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UAB Prepares To Host Conference USA Men's Soccer Championship
Nov. 11, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's soccer team has been playing strong soccer heading into the 2007-08 Conference USA Men's Soccer Championship. It is a reason why there is a lot of excitement and optimism as the Blazers enter its opening round game as the No. 8 seed Wednesday night at 8 p.m. against 10th-ranked and No. 1 seed Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The league tournament, which will be held Nov. 14-18, returns to Birmingham for the first time since 1999. That year, UAB captured the regular season and conference tournament titles on its way to a program-best elite eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. "Hosting the C-USA Tourney will give our fans a chance to see some of the best soccer in the country," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "Playing at home will also be a great advantage as we move into the postseason." The Blazers have won two of their last three contests entering tournament play. However, the lone loss during the stretch came at Tulsa, 2-0, in the regular season finale on Nov. 9.
In all, the league features two teams ranked among the top-10 in the nation, led by No. 6 SMU (13-3-2, 6-1-1), who is the No. 2 seed in the event, followed by the 10th-ranked Golden Hurricane. The Golden Hurricane (12-2-2, 6-0-2) will play host and No. 8 seed UAB (7-10-1, 2-6-0) in the 8 p.m. nightcap Wednesday. TU rides a seven-game win streak into the championship. No. 2 seed SMU, the defending C-USA champion, will kick things off against No. 7 seed Florida International (3-12-2, 2-5-0) Wednesday at Noon. The Mustangs shut out the Golden Panthers during their regular-season meeting on Oct. 20. The two teams met in the first match of the 2006 quarterfinals as well. The 2:30 p.m. match will feature No. 3 seed Kentucky (7-9-2, 5-3-0) against No. 6 seed Marshall (9-8-1, 3-5-0). The Wildcats have come on strong at the end of the season to win four of their last six matches, including a 2-1 victory against SMU on Nov. 3. The Mustangs defeated UK in the 2006 C-USA Championship Final. No. 4 seed South Carolina (10-5-2, 4-2-2) squares off with No. 5 seed Memphis (9-4-4, 2-2-3) to open the evening session at 5:30 p.m. CST. Both teams have been regionally-ranked in the Top 5 of the South and Midwest regions, respectively, nearly all season. During their regular season meeting on Oct. 20 in Memphis, they battled to a 1-1 double overtime tie. Eight of the nine C-USA teams advanced to the league championship, which begins Wednesday, Nov. 14, with first-round matches at Noon, 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. CT. The semifinals are Friday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the final set for Sunday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m. CT. The final will be aired live on CSTV and Conference USA's official website, www.ConferenceUSA.com, will provide live stats, box scores, recaps, photos and video streaming. A complete schedule of the 2007 Conference USA Men's Soccer Championship follows: 2007 CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH SCHEDULE
Wednesday, November 14 Friday, November 16 (Semifinals) Sunday, November 18 (Finals) All times are Central. |
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