LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama men's soccer team delivered a dominant performance on Senior Day, shutting out Union University 4-0 Sunday afternoon at the UWA Soccer Field.
The Tigers improve to 4-5-4 overall and 2-2-3 in Gulf South Conference play with the victory, while the Bulldogs fall to 4-7-1 overall and 2-4-1 in conference action.
West Alabama controlled the match from the opening whistle, outshooting Union 18-6 and putting 11 shots on target. The Tigers scored twice in each half to secure the four-goal shutout in front of 226 fans.
West Alabama opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Jesper Bakli found the back of the net at 17:46, finishing a pass from Mathias Ibanez to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage.
The Tigers continued to apply pressure and doubled their lead in the 25th minute. Florian Laot scored at 24:33 off an assist from Ammar Nazih, pushing West Alabama ahead 2-0.
The Tigers carried their two-goal advantage into halftime after a strong opening 45 minutes. West Alabama recorded 12 shots in the first half while holding Union without a shot attempt.
After a scoreless stretch in the second half, the Tigers broke through again in the 82nd minute. Aidan Riley scored at 81:04 off an assist from Daniele Ciarlesi, extending the lead to 3-0.
Just over a minute later, Riley returned the favor, assisting Ciarlesi on a goal at 82:20 to make it 4-0. The quick pair of goals put the match out of reach and capped the Tigers' dominant performance.
West Alabama's defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard throughout the match, while goalkeeper Dan Erez did not need to record a save as Union finished with six shots and none on target.
The Tigers finished with an 18-6 advantage in shots and an 11-0 edge in shots on goal. Both teams recorded four corner kicks, while West Alabama committed nine fouls to Union's seven.
The Tigers return to the UWA Soccer Field on Wednesday, October 14, for their final home match of the season against the Montevallo Falcons. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. as West Alabama looks to carry its momentum into the final home contest.
