BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Central Arkansas men's soccer (4-2-1, 1-0 ASUN) saw its comeback bid fall just short against UAB.
UAB looked to run at every opportunity, even when the Blazers were in their own third, creating offense quickly and finishing the game with five offsides calls. Central Arkansas created some looks of its own early in the match, as Kyle Schwartz recorded the first shot of the game in the fourth minute after receiving a corner kick from Danny Nava, but his shot went just wide of the goal. Despite UAB's efforts to attack quickly, both teams settled into their defenses early. Through the first 15 minutes of the match, Schwartz's shot was the lone attempt for either team.
Vaclav Kozeny recorded two shots in the 26th minute, but UAB came up with the first goal of the game in the 30th minute when Lucas Rizzo scored following a throw-in. The Blazers continued to play with pace and added their second goal just before halftime from Tony Kim.
Despite starting the second half down two goals, the Bears came out confident and looking to even the match. Central Arkansas got on the board 10 minutes into the second half with a goal from Mateusz Wojtalik following a corner kick from Garner Wolfe. The goal was Wojtalik's first of the season, while the assist moved Wolfe into sole possession of the team lead with three assists.
Even with the comeback bid falling short, the Bears played much better defensively in the second half. UAB struggled to get shots off when entering the Central Arkansas third and was limited to just one corner kick in the second half. The Blazers' best opportunity to score in the second half came in the 73rd minute when they had a player in transition, but Logan Smith showed great hustle to track him down and win the ball back for Central Arkansas.
Central Arkansas will hit the road again for a matchup Saturday against ASUN opponent Bellarmine, which tied 1-1 with Hanover College in its most recent matchup. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live statistics available online.
