The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
FIU
Men's Soccer Downs FIU, 2-0
10/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 16, 2010
MIAMI, Fla. - Junior midfielder Joshua Stewart's first career goal turned out to be the game-winner as the UAB men's soccer team defeated FIU, 2-0, here Saturday night. Junior forward Babayele Sodade converted a penalty kick to seal the win, as the Blazers improve to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA play.
"I'm happy with this result against a good FIU team," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "I am really pleased with the way we played. I thought we worked hard on both offense and defense. We were able to limit their opportunities and forced them to settle for a lot of shots from distance. We earned a shutout on the road and had a solid overall performance."
The Blazers were outshot on the night 15-9, but only one of the Panthers' 15 shots came on frame. In comparison, UAB had five of its nine shots on goal.
Stewart gave the Blazers a one-goal lead at the 11:57 mark of the opening half. Senior midfielder Michal Mravec was credited with the assist has he found Stewart, who collected the first tally of his career.
The score would remain the same until just 1:28 into the second half when Sodade converted a penalty kick to account for his team-leading eighth goal of the year. Sophomore Reed Matte drew the penalty after sending a dangerous cross into the goal mouth, which was subsequently hand-balled by an FIU defender.
Junior goalkeeper Tucker Stone earned his second career start in the net, and collected his first-ever shutout. He made one save on the night.
The Blazers now turn their focus towards a crucial C-USA matchup this Saturday at West Campus Field. when they take on No. 14 Tulsa at 7 p.m. Admission is free to all UAB students with a valid ID. Students and season ticket holders are encouraged to attend a pregame tailgate with free food and drinks beginning approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of the match.
