The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Soccer Travels to Memphis Friday; Hosts Stetson Sunday
8/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
UAB at Memphis
Details: Friday, August 28 | 7 p.m. CT
Mike Rose Soccer Complex (2,500) | Memphis, Tenn.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Watch Live | Twitter | UAB Notes
UAB vs. Stetson
Details: Sunday, August 30 | 5 p.m. CT
West Campus Field (2,500) | Birmingham, Ala.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Watch Live | Twitter | UAB Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB's men's soccer team opens its 36th season of play this weekend with a road matchup at Memphis and the home opener slated for Sunday versus Stetson.
The 2015 season gets underway Friday from Mike Rose Soccer Complex at 7 p.m., before the Blazers return home Sunday to host Stetson at 5 p.m. in the home opener.
Live stats and live streaming will be available for both matches and information to that can be accessed in the links above.
First Kick
- UAB men's soccer opens its 36th season of play on Friday when the Blazers hit the road for Memphis, Tenn. to take on longtime rival Memphis at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
- The Blazers faced two top-25 opponents in exhibition play in the 2015 preseason, playing No. 18 Louisville to a 3-3 tie in regulation before falling in penalty kicks, and falling 5-1 to No. 11 Clemson at home last weekend.
- In the first two preseason matches, 10 of the 11 starters were all players who either started or played in a majority of the games last season. Sophomore defender Berry Sonnenschein is the lone newcomer who started in exhibition play.
- Senior forward Freddy Ruiz is primed for a stellar senior campaign in 2015, after being named the Conference USA Co-Offensive MVP last season. He was rated as the No. 17 player in the nation this preseason according to TopDrawerSoccer.com, and is also one of 30 NCAA Men's Division I players on the watch list for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy.
- Head coach Mike Getman enters his 24th season at UAB and 29th overall, and is 18th nationally among active Division I coaches with 300 wins in his coaching career.
Scouting The Opponent
Memphis enters its second year under head coach Richard Mulrooney in 2015. The Tigers return eight starters from the 2014 squad that finished 9-7-2 and reached the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
Those veterans, along with 10 newcomers, make up the 2015 Memphis team. Last season the Tigers averaged 1.56 goals per game and held opponents to a 1.28 average. Forward Hector Cantele, who led the squad last season with seven goals, returns for his sophomore season to lead the club this fall.
Last season Stetson came within a goal of gaining at least a share of its first Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title. Sixteen letterwinners return to the squad in 2015, including 10 starters and three preseason all-conference selections.
The Hatters were picked to finish fifth in the six-team A-Sun. Lucas Diniz, Eli Beates and Jared Huber combined for 17 goals last season and all return in 2015.
Series History
The Blazers began 2014 vs. the Tigers, winning 3-1 at West Campus Field. The two squads have met 36 times on the pitch and have each won 18 matches. The first meeting between the two programs came back in 1982. This year's matchup also marks the third-straight year of competition between the two schools, as UAB has won two in a row.
UAB and Stetson have met just once, a matchup that came in the 2006 season. That year, the two clubs met in the Birmingham-Southern Fall Classic, where UAB took a 2-0 decision. Sunday's matchup marks the first between the programs in nine years, as head coach Mike Getman will be facing off against former UAB assistant coach Ernie Yarborough, who coached under Getman for two years prior to a couple other stops and his arrival to Stetson.
Game Promotions
Join Gang Green as they host the Blazer Bash Tailgate starting at 4 p.m. The first 250 students will receive a free hot dog, chips and a drink. There will also be a raffle for a green and gold bike, a 32" flat screen TV and much more (students must be wearing Gang Green t-shirt to be eligible to win).
Free Steel City Pops will be available for the first 250 students in between the men's and women's match, and fans will also have the opportunity to ride a mechanical bull. Fans can also enjoy music at the tailgate courtesy of local artists.
Looking Ahead
Following the two matches this weekend, UAB hits the road for the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament next weekend in South Bend, Indiana. The Blazers will take on No. 14 Indiana on Friday and No. 4 Notre Dame on Sunday.
For more information on the UAB men's soccer team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MensSoccer). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
