The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Soccer Team Set To Compete At SMU Classic
9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 24, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Fresh off claiming the Memphis Classic title last weekend, the UAB men's soccer team will look to remain hot as it travels to Dallas, Texas to compete at the 2009 SMU Classic this weekend. The Blazers will take on Conference USA rival and tournament host SMU on Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by a match up with Houston Baptist on Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Blazers enter the weekend's contests having won three straight and five of their last six matches. At 5-2 overall on the season, UAB has risen to No. 3 in the Midwest Region, two spots ahead of the Mustangs who are ranked No. 5 in the most recent regional rankings. Not only will Friday's match be a battle between two of the top teams in the Midwest Region, but it will also be the Conference USA opener for both squads.
UAB is led on the season by sophomore forward Babayele Sodade, who has accounted to team highs of four goals and nine points, both of which rank fourth in the latest C-USA statistics. Additionally, he has taken 24 shots, 15 of which have come on goal, and also has two game winners.
Freshman forward Kofi Gyawu is second on the team with five points (2g, 1a), while senior midfielder and reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week Two-Boys Gumede is tied for the team lead with two assists, and has four points on the year (1g, 2a). In all, seven different Blazers have found the back of the net this season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski has played every minute in the net in the Blazers' seven games this year, and enters the weekend with a 0.86 GAA, which ranks fourth in the league. He has recorded 28 saves and a pair of shutouts, while allowing just six goals.
SMU comes into Friday's league opener with a 3-3 overall record, with all three of its losses coming to teams ranking among the nation's top-25. The Mustangs' offensive attack is led by senior midfielder Dane Saintus, who has team highs of three goals, four assists and 13 points. Senior Paulo da Silva, who redshirted a year ago, has come back strong and is tied with Saintus with three goals on the season. Sophomore midfielder Payton Hickey is also tied with Saintus with four helpers on the season.
Junior goalkeeper Craig Hill has played in all six contests for the Mustangs, and owns a 1.00 GAA. He has made 20 saves and recorded two shutouts, while giving up six goals on the season.
UAB and Houston Baptist will square off on Sunday afternoon, marking the first time the two teams have done battle on the pitch. HBU comes into the weekend with a 3-4 overall mark. Most recently, the Huskies are coming off a split at the UCF Fall Classic, where they defeated the host UCF, 2-1, on Friday, then fell to Florida Atlantic, 2-0, on Sunday.
HBU is led in scoring by both junior Duke Ogega (1g, 1a) and freshman Francisco Diaz (1g, 1a) with three points apiece. Ogega is tops on the team with 12 shots, while Diaz is the team-leader with six shots on goal.
Junior Chris Dodd and senior Michael Bouchahine have split time in goal for the Huskies. Dodd has a record of 1-3, a 1.25 GAA and has made 13 saves on the year, while Bouchahine owns a 2-1 record in the net and a 1.33 GAA.
Both contests can be followed live on Gametracker, while the UAB-SMU match will also be available live on Blazers All-Access
