The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
No. 25 UAB Hosts FIU In C-USA Home Opener
10/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 9, 2009
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The 25th-ranked UAB men's soccer team will play host to Florida International on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at West Campus Field. The match will be the first home Conference USA contest this season for the Blazers.
UAB, which checked in at No. 25 in Soccer America's latest national rankings, enters Saturday's game sporting a 7-2-1 record on the season and a 1-0-1 mark in league play. It is the first time since the week of Nov. 8, 2006 the Blazers find themselves ranked among the nation's top-25 teams.
The Green and Gold is currently riding a six-match unbeaten streak (5-0-1) and has only one loss over its last nine contests (7-1-1). As a result, UAB is off to its best start since the 2001 campaign, when it jumped out to a 9-1 start on its way to a 15-6 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blazers will make their first home appearance in nearly a month when they take on the Golden Panthers. The last time UAB played at West Campus Field came on Sept. 13 when it defeated UMKC, 2-1. Most recently, the Blazers defeated then-No. 13 Kentucky, 1-0, last Saturday in Lexington, Ky. The win kept UAB undefeated in road contests this season (5-0-1).
Offensively, the Blazers are led by sophomore forward Babayele Sodade, who has a team-best four goals and nine points on the year. He also leads the team in shots (32) and shots on goal (16). Senior midfielder Two-Boys Gumede (2g, 3a), the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman forward Kofi Gyawu (3g, 1a) are second on the team with seven points each.
Defensively, UAB has been rock solid, holding opponents to seven goals on the year, while only giving up three goals in the last six contests. Sophomore goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski, who has captured back-to-back C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors, leads the conference in every major goalkeeping statistical category, including goals allowed average (0.68), saves (42), save percentage (.857) and shutouts (4).
FIU enters Saturday's match with a 3-7 overall record and a 0-3 mark in C-USA play. The Golden Panthers have lost five straight matches and six of their last seven.
Leading the way for FIU is one of the top offensive duos in the league in freshman forward Sebastian Frings (6g, 1a) and junior forward Steven Cabas (4g, 5a). Between the two of them, Frings and Cabas have a combined for 10 of FIU's 13 goals on the season.
Frings enters the UAB match ranked second in C-USA with six goals, while Cabas is second in the league with five assists. Both have collected 13 points on the year which places the duo in a tie for third for total points in the latest league rankings.
Admission is free to all UAB students with a valid ID, while students and season ticket holders are encouraged to attend a pregame tailgate with free food and drinks beginning approximately 60 minutes prior to the start of the match.
Additionally, the first 50 students inside the gate will receive a free UAB men's soccer jersey.
Saturday's match also serves as UAB Camper Reunion day, as any camper from this past summer's UAB boys soccer camps will gain free admission to the contest by wearing the UAB camp shirt.
