May 25, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB women's soccer team will play at West Campus Field seven times during the 2007 season, while scheduling a total of 13 road games throughout the regular season, announced head coach Paul Harbin.

"As usual, our schedule is exciting and extremely challenging with at least nine recent NCAA Tournament teams," said Harbin. "Our players love the challenge of playing the best teams possible. It's no fun to know you've won before the game even starts. I can assure you there's not a game like that on the schedule."

The Blazers will play in a pair of exhibition contests to begin the year, including a home match against in-state foe Jacksonville State on Aug. 19. UAB will then travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on Middle Tennessee State on Aug. 25 in its final warm-up before the season opener.

The regular-season schedule kicks off with the Blazers competing in the LQ Cup Tournament in Macon, Ga., taking on host-school Mercer on Aug. 31 and facing Georgia State on Sept. 2.

Mercer's tournament will also be a homecoming for Harbin, who played for the Bears from 1981-83 and earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from there in 1985. Harbin also returned to his alma mater to lead the women's soccer program from 1990-93.

"I'm very much looking forward to going down to Mercer for the tournament," said Harbin. "I spent a lot of time in Macon. It will be exciting to see all the changes that have taken place since we left in 1993."

UAB will open its home schedule on Sept. 7 by hosting SEC powerhouse Vanderbilt at 7:30 p.m. The Blazers will follow that with another SEC team invading West Campus Field on Sept. 9 as UAB takes on Ole Miss.

"Having two of the absolute best SEC teams here in Birmingham on the same weekend will be a treat for local soccer fans," said Harbin. "Ronnie Hill and Steve Holeman always have their teams playing entertaining soccer."

The Blazers will hit the road for Nashville, Tenn. to participate in the Vanderbilt Tournament, playing against St. Mary's on Sept. 14 and Gonzaga on Sept. 16.

"This will be our first time playing in the Vanderbilt tournament," said Harbin. "We're especially excited about the opportunity to play two extremely talented, top-level west coast teams in St. Mary's and Gonzaga.

"Although we're not familiar with either of these teams, it will be interesting to see former SMU head coach John Cossaboon on the Gonzaga sidelines as an assistant," said Harbin. "I'll miss having him in Conference USA and know that Gonzaga will be a tough match-up with him on staff."

UAB will round out its non-conference schedule with a trio of away matches to end the month of September and prepare the Blazers for the upcoming Conference USA slate. The Blazers will travel to Kennesaw, Ga. for a Sept. 21 match with Kennesaw State before returning to Birmingham to take on cross-town foe Samford on Sept. 23. To complete UAB's non-conference schedule, the Blazers will play at Evansville on Sept. 28.

"We're excited to add Samford to the schedule," said Harbin. "I think this match-up has the potential to become a great local rivalry in the coming years. Samford coach Todd Yelton and I share similar philosophies on and off the field. It is going to be a fun match.

"Kennesaw State and Evansville are two late additions to the schedule. Kennesaw State has had tremendous success in Division I following their Division II National Championship. Rob King does an excellent job with that program.

"Evansville is the home of one of the most storied soccer programs in NCAA history. We look forward to the experience of playing them."

Once October arrives, the Blazers will dive right in to Conference USA play, opening up at Memphis on Oct. 5 and then on to Houston for a pair of games at Rice and Houston on Oct. 12 and Oct. 14, respectively.

UAB's conference home opener will be versus SMU on October 19, followed by three more consecutive home matches with Tulsa (Oct. 21), UCF (Oct. 26) and Southern Miss (Oct. 28).

The Blazers will conclude the C-USA regular season at East Carolina on Nov. 2 and at Marshall on Nov. 4, with hopes of a trip to El Paso, Texas for the Conference USA Championship on Nov. 7-11 to defend their title.

"As it always is, Conference USA is going to be a battle," said Harbin. "Every game in our league will be challenging. We have at least seven teams who can legitimately challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

"Over the last several years, we have had three to four teams selected each year with several others on the bubble. If teams end up playing to their potential, I won't be surprised to see us have more teams selected to the NCAA tournament."