The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Soccer Team Earning National Recognition
10/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 2, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- As the UAB men's soccer team prepares for a crucial Conference USA road contest at No. 13 Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, the team is beginning to receive recognition from across the country. The Blazers (6-2-1, 0-0-1 C-USA) are ranked No. 3 in the Midwest Region and are also receiving votes to be ranked nationally.
UAB, which will take on the Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET) on Sunday afternoon, is ranked third in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) Midwest Region for a second consecutive week. The Blazers' opponent on Sunday is currently ranked as the top team in the Midwest Region, which is another reason why UAB head coach Mike Getman feels this is an important game.
"This is certainly a big game for our team," Getman said. "First off, it is a conference game and all of our league games are crucial. Secondly, we are playing against a nationally-ranked opponent who we have had some great battles against over the years. It should be a fun and exciting game between two very good teams."
The Blazers are also receiving votes in two of the major soccer polls that were released early in the week. In the NSCAA poll released last Monday, UAB received 16 votes to be ranked, which places the Blazers 35th in the country. Likewise, UAB is also ranked 35th in the SoccerTimes.com poll, receiving 17 votes.
Part of the reason for the national attention has been the Blazers' play as of late. Coming off back-to-back tournament wins at the Memphis Classic (Sept. 18-20) and SMU Classic (Sept. 25-27), UAB is riding a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) and has only one loss in its last eight contests (6-1-1).
Fans can follow the contest between the Blazers and Wildcats live on Gametracker.
