SMU Soccer Defeats No. 23 UAB

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (SMU) – The SMU men’s soccer team defeated No. 23 UAB, 1-0, Saturday night at West Campus Field. Sophomore Andrew Morales scored the game-winner for the Mustangs. With the win, SMU moves to 6-2-2 and is 2-0 in Conference USA action.

“Any win on the road in conference is a good win,” head coach Tim McClements said. “It was a challenging match from the start. UAB is a team that is incredibly athletic, and has both size and speed. They pressured us all night and we had to grind out a win.”

Morales scored the game’s lone tally on a penalty kick in the 60th minute. A ball was played into the box for freshman John Lujano who was clipped by a UAB defender, resulting in a penalty kick for SMU. Morales converted the opportunity for his third goal of the season and first game-winner.

SMU goalkeeper Jaime Ibarra made 10 saves on the night to earn his third shutout of the season. Ibarra also received help from the defense as the Mustangs made two team saves on the line in the final ten seconds of the game to preserve the clean sheet and the win.

“Without a doubt, he [Jaime Ibarra] was once again the man of the match,” McClements said. “He’s been big-time all year. He made some huge saves tonight and kept the defensive unit strong and organized.”

The Mustangs return to Westcott Field to host conference rival Tulsa at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. All tickets for the game are $1 and can be purchased online at SMUMustangs.com or by calling 214-SMU-GAME.