Dallas, Texas – Conference USA Player of the Year Ashley McInnes scored two goals and had an assist to lead the seventh-ranked and top-seeded Tulsa men's soccer team to a 4-2 victory over eighth-seeded UAB in the Conference USA Championship quarterfinals on Wednesday night at Westcott Field in Dallas, Texas.  The Golden Hurricane owns a 14-3-2 mark on the season and will take on the winner of the SMU-South Carolina game on Friday, Nov. 14th beginning at 7:30 p.m.

 

"UAB played well," Head Coach Tom McIntosh said. "They really attacked our defense. I thought we played well in the first half taking control after the penalty kick. In the second half we weren't marking. We knew coming into the game that UAB was a good team. We've seen that in the past two years. I'm happy with the win. We know that UAB is not an eighth-seed team and our guys played exceptional. Jose Parada had a superb goal and Ashley McInnes iced the win for us with the fourth goal."

 

The Blazers' Two-Boys Gumede scored off a penalty kick with just 2:15 ticked off the clock, but their lead wouldn't last long as Jose Parada scored off a long pass from McInnes in the seventh minute to tie the contest, 1-1.

 

McInnes tallied his first goal of the contest and his fourth of the season at the 12:13 mark as he headed in a cross from Joe Salem for the lead.  After three goals were scored in under 13 minutes the scoring would cease in the first half with TU taking a 2-1 lead into the break.

 

In the second half, UAB's Derek Rios tied up the game in the 63rd minute, but Chris Taylor wouldn't let Tulsa be tied for long as he knocked one into the net in the 64th minute.   McInnes scored his second goal of the contest in the 87th minute off a cross from Eric DeFreitas.

 

McIntosh, who was selected as the Conference USA Coach of the Year earlier this week, picked up his 150th career win tonight.

 

The Golden Hurricane out-shot the Blazers 21-11 and had a 10-5 advantage in shots on goal.  Andy Aguilar was a surprise in the lineup, but he logged all 90 minutes in goal and picked up three saves.

 

Scoring Summary

Tulsa                  2                  2                  -                  4

UAB                  1                  1                  -                  2

 

Individual Scoring

Two-Boys Gumede (UAB) at 2:15 (penalty kick)

Jose Parada (Tulsa) at 6:50 (Ashley McInnes)

Ashley McInnes (Tulsa) at 12:13 (Joe Salem)

Derek Rios (UAB) at 62:14 (unassisted)

Chris Taylor (Tulsa) at 63:36 (unassisted)

Ashley McInnes (Tulsa) at 86:57 (Eric DeFreitas)

 

Goalkeeper Saves

Andy Aguilar (Tulsa) – 3

Wes Johnson (UAB) – 6