The Daily Campus

Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Dan Gindraux O'Brian White is the main offensive force for the Huskies. He was named Big East Offensive Player of The Year.

After the men's soccer team defeated Notre Dame Nov. 18 to capture the Big East Championship, head coach Ray Reid stopped short of comparing this team to the great Huskies teams he has coached in the past, saying that this group of Huskies has a chance to "create their own legacy." He and many of the players added that the biggest prize of all, a 2007 NCAA Tournament championship, is still up for grabs.

"This team's not special yet," Reid said. "Take the four seniors right now and they'll be honest, if they hiccup in the next couple games, it won't be special. Talk to me about that on the weekend of Dec. 8 and 9 [the College Cup Quarterfinals] and I'll let you know if it's special."

UConn's journey towards creating their legacy and attaining their third national championship begins when it faces Vermont tonight at 7 p.m. at Morrone Stadium in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

"At this time of year, it's about the postseason," Reid said. "We have to make sure [Wednesday night] that since it's an elimination game, we have to be ready to play."

With the No. 3 seed in the tournament, the Huskies received a first-round bye. The Catamounts, meanwhile, defeated Dartmouth in the first round, 4-3, on penalty kicks after playing the Big Green to a 1-1 tie in regulation Nov. 24.

The extra time hasn't hurt the Huskies any according to Reid, as he feels the team is ready for the match against the Catamounts.

"Our guys have been focused all week," Reid said.

The Huskies are riding a six-game winning streak heading into the match and have gone a perfect 15-0-0 at home this year. They also boast the second-best winning percentage in the NCAA, at .881. Although every game is now do-or-die, Reid says the team is taking a blank-slate approach to the College Cup.

"All those statistics mean nothing right now," Reid said. "Our team's got to be ready to play. All that other stuff got us to where we are today playing at home, but it's not going to help us win."

Reid acknowledged that everybody will have to do their part for the team to have success, and nobody is looking past Vermont at all. The Huskies boast one of the better all around teams heading into the tournament with the 10th-best scoring offense and the sixth-best team goals-against-average in the NCAA.

"It's been the whole team since the first day," Reid said. "It's been critical to what we're doing."

The Catamounts, who won the America East Championship, have turned their season around after a rough 4-9 start that featured a pair of four-game losing streaks. In their last eight games, Vermont has gone undefeated with a 5-0-3 record during that run.

"They're very organized defensively," Reid said of Vermont. "T.J. Gore up front is a very good attacking player. Connor Tobin, the center-back is very good."

Should the Huskies continue to advance, they will maintain home field advantage through the quarterfinals on Dec. 7, 8 or 9. Method Road Soccer Stadium, home of the NC State men's soccer team, will host the semifinals and finals.



Mike Northup can be reached

at Michael.Northup@UConn.edu.

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