The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
South Carolina
Blazers Battle Gamecocks To 1-1 Draw
10/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 29, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The UAB men's soccer team played South Carolina to a 1-1 draw here Wednesday night in Conference USA action. UAB sophomore forward Kevin Sawchak scored the lone goal for the Blazers and led the team with three shots on the night.
South Carolina, which entered the contest with a 5-1 mark in home games, is now 7-5-3 overall and 2-2-2 in C-USA contests. UAB earned a crucial point towards qualifying for the conference tournament, and is now 5-8-3 on the campaign and 1-4-1 in league play.
Sawchak put UAB on the board first when he scored from 20 yards out in the 18th minute to give his team an early one-goal lead. Sawchak's third goal of the season came when he gathered a loose ball and drilled a shot over the USC goalkeeper.
However, the UAB lead did not last long as South Carolina's Blake Brettschneider evened the score in the 30th minute when he netted one off an assist from Evan O'Dell.
UAB controlled play in the overtimes, outshooting USC, 5-1, in the extra sessions, including a 4-1 shots advantage in the second overtime. However, Gamecock goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, who leads the league with seven shutouts on the year, made three saves in the extra period to keep the game knotted at one all.
In the end, the Blazers outshot the Gamecocks, 15-13, on the night, while both teams had seven shots on goal. UAB goalkeeper Wes Johnson made a season-high six saves on the night, while Maurer also made six saves for the Gamecocks.
The Blazers will remain on the road as they will square off against Florida International on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET).
