Men's soccer wins again

Jonathan Deal, Assistant Sports Editor
Published On: 09/ 8/2008

The UAB men’s soccer team continued their non-conference schedule with a 1-0 win against Mercer last weekend.
“I think we’ve outplayed every opponent so far,” said head coach Mike Getman. “We’re going to have to work on how to play when teams play with 9 or 10 players behind the ball.”

The UIC game was a tactically dominated contest with few chances for either side in the first half. The Blazers lost to nationally ranked Illinois-Chicago 1-0 on Friday before beating Mercer in overtime Sunday afternoon.

“It was a very well-played clean game, and at the end of it the team that made the mistakes lost,” said UAB head coach Mike Getman.

The Blazer’s best chance came midway through the first half when Captain Carlo Schiavoni connected with a well hit volley from 25 yards out only to be denied by the Flames’ goalkeeper.

The second half opened up more as both teams tried to break down each other’s defenses. With no score through the first 84 minutes, it looked as though the game was destined for overtime when Illinois-Chicago’s Charlie Trout found the back of the net.

“UIC is a good, skillful team, and I think we made them work tonight, just as they made us work,” said Getman. “I thought the whole team played well. When we got tired, instead of doing things exactly right, we did them almost right. It was very similar to what happened against Bradley last week: We made a mistake and we paid for it.”

The men’s team out-shot Mercer 23-5 but could not find a winner until six minutes into the first overtime period.
“We need to be a little sharper on our finishing,” said Getman. “I thought we wasted some relatively easy chances in the first half, and as the games goes on, you get a little more tense and the pressure starts to build. I don’t know if we’ve ever held a team to five shots in an entire game. It’s hard to be unhappy about too much.”

UAB’s defense was led by goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski who made four saves, including two from break-away opportunities.

“Goalkeeping is the strength of this team. Last year, Wes [Johnson] had an outstanding year for us, and Carl came in and played very well. This year, they’ve split time and both have been outstanding throughout the season. Today was Carl’s turn and he made two outstanding saves.”

The Blazers were unable to find a winner until Derek Rios scored his second game-winning goal of the season. Kevin Sawchak beat two defenders before dumping the ball to Rios, who hit a low shot from 12 yards out for the winner.

“It feels good, but again I owe everything to my teammates,” said Rios about the gamer winner. “The build-up to that goal involved everyone from the fullbacks to the midfielders and I was there to put it in.”

Rios is now tied with his roommate, junior Two-Boys Gumede, for the most goals this season with two each.

“It’s just the beginning,” said Gumede. “I’m looking forward to scoring more goals, but I’m just trying to help the team. It’s all about the teamwork and I’m happy with how we are progressing.”

UAB will now host the “Soccer For a Cure” Classic this weekend with UC-Irvine, Memphis and Western Illinois playing in the year’s event. UAB plays UC-Irvine Friday night at 8 p.m. following the Memphis/Western Illinois match.
Sunday’s line-up features Memphis and UC-Irvine at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Blazer’s final game of the tournament against Western Illinois at 2 p.m.

“This is going to be a great tournament. UC-Irvine is a very good team from California,” said Getman. “We don’t get to play too many West Coast teams, and they play a different style. It will be two great games, but it’s also a great opportunity to help families who are fighting the battle with cancer.”

All games will be at West Campus field and students are encouraged to come early and enjoy free food and drinks. Admission is free for all students with a valid ID.

Email: kscopesports@yahoo.com