The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB-Memphis Set For Showdown At Regions Park
10/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 18, 2011
Memphis Game Notes 
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's soccer team will be part of history on Wednesday night when it takes on the Memphis Tigers at Regions Park at 7 p.m. The contest will mark the first-ever soccer match played at the facility, which will serve as the host site for the 2011 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup on Dec. 9 & 11. Wednesday night's match between the two C-USA rivals will act as a dry run for this year's national championship.
Both the Tigers (8-3-1, 2-2 C-USA) and Blazers (8-3-2, 2-1) are having successful seasons thus far. Both teams are receiving votes to be ranked among the nation's top 25. Moreover, UAB is ranked fourth in the Midwest Region, while Memphis is sixth.
Most recently, the Blazers secured their second straight shutout with a 1-0 victory over then-No. 6 UCF on Saturday night. Preseason all-conference performer Babayele Sodade scored the game's lone goal in the 66th minute. Sodade, who netted his eighth goal of the season with the tally, leads the team in nearly every offensive category, including goals, assists (4) and points (20). Both Diego Navarrete and Mladen Lemez have found the back of the net four times to rank second on the squad.
Goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski claimed his third C-USA Defensive Player of the Week award with a pair of shutouts last week, which raised is total weekly honors to seven in his career - the most by any player in school history. He owns an impressive 0.97 GAA, making 56 saves, while allowing just 13 goals, and has now recorded three shutouts. Woszczynski currently ranks second in the league in total saves, third in save percentage (.812) and saves per game (4.31) and is fourth in shutouts (3).
Memphis is also riding a three-game win streak entering Wednesday night's contest, outscoring its opposition by a combined total of 11-0 during the span.
The Tigers are led by forward Mark Sherrod, who ranks second in the country in total goals scored (14) and is third in the nation in goals per game (1.17), total points (30) and points per game (2.5). Similar to Woszczynski, Sherrod also claimed weekly honor from the league office, earning offensive player of the week accolades for six goals scored in the Tigers' last two contests.
Goalkeeper Conor Hurley and played every minute in the net for Memphis this season. He owns a 1.05 GAA and has recorded an impressive five shutouts, which leads Conference USA.
Series History
The Blazers and Tigers have met on the pitch 32 previous occasions, which is more matches that UAB has played against any single opponent in program history. Memphis owns a slight 17-15 advantage in the series, but UAB has won three of the last four meetings between the two schools. However, the Tigers won the last contest, taking a 2-0 victory at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in 2010. There have been 21 one-goal games when the two rivals have squared off, but there has never been a tie and only two overtime contests.
A Historic Night
The men's soccer contest between UAB and Memphis Wednesday night will mark the first-ever soccer game played in Regions Park. The match will act as a dry run for the 2011 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup national championship. This year's College Cup is set to take place at the Hoover, Ala. facility on Dec. 9-11, 2011.
Regions Park is the current home of the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. In addition to minor league baseball, the venue has also served as the site of high school football games, professional volleyball and the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament.
Last Time Out
UAB senior forward Babayele Sodade scored a sensational goal in the 66th minute as the men's soccer team stunned then-No. 6 UCF, 1-0, on Saturday night at West Campus Field. It was the highest-ranked team UAB has defeated since topping then-No. 1 SMU, 2-1, on Oct. 25, 2006. That contest was also played at West Campus Field.
The Knights entered the contest ranked fourth in the nation in total goals scored (25) and goals scored per game (2.5), but UAB handed UCF its second shutout of the season.
Back In The National Rankings
For the 16th time in the last 18 seasons, the UAB men's soccer team found its way back into the nation's top-25. The Blazers were ranked as high as No. 20 in the country after a 5-0-2 start to the season. UAB is currently receiving votes in the College Soccer News top 30.
Ranked Among Top Teams In RPI
The UAB men's soccer team is ranked No. 24 in the nation according to the first RPI rankings, which were released by the NCAA for the first time on Tuesday morning.
Conference USA was well-represented in the first RPI of the year, as five teams from the league were ranked among the top 35 teams in the country in terms of RPI. The Atlantic Coast Conference also had five squads, while the Big East leads all conferences with seven teams listed among the top 35.
Woz Wins Another Weekly Honor
For a third time this season, senior goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski has been tabbed the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. With his three awards on the year, Woszczynski matched his own school record for weekly honors in one season, which he set back during the 2009 campaign.
Woszczynski was named the league's defensive player of the week in each of the first two weeks of the 2011 season (Aug. 29 and Sept. 5). He now has seven career weekly league awards which are the most by a UAB player in program history.
Woszczynski had a sensational week in leading UAB to a pair of wins over American and sixth-ranked UCF. Woszczynski recorded a pair of shutouts in the two UAB victories and now has a scoreless minute streak stretching 187:09.
UAB Boasts Five Players of the Week
The collegiate soccer season is eight weeks old, but UAB has already captured five Conference USA Player of the Week awards.
In addition to Carl Woszczynski's honor this week, he was named as the league's player of the week for the weeks of Aug. 29 and Sept. 5. Furthermore, he was selected to the College Soccer News national team of the week on Sept. 6.
Junior defender Mladen Lemez was chosen as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 20, while also earning a spot on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week and Soccer America National Team of the Week.
Freshman forward Diego Navarrete claimed the team's lone offensive POW honor, as he was chosen as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 11.
300th Win, 600th game
With the 6-1 victory over Oral Roberts on Sept. 9, the UAB men's soccer team recorded its 300th win in program history. Furthermore, the contest against Portland on Sept. 23 marked the 600th game in UAB lore. The Blazers currently have an all-time record of 305-253-47 (.542).
Second-Best Start In School History
UAB began the 2011 campaign unbeaten through its opening seven contests. The Blazers' 5-0-2 record to start the season was the second-best start to a season in program history.
Only the 2003 squad, which started 6-0-2 and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation, had a better start to a campaign.
Blazers Win Soccer For A Cure Classic
With the a pair of 2-1 overtime victories over then-No. 20 VCU and Milwaukee, UAB claimed the 2011 "Soccer For A Cure" Classic championship. UAB has now won the Classic title eight times in the 14 years of the event. The Blazers also claimed the championship in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2010.
Junior defender Mladen Lemez was selected as the MVP of the Classic, and was joined by Norris Howze, Reed Matte and Joshua Stewart on the all-tournament team.
Woszczynski's Big Night
The UAB men's soccer team battled Illinois-Chicago to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 4 at a soggy West Campus Field. Senior goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski stole the show as his 13 saves on the night ranked as the third-most stops in a game in program history.
The Columbus, Ind. native made several spectacular saves en route to his career-high number. Only Jeremy Drake (15 saves at UCF on 10/7/06) and Harvey Torman (18 saves at Alabama A&M on 8/28/84) made more saves in a game at UAB.
Woszczynski Named As Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidate
UAB goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski was selected as a candidate for 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in men's collegiate soccer. Woszczynski is one of 30 men's soccer players, and one of five goalkeepers, from around the country who were named to the initial list in August.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
UAB Hosts 2011 College Cup
UAB will be the host school for the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. The event will take place December 9 and 11, 2011 at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.
It marks the first time UAB has been named as the host school for an NCAA Division I championship in any sport.
Not only will it be the first time the Blazers have hosted a national title game, but it's also the first time the College Cup will be played in the state of Alabama.
UAB will host the event along with the Alabama Sports Foundation.
UAB Offensive Explodes For Six Goals
Freshman Diego Navarrete and senior Babayele Sodade each recorded a pair of goals to help lead the UAB men's soccer team to an impressive 6-1 victory over Oral Roberts on Sept. 9. The six goals were the most in a game by UAB since a 7-1 victory over FIU on Oct. 10, 2009.
Sodade Tabbed Preseason All-Conference
Senior forward Babayele Sodade has been selected to the 2011 Preseason All-Conference USA men's soccer team.
This marks the second-straight season Sodade has been named as a preseason all-conference performer. As a team, the Blazers were selected to finish sixth overall in 2011 according to a poll among the league's head coaches.
Getman In 20th Season At UAB
UAB head coach Mike Getman is in his 20th season at the helm of the Blazers' men's soccer team. He entered the year with 212 wins and now has 220 victories (220-134-31) during his tenure at UAB. Now in his 25th season as a head coach, Getman boasts an overall career record of 262-160-40 (.609).
Getman's success is tangible, as he currently ranks among the top active coaches in college soccer (39th in winning percentage and 21st in victories). He is among a handful of coaches who both played for and coached a team to the NCAA College Cup, accomplishing the feat twice as a player and once as a coach.
