The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Mobile (Exh.)
UAB Fends Off Mobile, 3-2
8/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 25, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB built a 3-0 lead in the first half and held off a feisty Mobile rally to down the Rams, 3-2, in men's soccer exhibition action Thursday night at West Campus Field. Homewood product Brian Garcia and Lukasz Kwapisz each had a goal and an assist for the Blazers. Jerson Monteiro also scored for UAB.
"I thought it was a great game for us," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "I thought we played extremely well in the first half - scored three nice goals against a very good team - so I was very pleased with the first half. In the second half, we got a little bit sloppy, but we got a lot of young players a lot of very important minutes. They made a few mistakes and didn't do everything quite right, but when you're playing in your first college game, sometimes that happens. Overall, I was very pleased."
Kwapisz got things started for the Blazers in the 10th minute of play when Derick Radcliffe found him from the right side of the box. Garcia connected with Monteiro on a forward flick up the middle just four minutes later. Garcia's goal came from a Kwapisz pass from the left side in the 21st minute and the Blazers held a 3-0 advantage at the intermission.
"Brian is the third in the Garcia brothers to play for us," Getman said, referring to older siblings Mike (2000-01) and Bubba (1999-2002) who also played for UAB. "So, yes, he's a newcomer, but it's certainly no surprise that he was successful. I did think he played very well. He scored a nice goal, worked very hard while he was out there and really added to our attack."
Mobile, which made an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament a season ago, scored a pair of goals in just over two minutes when Caetano Lima scored on a pass from Andrew Humphris in the 71st. Humphris then notched a tally himself in the 73rd. Mobile kept up the pressure on UAB throughout the remainder of the game and had a chance with a corner kick with :09 remaining, but freshman goalkeeper Wes Johnson fended off the volley.
The Rams out-shot the Blazers, 24-18, and had a decided advantage on corner kicks with 13 to UAB's 3. Starting goalkeeper A.J. Robles notched a pair of saves in 29 minutes on the field.
The Blazers now prepare for a 7 p.m. CT Saturday night tilt with ACC power Clemson at West Campus Field in their final tune-up before beginning the 2005 regular season Labor Day weekend. Admission to the Clemson match is free.
UAB-Mobile Box Score in PDF Format
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