The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Charlotte (C-USA Tournament)
McLaughlin Lifts No. 23 Blazers To C-USA Title Game
11/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 13, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jason McLaughlin's chip off a cross from Lukasz Kwapisz in the 104th minute vaulted No. 23 UAB to a 1-0 Conference USA semifinals victory Saturday evening, giving the Blazers an appearance in Sunday's championship contest which pits second seeded UAB against top seed Memphis for the league title. It is just the third title game appearance for UAB (12-6-0), which won the tournament in 1999 and was runners-up in 2000.
"It thought our guys played well the whole second half," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "We kept the ball moving, we played simple and we created chances. We didn't get enough shots on goal, but we had shots. That last one happened to be on goal and found its way into the net."
Charlotte was on the attack much of the first half, registering 10 shots with four on goal to UAB's one. The 49er's had a pair of nice chances from leading scorer Adam Ruud in the 16th and 17th minutes, one on a free kick, the other off a running drive from 30 yards out, but both were stopped by Blazer keeper A.J. Robles. Kwapisz had a pair of chances for UAB off the bench with a counter run in the 32nd minute and a pretty drive from 13 yards in front off a feed from Leandro de Oliveira in the 43rd, but Charlotte's Josh Beachem was equally up to the task, deflecting one and smothering the other.
Tides turned in the second half as the Blazers had better control of the possession and turned up the heat. UAB earned five second period corner kicks and out-shot the 49ers, 8-6, in the period. de Oliveira had a pair of hard drives with under five minutes to play. One was high, the other, from a corner kick rebound, sailed wide. Chris Arnold's breakaway attempt with just :42 on the game clock drew the far post and kept the match scoreless after regulation.
The Blazers controlled the overtime periods and controlled both the tempo and ultimately the outcome. McLaughlin's goal was his fifth of the year, but also his third in as many games. The Wetumpka, Ala., product has scored all five of his season goals in the last seven matches for the Blazers. A.J. Robles finished with six saves as UAB secured its eighth shutout of the season, one shy of the school record. The victory was the 250th in the 26-year history of the UAB program and the 199th in Getman's 18-year career as a head coach.
UAB is now on to Sunday's championship game against top seed and regular season champion Memphis, which downed Saint Louis, 1-0, in the other Saturday semifinal. Memphis bettered the Blazers, 2-0, in Memphis on Oct. 27.
"They are the number one seed and very deserving of it," Getman said. "At the same point, we are confident we can play with anybody in the country. We'll come out ready tomorrow and see what happens."
The 1 p.m. CT kickoff for the title can be seen live on College Sports Television with Don Russell on play-by-play and Bill McDermott with color commentary.
