No. 16 UAB-No. 3 Charlotte Tie, 1-1

by Aaron Jordan

August 31, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UAB senior forward Kofi Gyawu scored his third goal in as many games to help the 16th-ranked men's soccer team to a 1-1 tie at No. 3 Charlotte on Friday night in front of 1,775 fans at Transamerica Field.

The contest between the Blazers and 49ers served as a rematch from last year's NCAA Tournament second round game, which Charlotte won 3-1. The 49ers eventually made it to the national championship game, which was held at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala., where they fell to North Carolina, 1-0.

Junior goalkeeper Raphael Ville was sensational in the net for the Blazers. Playing in just his third collegiate game, Ville made 10 saves to help UAB earn the draw. Ville has made 19 saves on the year and is averaging 6.3 saves per game.

The Blazers struck first when Gyawu scored in the 39th minute on a counter attack to give his team a 1-0 lead. Gyawu, who leads the Blazers with seven points on the year (3g, 1a), has scored a goal in all three of UAB's regular season contests.

However, the 49ers would answer in the 67th minute with a sensational goal by Donnie Jones. The play was set up with Charlotte working the ball around to Jones, who then deposited a bending ball into the far side netting to even the score at one apiece.

Sophomore Ian Michalak, playing in his first game of the year, nearly had the golden goal for UAB five minutes into the first overtime when he found himself with a loose ball 12 yards in front of an open net. However, his shot was deflected away at the last second by a Charlotte defender to keep the game tied.

Charlotte outshot UAB, 26-9, on the night and had a 14-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The Blazers will remain on the road for their next contest when they take on East Tennessee State on Sunday at Noon CT.