Lady Blazers stumble in El Paso, try to turn things around before C-USA tournament
Posted on Oct 09, 2012 in Sports
The UAB women’s soccer team (2-11, 1-4 C-USA) had another gut wrenching loss on the road this week as they fell 3-2 to University of Texas at El Paso (8-6-0, 1-4-0 C-USA) Friday night.
While the Blazers fought hard to open the game, UTEP managed to stun the Lady Blazers three minutes into the match when Tori Martyn headed a ball into the far right corner off a set piece.
The women’s soccer team look to turn things around before C-USA tournament. Houston McDuffie/Staff photographer
UAB would answer that score with one of their own when freshman Paige Hanks sent a shot into the box that was deflected and landed at the feet of senior Emma Jane Smith who planted the ball into the net, securing her second goal of the season.
Although the game was back and forth UTEP found several ways to get around UAB’s defense 35 minutes into the play, scoring yet another goal, and ending the half with a 1-2 lead.
The second half of the match opened almost identically to the first, as UAB received another blow when UTEP scored three minutes in off of a blocked header that rebounded and buried into the net, bringing the score to 1-3 at the start of the second half.
Moments later in the 57th minute of play, sophomore Johanna Liney received a cross from Emma Jane Smith and smashed the ball into the right corner of the net bringing the score to 2-3. Liney who leads her team in points with 11, scored her fifth goal of the season but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the Lady Blazers to overcome UTEP Friday night.
UAB has struggled hard all season and time is running out for the Lady Blazers. There are six conference games left and the UAB women’s soccer team needs to minimize their mistakes to move forward. Little mistakes allow their opponents to make easy goals which slow the momentum and deflate the confidence level of the players. However, there is still time for the Lady Blazers to get things together, but it has to happen now.
The UAB women’s soccer team continues on the road this weekend to Colorado Springs, Colorado where they will face Colorado College Sunday Oct. 7, at 1:00 p.m. CST. On Friday Oct. 12, West Campus field will host Houston at 7:00 p.m. CST.
Chase Cole
Staff Writer
chascoleman@uab.edu