LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Men's Soccer team continues their GSC slate this weekend as the Tigers host the Union Bulldogs on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before welcoming the Christian Brothers Buccaneers on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Friday's match against Union is also West Alabama's 'Think Pink' theme as the University recognizes all of those affected by Breast Cancer.
West Alabama (3-3-3, 1-2-2 GSC) enters this weekend's play after tying with AUM on Sunday while Union (5-3-1, 0-2-1 GSC) comes in off the heels of a 6-1 victory over Tougaloo College. Similar to the Bulldogs, Christian Brothers (3-3-2, 0-2-1 GSC) has yet to earn their first conference win as they enter the weekend after a dominant 7-1 win over Central Baptist College.
Through nine matches of the 2024 season, UWA hasn't been as consistent as they would've liked, but the Tigers know that they have the talent to compete with any team in the Gulf South.
David Nunez remains the top goal scorer on West Alabama's roster, but the players around him, such as
Michael Bell,
Joe Wright and
Aiden Riley have stepped up as of late. Bell's goal streak was snapped in UWA's loss to Montevallo last Friday but he remains an important piece to the Tigers' offense as the senior dished out an assist to Wright in West Alabama's 2-2 tie with AUM. Wright's goal against the Warhawks stands as the second of the year for the Forward as he continues to emerge as an offensive weapon for coach
Ross Nelson.
As for Riley, he also registered his second goal of the season in UWA's matchup against AUM on Sunday. Riley's made an immediate impact as a true freshman and will assume a large role in this weekend's play where West Alabama needs him to stay aggressive offensively.
In goal for the Tigers,
Timon Dressel continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in the league. The freshman ranks second in the GSC in saves with 44 and sits third with a .815 save percentage. Dressel's got a nice test in front of him on Friday with an aggressive and explosive Union offense coming to town.
The Union Bulldogs are arguably the best offensive team in the conference as they lead the league in goals with 26, averaging nearly three goals per match. Forwards Ashanie Kennedy and Cillian Heaney are the heartbeat of the Bulldogs' offense as the duo leads the team with five goals each. Right behind them is Diego Medina with four goals and Kenny Nitzsche with three. Heaney is Union's best all-around player as he rarely comes off the pitch for the Bulldogs, accumulating 725 minutes in nine matches which stands as the second most amongst the team. While Union's scored a league-high 26 goals, only one of those have come in conference play and Dressel and the Tigers would like to keep it that way on Friday night.
Much like Union, Christian Brothers has a knack for finding the back of the net. The Buccanners currently rank third in the conference in goals with 21, averaging 2.7 scores per match. CBU comes at you with a balanced attack offensively as 15 players on the Bucs roster have recorded a goal this season. Forward Alexander Blanche and Midfielder Harry Laing lead the way with three goals apiece. Blanche enters this weekend's play after scoring in CBU's latest contest against Central Baptist while Laing missed that match but accounted for the Bucs lone goal in their 1-1 tie with Delta State last Tuesday.
Friday's matchup against Union is set for 7:30 p.m. while Sunday's contest against Christian brothers is set for 3:30 p.m.
