The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazer Soccer To Face MLS's Fire, USL's Silverbacks
3/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
March 21, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's soccer team begins spring exhibition play Wednesday in Jackson, Miss., in a scrimmage against the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer. The Blazers will also battle the first division United Soccer League's Atlanta Silverbacks on April 5. The spring contests were announced Tuesday by UAB head coach Mike Getman.
"We are very excited to once again play the Chicago Fire of MLS," Getman said. "This is the 4th year in a row we have played an MLS team and I know our players are excited to once again challenge themselves against such a high level team."
The Blazers and Fire light things up Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT at Freedom Ridge park in Jackson, Miss. The match against the first division professional Silverbacks will take place at UAB's West Campus Field in Birmingham on Wednesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. There will be no admission charge for the contest.
The Silverbacks recently signed now-departed seniors Maurice Hughes and Jason McLaughlin, who are both expected to play against their former college club. Tony McManus, another former Blazer standout, is also a Silverbacks player.
"This game will provide a great challenge for our young team as we prepare for the upcoming season," Getman said. "It will also be a homecoming for Jason, Maurice and Tony. I think both teams are looking forward to this game."
Getman and the Blazers are coming off a 12-7 season in which they finished third in Conference USA -- one of the NCAA's top men's soccer conferences. UAB will have to replace Hughes and McLaughlin, as well as fellow graduates Leandro de Oliveira, the 11th overall pick of the New England Revolution in this year's MLS draft, and three-year starting goalkeeper A.J. Robles.
Getman's 2006 club does return 21 letterwinners and 28 roster members from the 2005 campaign.
