Oct. 6, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's soccer team will step outside of Conference USA play when it takes on in-state foe Alabama A&M on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at West Campus Field. It marks the second straight season and the eighth time in the last 10 years the two teams have squared off on the pitch.

"Alabama A&M is a very good team and could be the most talented team we will play all year," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "This is a big game and we are hoping to get a lot of fan support. Alabama A&M has some very talented players and it will certainly be a good test for our defense and our team."

The Bulldogs enter Wednesday night's contest on an eight-match unbeaten streak (6-0-2) and a 7-3-2 overall mark on the season. Most recently, Alabama A&M captured the Bradley Classic tournament title last weekend with a pair of victories over Missouri State and host Bradley.

The Bulldogs are led by Futhi Bhembe, who will enter Wednesday night's contest tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 10 goals and second in the NCAA statistics with 23 points on the season (10g, 3a). Lwazi Maziya and Rogers Atugonza are second with three goals apiece, while Maziya leads the squad with five assists on the campaign.

The Blazers are coming off a 2-1 overtime defeat to then-No. 15 Tulsa last Saturday night. The loss dropped UAB to 3-5-2 overall and 1-1 in Conference USA play. Additionally, the Blazers are 0-4 against ranked teams this season and have now lost by one goal in each of their five defeats on the campaign.

The Blazers are led by junior Two-Boys Gumede, who has accounted for a team-best six points on two goals and two assists this season. Senior Derek Rios and sophomore Michal Mravec have each accounted for two goals and an assist on the year, while senior Shane Elsner also has found the back of the net on two occasions. Senior Carlo Schiavoni has a team-leading three assists on the campaign.

Goalkeepers Wes Johnson and Carl Woszczynski split time in the net for the Blazers. Johnson recorded his first shutout of the season and seventh of his career in UAB's win at Memphis last week. He now has a team-low goals allowed average of 1.00 in six games this season. Meanwhile, Woszczynski has also played well in the net this season. He has a 1.33 GAA in the four contests he has played, and has made a team-high 19 saves on the year.

The contest is schedule to kickoff at 7 p.m. CT at West Campus Field and can be followed live on Gametracker by logging on to UABsports.com.

The match is free to UAB students who have a valid student ID. Additionally, students and UAB men's soccer season ticket holders are encouraged to come and enjoy free food and drinks at a pregame tailgate that will begin 90 minutes before the game (5:30 p.m. CT).