Men's Soccer Secures Conference Win Over UAB

Friday, October 3

Tulsa, Okla.

7:00 p.m.

Tulsa

2-6-2, 1-3-0

UAB

2-6-1, 1-3-0

UAB

Tulsa

Men's Soccer Secures Conference Win Over UAB

10/3/2025 9:57:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa (2-6-2, 1-3-0) secured a 1-0 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2-6-1, 1-3-0) on Friday at Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium, with the lone goal coming in the second half. This marked the first conference win for Tulsa this season.

The first half between Tulsa and the Blazers began with both teams setting strong defensive strategies, resulting in a scoreless half. The Golden Hurricane's Gyuwon Chong took an early shot in the 19th minute, which was one of the few offensive attempts from the home team. UAB responded with multiple shots, including efforts from Tony Kim and Mathias Love Groth, though they failed to find the back of the net. Tulsa's Aimar Membrila and Alex Cunningham each had attempts saved by UAB goalkeeper Tom Mabon, maintaining the 0-0 scoreline at halftime.

Tulsa secured a narrow victory over UAB in a tense second half. The match was marked by aggressive play, resulting in multiple yellow cards and fouls for both teams. UAB's Gael Zackrisson and Tulsa's Jake Reich each had key shots, but both were saved by the opposing goalkeepers, Mabon and Carlito Saylon, respectively. The decisive moment came in the 89th minute when Gijs Hovius scored his second goal of the season for the Golden Hurricane, assisted by Reich, who tallied his first career assist in his first game for the Golden Hurricane, and Jared Aguilar, who recorded an assist in his second game in a row. This gave the hosts a 1-0 lead that they maintained until the final whistle. The Blazers' Carson Brice attempted a late shot, but it went wide, sealing the game for Tulsa.

"I think today we felt from the start that we could win this game," said Hovius after Tulsa's dramatic late victory over UAB. "We were dominating and looking for the goal, and I was lucky enough at the last minute, but I'm happy that we could score."

Tulsa stands at 2-6-2 overall and 1-3-0 in conference play. UAB holds a record of 2-6-1 overall and 1-3-0 in conference action.

The next challenge for the Golden Hurricane comes on Oct. 7 when they face Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla. The match is set for 7 p.m., with Tulsa visiting ORU's stadium in this local showdown.

Tulsa Top Performers

Carlito Saylon
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- 2 saves
- 1 shutout
- 90 minutes played

Jared Aguilar
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- 1 assist

Gijs Hovius
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- 1 goal
- 1 game-winning goal
- 1 shot on goal

Jake Reich
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- 1 assist
- 2 shots on goal

Game Notes
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- This was the sixth time this season that Tulsa has had five or more shots on goal.