The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saturday, September 21
Birmingham, AL
7 p.m.
UAB
3-1-3, 1-0-0
3
vs
2
Florida Atlantic
2-3-1, 0-1-0
1
2
F
Fla. Atlantic
0
2
2
UAB
2
1
3
UAB Men’s Soccer Downs FAU to Open AAC Play
9/21/2024 11:14:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Men's Soccer (3-1-3, 1-0 AAC) downed Florida Atlantic (2-3-1, 0-1 AAC) by a score of 3-2 on Saturday night in a thrilling conference opener. Mathias Love Groth scored the game-winning goal with just over five minutes to go to seal the match.
"We showed good resilience today in the midst of a tough, hard fought game." Head Coach David Lilly said, "We're pleased with how we started the game and how we finished it. We have some things to tighten up and improve on, but the effort and grit to get the win after the momentum swings was important for us."
UAB jumped ahead early in the first half as the Blazers scored on a corner kick for the first time this season. Simon Helt's left-footed cross found Tony Kim and he headed it home for his third goal of the season.
The Blazers added a second goal in the first half on an impressive solo effort by Ole Jessen. Jessen dribbled into the box, past the FAU defense and found the back of the net for his first collegiate goal.
In the second half, the Blazers looked to defend its half and run out the clock, but the Owls would not go away. FAU got on the board in the 64th minute as Noah Kvifte scored his second goal of the season to cut the UAB lead to 2-1.
The Owls were able to level the score in the 76th minute on an impressive solo effort from Aboubacar Traore, who found the back of the net with his right foot.
Despite allowing the game-tying goal late in the match, the Blazers did not give up. Gustavo Barbosa's cross into the box in the 85th minute found Humphrey Doh, who played the ball over to Mathias Love Groth and his shot found its way past the keeper to put the Blazers ahead for good.
The victory marked the Blazers first conference win since October 14, 2022 and the Blazers extended their unbeaten streak to six matches, the longest such streak since the 2011 season. UAB's three wins match the Blazers highest total since the 2018 season.
UP NEXT
The Blazers will head back on the road to take on Louisville on Tuesday, September 24. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
SINGLE GAME TICKETS
Single game tickets for all UAB Men's Soccer home matches are available here.
GOLD CARD
The best way to catch all the action is by purchasing a Gold Card. Season tickets for all three sports can be purchased with the 2024-25 Gold Card. The Gold Card will allow you to gain access to all home events for women's soccer, men's soccer, volleyball, women's basketball, baseball, and softball.
POWER UP
UAB Athletics is excited to officially compete in the American Athletic Conference and needs Blazer Nation to Power Up by becoming a 2024 Blazer Boosters member. Join Blazer Boosters today as UAB student-athletes complete for championships, graduate with honors, and make a difference in our community.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB men's soccer team, follow @UAB_MSOC on Twitter and Instagram.
"We showed good resilience today in the midst of a tough, hard fought game." Head Coach David Lilly said, "We're pleased with how we started the game and how we finished it. We have some things to tighten up and improve on, but the effort and grit to get the win after the momentum swings was important for us."
UAB jumped ahead early in the first half as the Blazers scored on a corner kick for the first time this season. Simon Helt's left-footed cross found Tony Kim and he headed it home for his third goal of the season.
The Blazers added a second goal in the first half on an impressive solo effort by Ole Jessen. Jessen dribbled into the box, past the FAU defense and found the back of the net for his first collegiate goal.
In the second half, the Blazers looked to defend its half and run out the clock, but the Owls would not go away. FAU got on the board in the 64th minute as Noah Kvifte scored his second goal of the season to cut the UAB lead to 2-1.
The Owls were able to level the score in the 76th minute on an impressive solo effort from Aboubacar Traore, who found the back of the net with his right foot.
Despite allowing the game-tying goal late in the match, the Blazers did not give up. Gustavo Barbosa's cross into the box in the 85th minute found Humphrey Doh, who played the ball over to Mathias Love Groth and his shot found its way past the keeper to put the Blazers ahead for good.
The victory marked the Blazers first conference win since October 14, 2022 and the Blazers extended their unbeaten streak to six matches, the longest such streak since the 2011 season. UAB's three wins match the Blazers highest total since the 2018 season.
UP NEXT
The Blazers will head back on the road to take on Louisville on Tuesday, September 24. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
SINGLE GAME TICKETS
Single game tickets for all UAB Men's Soccer home matches are available here.
GOLD CARD
The best way to catch all the action is by purchasing a Gold Card. Season tickets for all three sports can be purchased with the 2024-25 Gold Card. The Gold Card will allow you to gain access to all home events for women's soccer, men's soccer, volleyball, women's basketball, baseball, and softball.
POWER UP
UAB Athletics is excited to officially compete in the American Athletic Conference and needs Blazer Nation to Power Up by becoming a 2024 Blazer Boosters member. Join Blazer Boosters today as UAB student-athletes complete for championships, graduate with honors, and make a difference in our community.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
For more information on the UAB men's soccer team, follow @UAB_MSOC on Twitter and Instagram.
Team Stats
FAU
UAB
Goals
2
3
Shots
15
8
Shots on Goal
8
6
Saves
3
5
Corners
4
5
Fouls
13
8
Scoring Plays
Tony Kim (3)
Assisted By: Simon Helt
GOAL by UAB Kim, Tony Assist by Helt, Simon.
12:24
Ole Jessen (1)
Assisted By: Lucas Rizzo
GOAL by UAB Jessen, Ole Assist by Rizzo, Lucas.
31:48
Noah Kvifte (2)
Assisted By: Aboubacar Traore , Sebastian Zettl
GOAL by FAU Kvifte, Noah Assist by Traore, Aboubacar and Zettl, Sebastian.
63:56
Aboubacar Traore (2)
Assisted By: Mamadou Diarra , Sebastian Zettl
GOAL by FAU Traore, Aboubacar Assist by Diarra, Mamadou and Zettl, Sebastian.
75:23
Mathias Love Groth (1)
Assisted By: Humphrey Doh , Gustavo Barbosa
GOAL by UAB Love Groth, Mathias Assist by Doh, Humphrey and Barbosa, Gustavo.
84:35
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
def
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
mid
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's SoccerM
/ Men's SoccerD
/ Men's SoccerM
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