The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
UAB Women's Soccer Falls to Rice, 2-0
10/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision against Conference USA foe Rice on Thursday night at West Campus Field despite outshooting the Owls, 14-12.
“We played the best team in the conference tonight and we did well,” said head coach Harold Warren. “We gave up the early two goals, but we played really well in the second half. We just couldn’t finish any of our opportunities. We are going to learn from it though. We have a young team and are losing four very good seniors, but we are going to carry on. We have one more game left against FIU so we need to finish the season with a win.”
Junior goalkeeper Angelica Jimenez moved into second all-time in the UAB (5-10-2, 2-5-2 C-USA) record books for single season saves, adding five more tonight to bring her total to 107 on the year. Katie Forbis holds the record, turning aside 122 shots in 2005.
After getting outshot 6-4 in the first half, the Blazers came out and pressured the Rice (11-3-3, 7-2-1 C-USA) defense in the second, recording 10 shots. It was the most shots UAB has attempted in a single half since firing 15 shots in the second half against Chattanooga on Sept. 19.
Junior Paige Hanks and sophomore Morgan Key-Adams both tied a career best, recording four shots each. Hanks and Key-Adams accounted for the Green and Gold’s only two shots on frame.
Rice’s first goal came three minutes into the contest when Gabriela Iribarne ripped a shot from 15 yards out that beat Jimenez to the low, far post.
The game’s second tally came off the foot of Lauren Hughes, who snuck an attempt from outside the 18 yard box under the cross bar in the upper, left corner past a diving Jimenez.
Following the match, the Blazers honored seniors Megan Collins, Mary Catherine Combs, Johanna Liney and Kelsey Waechter. Together, they have combined for more than 18,100 minutes on the pitch over the past four seasons.
“The seniors have been great and played really well tonight,” Warren said. “It has been an awesome four years with them. They are the first class to go four years with me.”
UAB wraps up its season on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against FIU at West Campus Field.
For more information on the UAB women’s soccer team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UABWomensSoccer). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official Twitter account of UAB Athletics (@UABAthletics).
