolk, with those meetings coming in the 1985 and 1991 campaigns.
- UAB is coming off its four-game home stand, where the Blazers most recently fell to South Carolina, 1-0, to open Conference USA play last Friday, and a 3-1 loss to No. 5 Coastal Carolina Monday night.
- Friday's matchup vs. No. 16 Old Dominion marks the sixth top-25 team UAB will face this season and second in a row. The Blazers opened vs. No. 18 Louisville and No. 11 Clemson, and faced tough competition in Notre Dame's home tournament vs. No. 18 Indiana and No. 5 Notre Dame. As of the Sept. 22 NSCAA Top-25 poll, seven of UAB's 2015 opponents (No. 5 Coastal Carolina, No. 6 Clemson, No. 7 New Mexico, No. 9 Akron, No. 14 Notre Dame, No. 16 Old Dominion, No. 24 FIU) were ranked in the top-25 and three others (Louisville, Charlotte, Indiana) were receiving votes.
- Four Blazers -- three returners and one newcomer -- have all made their first collegiate starts this season. Sophomore midfielder DeAndre Robinson got the first start of his career in the opener at Memphis and contributed big with a goal and assist. Junior midfielder Aaron Getman-Pickering, along with sophomore defender Chandler Stroupe, both started Monday's match versus No. 5 Coastal Carolina. Newcomer Berry Sonnenschein, a transfer from the Netherlands, has started all eight matches at the back line for the Blazers.
- With his goal Monday versus Coastal Carolina, senior forward Freddy Ruiz now ranks T-7th all-time in UAB career goals with 26, and is just four scores away from the top three.
- UAB is one of the least fouled teams in the nation, averaging just 7.75 fouls per game, which ranks third in the NCAA and first in Conference USA.
- Junior goalkeeper Joe Kuzminsky's 32 saves this season ranks 15th in the NCAA and first in Conference USA.
Scouting The Opponent
Old Dominion, the defending Conference USA Tournament champions, were picked to finish fourth in the C-USA Preseason Poll. The Monarchs were also ranked No. 24 in the NSCAA Preseason Rankings, and are currently ranked No. 16 in the nation.
ODU returns its second and third leading scorers from last season in Ryan Condotta and Jesse Miralrio, as well as junior goalkeeper Alex Tiesenhausen. All three were named Third-Team All-Conference USA while Tyler Edwards was named to the All-Freshman Team.
Through six matches in the 2015 season, ODU has held its own with a 4-1-1 record, including a 4-1 blowout over No. 25 Akron. The Monarchs dropped the first match of the season, 2-0, to then No. 21 Coastal Carolina, and have since won four of their last five, tying Charlotte, 1-1, in the last contest.
Seven different players have scored for ODU this season, led by four goals from Josue Henriquez. Nik Klosterhalfen and Ryan Condotta each have three goals, a team that overall averages 2.50 per game. ODU's defense has played well, allowing just 1.0 goal per game with two shutouts this season.
Series History
UAB heads to Norfolk, Va. Friday having never beaten the Monarchs in six tries. The Blazers fell to ODU, 3-2, the last two seasons. The Monarchs broke a five-game win streak for the Blazers in 2013, defeating the Green and Gold in overtime. Last season, the Blazers fell at home to the Monarchs on Senior Night.
Overall, ODU leads the series 6-0. The two programs first met in the 1985 campaign back when the two teams were members of the Sun Belt Conference. Friday's meeting will be the third all-time for the two squads in Norfolk, as the Monarchs topped UAB, 4-0, in the Sun Belt Tournament in 1985, and again in 1991, 3-0 in the regular season.
Looking Ahead
UAB has a quick turnaround following Friday's match and will travel to Atlanta, Ga. Tuesday to face Georgia State in non-conference action at 6 p.m. CT.
Get your men's soccer season tickets today by calling the UAB Athletic Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 (205-975-8221), or by clicking here.
Men's soccer individual season tickets are $30 and single game tickets run $5 for adults and $3 for youth (ages 6-17). All children ages five and under are admitted free to West Campus Field, and UAB students also receive free admission with a valid I.D.
For more information on the UAB men's soccer team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MensSoccer), on Facebook or on Instagram (@UAB_mens_soccer). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
