A year ago the Alabama Birmingham women struggled to a 2-17 season, winning only one game in Conference USA play.
That squad had 12 new players, including two true freshmen. UAB head coach Harold Warren returned nine players who were regular starters from that team.
Eight freshmen were welcomed to the squad during preseason. The Blazers had experience and they now had depth.
This season, Warren’s third as the head coach, is proving that experience is important. He [show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’]had a preview that things were going to be better when his club opened with back-to-back games against the University of Mississippi and Vanderbilt.
UAB opened on the road with a 3-1 win over Vandy, but dropped the home opener against Ole Miss, 5-2. Nobody said it would be easy!
The Blazers earned their seventh victory of the season with a 3-1 road win over the University of Arkansas Little Rock, 31 on September 21. They were coming off a 1-0 loss to Alabama in their third game against an SEC opponent.
“We played very well tonight,” said warren after the Arkansas-Little Rock win. “We tried some new things and it worked out well for us.
“Arkansas-Little Rock used high pressure defending and we were able to circulate the ball and get it forward. That created good opportunities for us. We were able to control the tempo of the game.”
Sophomore midfielder Paige Hanks (Garland, Tex.) leads the team in scoring, notching her fifth goal of the season in the 14th minute against UALR. Redshirt freshman Kasey Johnson (Coppell, Tex.) knocked in her fourth goal of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Prior to the loss to the Crimson Tide, the UAB women had won five consecutive matches, its longest winning streak in four seasons. Alabama scored the game-winner with less than four minutes left in regulation.
The seven wins is the most in a single season since Warren took over as head coach. The Blazers have scored 25 goals in eight games. A year ago UAB scored 18 goals in 19 games.
“We have grown a lot and learned a lot so far this season,” Warren said. “We just closed one chapter and the girls know we are just starting another. Everything looks good as we head into conference play.”
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