The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Travel to Belmont Wednesday for Exhibition Match
8/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB women’s soccer team plays its first exhibition game of the preseason Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Blazers travel to Nashville, Tenn., to face Belmont from E.S. Rose Park.
UAB will play its final exhibition game Sunday at 12:30 p.m. when the Blazers head to Mobile, Ala., to battle in-state foe South Alabama at The Cage.
Expectations are high as UAB enters its 21st season on the pitch and first at BBVA Compass Field, the new home of the Blazers. Harold Warren begins his sixth season as head coach and leads a veteran group that returns seven starters from a season ago. In addition, Warren welcomes seven newcomers that are expected to provide depth to a squad led by captains Marin Carter, Rachel Green and Bri Kuestersteffen.
“We’re looking forward to traveling to Nashville and playing Belmont,” Warren said. “They’re a very well-coached team that will make things very difficult for us, which is the biggest reason why I wanted them on the schedule. They will help prepare us for the rest of the season.”
Belmont finished its 2015 season with a 4-12-2 overall record and a 3-6-1 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference and was picked to finish ninth in the league’s 2016 preseason poll. The Bruins return eight starters from last season, including All-OVC Second Team keeper Stephanie Bukovec and forward Belicia Mendiola.
“As a staff, we want to watch the girls play and assess what we do well and what we need to continue working on,” Warren added. “Our preparation time is extremely short, therefore, we haven’t worked on much. We expect to make mistakes and lack a bit of tactical insight, but we’ll have plenty of time to work on our tactics before opening weekend. Most importantly, we want our young women to work hard and have fun.”
UAB opens the regular season Friday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. when the Blazers host Austin Peay to kick off a schedule that features nine home games.
For more information on UAB women’s soccer, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_WSOC), Instagram (@UAB_WSOC) and Snapchat (@UABAthletics).
