Oct. 4, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two-Boys Gumede’s goal in the 15th minute lifted the UAB Blazers to a 1-0 win over the 13th-ranked Kentucky men’s soccer team, on a cold Sunday evening in front of 1,774 fans at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky (7-3-1, 0-2-0 Conference USA) suffered just its third loss in the last 19 matches and lost for the second consecutive game, after falling at No. 6 Indiana in Bloomington Tuesday. The Wildcats held a 10-7 advantage in shots, including five shots in each period. UK also finished with five corner kicks.
UAB (7-2-1, 1-0-1 C-USA) got on the board in the 15th minute, as Gumede fired a shot from 25-yards out, off a cross from Michal Mravec. Gumede collected the ball from Mravec at the corner of the box, firing a long shot over the box and into the net at the near post. The goal was Gumede’s second of the year and the assist marked Mravec’s first of the season.
The Wildcats return to action, hosting conference power and 2008 C-USA Champion Tulsa Wednesday, at 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
Williams, a four-year starter and native of Fairfax Station, Va., totaled three saves in the game, keeping the Wildcats in the contest throughout. UAB’s sophomore Carl Woszynski, the reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, was excellent in goal, saving six shots and making several game-changing plays in between the pipes.
Barry Rice, UK’s preseason first-team All-American defender, won 11-of-14 contested header attempts in the game, bringing his season total up to 76-for-92, an 83-percent clip.
Senior Jason Griffiths and junior C.J. Tappel led UK with two shots each, with Griffiths firing both of his shots on goal.
UK still leads the all-time series with UAB, 4-2, with UAB winning its first game since 2006 and getting its first all-time win in Lexington.
Freshman forward Jacob Kemper had a chance in the 34th minute, breaking away on the box and firing a shot on goal that ricocheted off the UAB defense for a UK corner.
Tim Muessig’s long throw-in in the 44th minute gave UK one of its best chances on goal during the first half, when freshman Cameron Wilder had a shot but it landed just wide.
In the 54th minute, off a corner kick delivered from Lodge, Rice landed a hard-hit header shot, but a great save by Woszcynski, kept UAB on top.
UK had a strong attempt in the 68th minute when Marco dos Santos had a powerful shot on the near post, but was blocked by Woszcynski.
In the 79th minute, Tappel broke away from the UAB defender to fire a shot on goal, but Woszcynski had a great block with the edge of his foot, keeping UK out of the goal.
With time ticking down, Rice pounded a ball into the box, where freshman Byron Vega made an attempt to head the ball towards the goal but collided with Woszcynski.
