East Carolina University
UAB
Soccer Ties UAB 1-1
October 23, 2009 | Soccer
Oct. 23, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Junior Tricia Tufts gave East Carolina a 1-0 lead late in the first half, but UAB's Danya Barsalona scored the equalizer at 48:35, leading to a 1-1 tie Friday afternoon at Bunting Field. The draw snaps the Pirates’ (8-6-3, 3-5-1 C-USA) three-game losing streak and is ECU’s third consecutive tie against the Blazers (10-5-2, 4-3-2 C-USA).
“We’re just not putting 90 minutes together right now,” head coach Rob Donnenwirth said. “We came out in the first half and played very well, but we let UAB back in at the beginning of the second.”
East Carolina had a chance to score early in the game as it received a corner kick 24 seconds into the contest. Freshman Caty Butler headed the pass off the corner from sophomore Amanda Malkiewicz toward the net, but missed wide.
The Pirates received another corner kick at 9:03 and this time Amanda Broz got a head on the Malkiewicz pass, but Broz’ shot went just over the crossbar.
“During the first half we were in a good offensive rhythm,” Donnenwirth said. “We were making good passes and getting good touches.”
UAB took its first shot at 12:19 as Laura McCalla fired, but ECU junior goalkeeper Jen Kurowicki made the save. That was one of only three shots on goal the Blazers managed in the first half.
A Butler shot at 19:52 nearly put the Pirates ahead 1-0, but UAB goalkeeper Kate Blankenship dove to her right and recorded the stop.
The Pirates cashed in on either team's final scoring chance of the first half as Tufts scored at 39:05. Sophomore Kimmy Cummings collected a loose ball in the middle of the field and found Tufts on the far right side. Tufts broke in and her shot went over Blankenship for the 1-0 ECU advantage. It was Tufts' first goal of the season and the second of her career. Her other score was against Houston her freshman year.
In the second half, UAB knotted the game when Barsalona controlled a rebound and scored. Carolyn Polcari registered an assist on the play as her shot was stopped by Kurowicki, who was pulled out of the goal to make the save. With the rebound in front of the net, Barsalona knocked the ball into the unoccupied goal.
The Blazers kept the pressure on the ECU defense, taking three more shots in the next five minutes. Kurowicki made two saves during that span.
“I give UAB credit,” Donnenwirth said. “They came out with more will than we did in the second half. We lost our offensive rhythm and it was hard to get it back.”
At 56:42, Polcari almost scored a goal of her own to put UAB ahead, but her shot it the crossbar and bounced aside.
The ECU offense then responded by taking three shots and receiving a corner kick between 57:31 and 59:52. Junior Bailey Wilcox had a shot from close range, but Blankenship made the save.
The Pirates had another chance to take a lead at 73:05 when Malkiewicz was stopped by Blankenship. Tufts fired again 53 seconds later, but also failed to find the back of the net.
Tiffini Turpin had another near miss for the Blazers when she took a shot at 79:35. Kurowicki was out of the goal as she was attempting to play the ball, but two ECU defenders got feet on the Turpin shot to turn the ball aside. Turpin fired again at 83:26, but was stopped by Kurowicki.
McCalla had the final shot of the second half at 89:06 and Kurowicki made the save.
In the first overtime, neither team recorded a shot. In the second extra session, UAB’s offense put the pressure on the Pirates, holding ECU without a shot and taking four of its own.
The Blazers took two attempts within the first four minutes of the frame. Polcari then took a Blazer corner kick at 105:36 and McCalla followed with a shot, but missed wide. Polcari took another corner at 106:21 and this time it was Emily Sinovich who fired wide.
At the end of the game, UAB finished with 21 shots while the Pirates took 18. Kurowicki made a career-high nine saves in the contest and Blankenship collected eight. The 18 ECU shots were the most since the team took 24 at Coastal Carolina Sept. 18.
East Carolina plays its final home game of the season Sunday at 1 p.m. when it hosts Memphis. Sunday is also Senior Day, as the team will celebrate the careers of Alexis Foltz and Jessica Swanson.
