Mustafa’s Second Half Strike Sends UAB to 1-0 Win Over Rice

Sunday, September 30

BBVA Compass Field

1 p.m.

UAB

6-4-1, 3-1

Rice

3-6, 1-2

RICE

UAB

Mustafa’s Second Half Strike Sends UAB to 1-0 Win Over Rice

9/30/2018 5:43:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF) Season Stats (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM – UAB's offense found the breakthrough it needed an hour into Sunday's match when Kamilah Mustafa netted her team-leading sixth goal of the season to clinch a 1-0 victory over the Rice Owls at BBVA Compass Field.

The win marked UAB's (6-4-1, 3-1-0) first victory over Rice since Oct. 24, 2010, when the Blazers also nabbed a 1-0 win against the Owls, while improving the Blazers to 6-1 in home league games under head coach Erica Demers.

"I am very excited for our players who worked extremely hard today against a very good and talented Rice team," Demers said. "This group continues to show signs of overcoming adversity and being willing to be open and make changes within the game for success. We continue to show growth and improvement and we will continue to ask for consistency in how we want to defend and attack throughout the game."

Mustafa was extremely efficient in Sunday's win, putting her lone shot of the game in the back of the net. Mustafa leads the team with six goals on the year and ranks fifth in Conference USA in goals scored.

Fellow forward Jamiera Lunsford was a handful as well, firing off four shots with one on target, while Megan Morrow and Lucy Thrasher each recorded a shot of their own. Megan Hudgens notched her second assist of the season against Rice to set up Mustafa's game winner.

The UAB defense did an outstanding job against a lethal Rice attacked, paced by the heroics of goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty. The Kennesaw, Georgia, native turned away five shots against the Owls to preserve her fourth clean sheet of the season and her second in C-USA play.

Rice (3-6, 1-2) was led by Annie Walker, who finished the game with four shots, one of which was on goal.

Neither side mustered up any real chances in the opening half, with the Blazers' best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes coming from Lunsford, who's effort sailed high of goal 18 minutes into the contest.

Things began to heat up in the second half, with Rice quickly gaining the momentum in the opening 15 minutes of the period. After absorbing that pressure without any repercussions, the Blazers found some offensive footing just prior to the hour mark of the match, which led to a pair of corner kicks for the Green and Gold.

UAB capitalized on the second of those corners in the 60^th minute when Hudgens received the ball and played a perfect pass right through the heart of the Owl defense to the waiting feet of Mustafa, who turned and coolly finished the ball to put the Blazers up 1-0.

The Green and Gold were hungry for more following the score, rifling off four more shots and two more corners in the span of two minutes, but were unable to capitalize on any of the chances in front of the Owls' goal.

With 20 minutes to play and three points on the line, the intensity stepped up as both sides combined for eight fouls in the final stages of the match. Rice pieced together one final chance late off the foot of Ashley Burgess, but her effort went wide, allowing the Blazers to see out the final 90 seconds of the match and claim the 1-0 victory.

UAB returns to action on Sunday, October 7, when it opens a three-match road trip beginning at North Texas. Kickoff from the Mean Green Soccer Stadium is set for 1 p.m. (CST) and can be seen on CUSA.tv.

For more information on the UAB women's soccer team follow the Blazers on Twitter and Instagram (@UAB_WSOC).