The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Belmont
UAB Women's Soccer Blanks Belmont, 1-0
8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 28, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB sophomore forward Tiffini Turpin scored a goal in the 79th minute of the contest to lead the Blazer women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Belmont on Friday evening at West Campus Field.
The win marked UAB's third straight shutout of the year as the Blazers improved to 3-0. Friday was Belmont's first regular-season game this season as the Bruins fell to 0-1.
UAB junior goalkeeper Kate Blankenship tallied her third shutout of the season and the 14th of her career, which is a new Blazer record for career shutouts. Blankenship surpassed former Blazer goalkeeper Katie Forbis (2003-06), who previously held the record since 2006 with 13 shutouts.
Senior defender/midfielder Ayana Russell hit a pass from the right side that found its target, Turpin, right in front of the net. Turpin, a native of Birmingham, Ala., knocked the ball past Belmont goalkeeper Sari Lin for the lone goal of the match and the 1-0 UAB win.
"I thought we started pretty well tonight," said UAB head coach Paul Harbin. "We played good, but we were not as dynamic as we needed to be, which is that last piece of the puzzle that we needed. We were challenging the other team physically and we were probably as organized on the field as we've been all season. We just need to work on changing the pace and being more dynamic.
"Belmont showed today that they are a very well-organized team and extremely athletic. This is another quality win for us. (Belmont head coach) Lisa Howe does a tremendous job with her team. We had to play well to get this win tonight."
The Blazers held a distinct advantage in shots, 11-5, over Belmont. Sophomore midfielder/forward Carolyn Polcari paced UAB in shots with three, including one on goal. Sophomore forward/midfielder Laura McCalla and freshman midfielder Marlijn Hermans added two shots apiece and four additional Blazers chipped in one shot each.
For the Bruins, Lauren Paynter took a team-high two shots for the game. Elizabeth Bublis, Erica Carter and Danielle Stolt added a shot apiece to Belmont's total.
UAB's next game will be on Sunday when it hosts Atlantic Coast Conference foe Clemson. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at West Campus Field.
"Starting the season 3-0 definitely helps my confidence, as well as the rest of the team's confidence," said Turpin. "When everyone's confidence is up, it becomes easier to score and get wins.
"We are looking forward to another home game on Sunday. It's nice to have that home field advantage. We've played a lot of good teams so far this season and we are excited for another tough test with Clemson. Hopefully, we can continue to be successful."
