Hokie ClubCharlottesville, Va. -- In the final day of the UVa tournament in Charlottesville, Va., Tech couldn’t capitalize in a physical game against UAB, falling to the Blazers, 3-1.
In the stats columns, the two teams were nearly equal, with UAB barely edging out Tech 14-12 in shots. Virginia Tech held the edge in corners, 5-4, and both teams had 3 saves. UAB had 13 of the game’s 19 fouls and were given two yellow cards.
UAB’s Anthony King put the Blazers on top with two goals in the middle of the first half. King’s first goal came on a cross from the right side that King bounced into the net off the post in the 21st minute. King scored again on a penalty kick in the 26th minute, pushing the score to 2-0. Babayele Sodade netted UAB’s final goal of the game in the 70th minute, putting UAB up 3-0.
Tech would not go down quietly however, with David Clemens (Fr., Ballston Lake, N.Y.) scoring Virginia Tech’s first goal of the season and the first goal of his career in the 87th minute. Co-captain Clarke Bentley (Sr., Marietta, Ga.) earned the assist on the goal and registered four shots of his own, one on goal. Clemens had two shots on goal for the match, with Tech’s fourth shot on goal coming from Adama Wakai (Fr., Charlotte, N.C.).
Next, the Hokies head to Tampa, Fla. for their second contest against an out-of-conference preseason ranked opponent, this time facing 16th-ranked South Florida on Friday, Sept. 10. Fans can watch the game live on Fox Soccer Network as the NSCAA Game of the Week. The match is set to start at 8 p.m.