The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Open 2013 Season At VCU Classic
8/29/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug 29, 2013
UAB (0-0-0) at No. 24 VCU (0-0-0)
Details: Friday, Aug. 30 • 7 p.m. ET • SportsBacker Stadium • Richmond, Va.
Game Coverage: Live Stats • Live Video • Twitter
Match Notes: UAB • VCU
UAB (0-0-0) vs. High Point (0-0-0)
Details: Sunday, Sept. 1 • 4:30 p.m. ET • SportsBacker Stadium • Richmond, Va.
Game Coverage: Twitter
Match Notes: UAB • High Point
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's soccer team will open the 2013 regular season on the road at the VCU Classic in Richmond, Va. The tournament will run from Friday, Aug. 30 to Sunday, Sept. 1.
In the squad's first match, the Blazers will take on nationally-ranked VCU on Friday, Aug. 30. The match is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET. On Sunday, Sept. 1, the Green and Gold will face High Point at 4:30 p.m. ET in its final game in Richmond.
UAB in Season-Openers
UAB is 19-13-2 (.588) in season-opening matches in its 34-year history as a program. Under head coach Mike Getman, the squad sports a 14-5-2 (.714) record in season-openers.
This will not mark the first time the Blazers have faced a nationally-ranked opponent to start the year. The program has split its two previous matches against nationally-ranked teams in its first match of the year. In the 2006 season-opener, the Green and Gold defeated No. 10 Notre Dame, 1-0, in double overtime. Three seasons ago, the team suffered a 2-1 setback to No. 2 Virginia.
Copeland Named Preseason All-C-USA
Junior defender Darion Copeland, the Blazers' anchor on defense, was named to the Preseason All-Conference USA Team, the conference announced on Wednesday, Aug. 7. Copeland earned all-conference honors in 2012 and was named to the league's all-freshman squad in 2011. Last season, the Stockbridge, Ga. native started every match for UAB, scoring two goals on the year.
UAB Ranked No. 15 In Preseason BennettRank Poll
The UAB men's soccer team was ranked No. 15 in the Preseason BennettRank Poll, as announced on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The BennettRank Poll is a computer model, driven and derived from the analysis of over 12,000 games played during the 2012 season.
In the preseason poll, the Blazers were the second-highest ranked team from Conference USA. Tulsa was ranked No. 9 in the preseason rankings.
For the latest news on Blazer sports, follow the UAB Athletics Twitter account: @UABathletics. For men's soccer news, follow @UAB_MensSoccer.
