The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Triumph Over Mercer, 1-0
9/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 17, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB women's soccer team was glad to return home on Sunday afternoon, and made the most of it by earning a 1-0 victory over the Mercer Bears in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at West Campus Field. The win moves UAB to 2-5 on the year, while Mercer continues to search for its first win of the season with a 0-8 overall mark.
UAB came out firing in the first half, recording nine total shots, including three shots on goal. Mercer tallied a total of five shots, with one shot on goal, in the first 45 minutes of play. Neither team was able to capitalize on their opportunities and both squads went into halftime blanked, 0-0.
Both teams started the second half with more of an offensive aggression, pressuring the opposing defense and attempting to put points on the scoreboard. Finally, UAB junior Jill Porto scored her first goal of the season on an assist from sophomore Nadine Liverpool in the 86th minute of the game to put the Blazers up, 1-0. The UAB defense did its job during the final minutes of the game to secure the victory for the Blazers.
"It was nice to get another win at this point in the season," said UAB head coach Paul Harbin. "I thought we started off well and then dropped off a bit at the end of the first half.
"We started to get things back together in the second half. We had some attacking patterns that we were working on and it was nice that Jill was able to finish off one of those."
Overall, UAB out-shot the Bears, 18-8. The Blazers had a balanced offensive showing, recording nine shots in both halves of play. Mercer nabbed five of its eight total shots in the first half, with UAB limiting the Bears to just three shots in the second 45 minutes.
Senior goalkeeper Julie McFarlane grabbed one save on the day and moved her record to 2-2 on the season. Mercer's Jean Worts tallied seven saves while watching her record fall to 0-8.
The Blazers have added a game to their schedule and will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Atlanta, Ga. to take on the Georgia Bulldogs at the Norcross Soccer Club at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The next home match for the Blazers will be on Friday, September 29 when they open up their conference schedule by hosting Marshall at 7:00 p.m. at West Campus Field.
