University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
UAB
Men's Soccer Travels to Birmingham to Face UAB
9/4/2026 9:10:00 PM | Men's Soccer
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Riding back-to-back shutout victories, USC Upstate men's soccer returns to the road Saturday as the Spartans travel to Birmingham, Ala., to take on UAB. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.
Upstate enters Saturday's matchup with a 2-2-0 record and plenty of momentum following consecutive 3-0 victories over West Florida and ETSU. After dropping their first two matches of the season, the Spartans have responded by outscoring their last two opponents 6-0 while posting consecutive clean sheets.
The Spartans' latest victory came Tuesday night in Johnson City, Tenn., as Upstate defeated ETSU 3-0. Josh Zawlocki opened the scoring just 6:10 into the match before Christian Cook and Bennett Leitner added second-half goals to put the contest away. Upstate controlled the attacking numbers as well, finishing with a 15-6 advantage in shots and placing nine attempts on goal while holding the Buccaneers without a shot on target.
Upstate's attack has featured contributions from throughout the lineup early in the season. Zawlocki, Cook and Leitner have each scored twice through the Spartans' first four matches, while Matiwos Rumley also owns a goal. Johannes Lund has contributed assists in each of Upstate's last two victories, while Tolu Fabamifobee and Ola Haugsrud each picked up an assist against ETSU.
On the defensive end, goalkeeper Jarrett Wuerslin and the Spartan back line enter Saturday having gone 180 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal. The Spartans limited ETSU to just six total shots and zero shots on goal Tuesday after also shutting out West Florida in the home opener.
UAB enters the weekend at 1-1-1 after earning its first victory of the season Monday with a 1-0 road win over Mercer. Tony Kim scored the match's lone goal in the 15th minute, while goalkeeper Ethan Schulz made five saves to secure the clean sheet. The Blazers have surrendered just two goals through their first three matches of the season.
Kim and Lucas Nordin have accounted for UAB's two goals this season, while Schulz and Gael Zackrisson have recorded the Blazers' two assists. UAB has generated 37 shots through three matches and holds a 22-14 advantage over its opponents in corner kicks.
Saturday marks the second all-time meeting between the programs. The teams met for the first time last season in Spartanburg, with UAB earning a 3-1 victory over the Spartans.
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