STATESBORO - The Georgia Southern men's soccer team scored three straight goals to open up its 2020 home slate and held on for a 3-2 victory over visiting UAB on Saturday evening at Eagle Field.

The Eagles improved to 1-2 on the season with the victory, while UAB fell to 1-1. Georgia Southern will next open up Sun Belt Conference play on Sunday, October 4, traveling to Atlanta, Ga., to take on Georgia State in a 2 p.m. contest.

"That was fun one for the fans," Georgia Southern Head Men's Soccer Coach John Murphy said. "When you put the remit to the team that you want an improved performance, and you get that against a quality opposition, then you've got to take it. When you score goals, you're going to be open for the opposition to come back. But they never really broke us down during the evening - they scored on a screamer and a set piece. So on both sides of it, we got a better defensive effort from the group, and obviously with the output of the three goals and the chances created, we have to be pleased with that.

Georgia Southern entered the match against the Blazers on a scoring drought that reached 407 minutes before senior Alhaji Tambadu took a ball at the top of the box, laid off ably by junior Adam Davie, and shot inside the near post in the 18th minute for the early 1-0 Eagle lead.

Davie then got in on the scoring with a blistering turn-around shot in the box, assisted by seniors Aldair Cortes and C.J. Smith, in the 34th minute to give Georgia Southern a 2-0 lead going into halftime. UAB held a 5-3 edge in shots at the break.

In the second half, a nifty backheel by senior Gaye Diadie beat UAB goalkeeper Caelan Whitehead inside the near post - coming off of a corner kick by Cortes - for his first goal as an Eagle. The 3-0 lead in the 67th minute for Georgia Southern seemed sure.

UAB started its comeback just two minutes later as a rocket shot by Cale Loughrey inside the upper 90 cut the Eagle lead to 3-2 in the 69th minute. In the 76th minute, the Eagles' Smith was shown a straight red card, meaning Georgia Southern would have to try and protect the lead 10 v 11. 

The Eagles withstood the pressure, only breaking when there was six seconds left in the contest. A corner kick resulted in a couple of deflections in the box, and finally the Blazers' Grayson Dupont was able to usher it into the back of the net for the goal. The Eagles were then able to run out the final seconds after the restart to pick up their first win of the season.

UAB held a 13-6 edge in shots on the match. Junior Jokull Blaengsson picked up the win in net for the Eagles, making a pair of saves, while Whitehead for UAB made one save. UAB had a 13-2 edge in corner kicks and were whistled for 10 fouls on the night. Georgia Southern committed 16 fouls and had the only offsides of the evening.

"Just three games into the season, we'd prefer to be running on all cylinders," Coach Murphy said. "But that's not how sports works. The fact that we've grown and improved over these three games is really what I'm looking for as a coach as we prepare to go into Sun Belt Conference play this coming week."