Coastal Carolina University's men's soccer team will open the 2001 season on Friday, August 31, at CCU Soccer Stadium as it host 19th ranked University of Alabama at Birmingham at 7:00 p.m. It will be schedule magnet night as the first 100 fans will receive magnet's featuring photos of senior Tyler Hughes and Kristen Wisse and schedules of both the Chanticleers and Lady Chanticleers soccer squads. The match will also be broadcast live on Coastal Carolina's athletic web site.

The Chanticleers meeting with the Blazers will be just the second ever meeting between the two programs in men's soccer. UAB defeated Coastal last season 3-1 in Birmingham as the Blazers scored a pair of second half goals to break a 1-1 tie at halftime. The Chants Joseph Ngwenya opened scoring before a trio of UAB goals completed the scoring. Nnamdi Ngwe tied the game at 1-1 before half, while Brantley Spillman and Tony McManus each posted unassisted second half goals for the victory. All of these players are back for both squads as Coastal returns eight starters and UAB six.

"This will be an excellent test for our squad early in the season," said Coastal Carolina Head Coach Shaun Docking. "It will serve as a measuring stick for our progress at this point. Playing quality, nationally ranked teams like UAB allows us to see where we are and how our freshman have progressed through preseason training."

Coastal Carolina is coming off an 11-5-1 season and captured the 2001 Big South Conference regular season championship. Ngwenya, the 2001 Big South Rookie of the Year, will lead the way on the offensive end of the field. The Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, native led the Chants with 20 points on 10 goals and eight assists in his first collegiate season. Senior captain Tyler Hughes (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), who has started 50 of 51 games over the past three seasons, will anchor the defense from his centerback position.