Women’s Soccer Prepares To Take On Alabama-Birmingham 9/5/02

The Vanderbilt women’s soccer team will look to rebound from a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss to Saint Louis University in its season opener last Sunday when it hits the road on Thursday to take on Alabama-Birmingham. The contest is slated to kick off at 7:00 p.m. in Birmingham.

For the Commodores, Thursday night’s game will be the first of six contests away from the friendly confines of the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex. Vanderbilt does return home to play a home game until Friday evening, October 4, against SEC rival Florida.

The Black and Gold are coming off a difficult loss to Saint Louis in their inaugural game at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex. Both teams were deadlocked at 0-0 following the first 90 minutes. In regulation, the Commodores outshot the Billikens 16-8; however, in overtime Saint Louis made its ninth shot count. Defender Tressa Percher slid the ball past Vanderbilt goalkeeper Esther Thompson, following a corner kick, in the 96th minute to give Saint Louis the win. Thompson was one of the bright spots for the Commodores in the first game, as she recorded seven saves in her first game as a member of the women’s soccer team.

The Commodores own a decisive 6-0 all-time record against the Blazers, including a 1-0 victory last season in Nashville. Including Thursday’s meeting, these two teams have squared off the last seven years. Senior midfielder Katharine Carroll was the hero of last year’s contest, as she scored in the 84th minute to lift the Commodores to the victory.

UAB enters Thursday’s match-up with a 1-0-1 after playing in the OHANA Hotels & Resort No Ka Oi Tournament in Waipahu, Hawaii. The Blazers and Hawaii battled to a 1-1 double-overtime draw in their first contest; however, rebounded with a convincing 3-0 victory over Wyoming.

Midfielder Jenny Rynders is off to a quick start this season, as she has tallied one goal in both games for UAB. In 200 minutes, UAB goalkeeper Lisa Nowoslawski has recorded 17 saves, while allowing only one goal. The only goal she has allowed came in the 80th minute against Hawaii.

Quick Points Heading into UAB Contest
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series with UAB, 6-0. The first meeting between these two teams was back in 1996, which the Commodores won in Nashville, 3-2.
The Commodores are looking to end a three-game losing and scoreless streak, a streak that dates back to the Duke contest on Nov. 3, 2001.
The UAB game is the first of six-consecutive road games for the head coach Ronnie Hill squad.
Vanderbilt owns a 21-12-1 mark against its next six road opponents.