The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Host Final Home Contests of 2010 Season
10/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 21, 2010
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB women's soccer team will host its final home games of the 2010 season this weekend at West Campus Field. The Blazers welcome Houston Friday at 7 p.m. for Senior Night and wrap up the weekend against Rice Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Blazers (6-8-2, 2-4-2 C-USA) struggled against SMU and Tulsa last weekend, falling, 3-1 and 4-1, respectively.
Junior forward Laura McCalla continues to be one of the top goal scorers in Conference USA. McCalla has 11 goals this year, nearly tripling her total of four from last season. Her 11 goals are currently tops in the league and rank 21st in the nation.
The Cougars (11-3-2, 6-1-1 C-USA) are coming off back-to-back wins over East Carolina and Marshall last weekend. Houston defeated the Pirates, 2-1, Friday then knocked off the Thundering Herd, 2-0, Sunday. The Cougars' only loss in conference action came at UCF on Oct. 8 and prior to that contest, Houston had won six in a row, including four straight C-USA matches.
Lauri Byrne leads the Cougars with seven goals while Sami Sackos is second on the team with four tallies. Sackos, Kylie Cook and Morgan Vela are tied for the team lead in assists with three apiece.
Cami Koski has carried the load for the Cougars between the posts, boasting a 0.59 goals against average (GAA) and seven shutouts. Koski has allowed just nine goals in 15 games while making 44 stops.
The Owls (8-6-2, 5-1-2 C-USA) are coming off their first loss in league play, falling to East Carolina, 2-1, Sunday. Prior to that, Rice was unbeaten in seven straight matches, going 5-0-2 during the stretch.
Kate Edwards leads the team with four goals, while a trio of Owls in Korey Taylor, Hope Ward and Jessica Howard have each chipped in three goals. Ward tops the team with seven assists and 13 points on the season.
Rice goalkeepers Catherine Fitzsimmons and Meghan Erkel have split time between the posts. Erkel carries a slight edge, having played in 10 games compared to Fitzsimmons' eight. The two have combined for four shutouts and a 1.03 GAA.
This weekend also features the `Lose the Shoes' tournament. The tournament begins Saturday at 4 p.m. prior to the men's match against Tulsa at 7 p.m. at West Campus Field, then continues Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. The championship game will take place Sunday at halftime of the women's match against Rice.
The registration fee for a team of three to five people is $10 and includes a tournament t-shirt, free admission to both the men's and women's soccer matches and a meal each day. The deadline to register is Friday and fees can be paid on the day of the tournament.
In addition to Senior Night festivities at the women's match on Friday against Houston at 7 p.m., the Blazers also will honor `Super Heroes' in the community. Employees of non-profit organizations will receive free admission to the match. Sunday will be Fan Appreciation Day, with the first 50 fans receiving a free t-shirt.
To register for the tournament or for questions regarding any of these promotions, contact Tiffany Deavers by email at tdeavers@uab.edu or call 205-996-5218.
