Oct. 26, 2007
UCF Men's Soccer Notes at UAB in PDF Format
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - With only three conference matches left in the 2007 campaign, the UCF men's soccer team visits UAB on Saturday, Oct. 27 for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff. For both the Knights and the Blazers the game is a must-win as they battle for a spot in the Conference USA Tournament, which takes place in Birmingham, Ala. from Nov. 14-18.
Thanks to an early season 1-1 double overtime tie at Memphis, UCF is a point ahead of UAB in the standings and both clubs have two league games remaining after this weekend. Only eight of the nine teams qualify for the conference championships.
"Both teams are aware of what is at stake going into the match," said UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham. "The key for us is to keep our composure and maintain a high intensity through the entire game."
The Knights (4-9-1, 0-4-1 C-USA) are coming off a 2-1 loss to No. 20 Tulsa at home on Oct. 21.Junior co-captain Ryan Roushandel (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School) scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season in the match. He currently ranks second among C-USA players in goals, while he leads in shots (49) and is tied for the top spot in game-winning goals (3).
UCF freshman goalkeeper Sean Johnson and his UAB counterpart Wes Johnson both hail from the Atlanta, Ga. suburb of Lilburn. Wes helped his Parkview High School team earn the Georgia Class 5A State Championship in 2005, while Sean, who played forward during his junior year, led Brookwood High School to consecutive Region 8 5A titles. Sean Johnson leads all C-USA goalkeepers with 66 saves on the season.
The Blazers, who earned a berth to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, enter the weekend with a 5-9-1 overall mark and a 0-5-0 conference record after dropping a 1-0 decision at Alabama A&M on Oct. 24.
Offensively, four UAB players have multiple goals to their credit. Junior forward Dejan Jakovic tops the list with six goals and an assist for 13 points followed by junior forward Frank Brown with four goals and three assists for 11 points. Meanwhile, sophomore Wes Johnson has played in 14 matches, making 44 saves. His 1.07 goals-against-average ranks fourth among C-USA goalkeepers.
"UAB is a good team," said Cunningham. "Their season has been similar to ours in that they have played in a lot of tight games, where the breaks haven't gone their way."
The Blazers hold a 1-0-1 advantage in the series against the Knights. At the UCF Soccer Complex in 2006, UCF held a 2-0 lead before the match was suspended for four hours due to inclement weather in the area. When play resumed at midnight, UAB netted a pair of goals to send the contest into extra sessions. The game ended in a 2-2 tie. The first meeting between the two teams was in 2005 and resulted in a 1-0 win for the Blazers.
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