Spring Break
Men's Soccer's Championship Dream Ends In Quarterfinals
Huskies' season ends with 1-0 loss to Virginia Tech
Justin Verrier
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Sports
As the ball hung up in the air and the final seconds ticked off the clock, every member of the men's soccer team fell like anvils to the ground. Some, laying face down in the muck that was the Morrone Stadium field; others, with their hands shielding their bleary eyes; and some sitting, crouched up in a ball and staring off into the distance, wondering how and why a season filled championship-aspirations and dreams of making history suddenly came to an end.
One goal was all it took Saturday for No. 11 seed Virginia Tech in to end one of the greatest seasons in UConn soccer history and to halt a team that once seemed destined for the Final Four before they ever left Connecticut.
"It's really heartbreaking," said a downtrodden Julius James. "That's it for me. It ended in a loss in front of probably the biggest crowd that we've ever played in front of. We had a pretty good season. It could have gone on a little further … it just didn't work out."
Patrick Nyarko's goal in the 21st minute gave Virginia Tech (14-3-5) a 1-0 victory in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and propelled the team to Cary, N.C., for the College Cup semifinals. Nyarko's goal was the first in 357 minutes allowed by the No. 2 Huskies (20-3-1), who had never lost at home before Saturday.
"It's a cruel sport," said head coach Ray Reid. "Sometimes, at the end of the day, you don't really get what you deserve, and sometimes, we've got something good that we didn't deserve. It's just a hard way to go out."
With 18:21 to go in the second half, Markus Aigner took a goal kick and sent it over the cluster of players that had accumulated near the midline. The ball sailed to just outside UConn's box and Nyarko raced toward the ball while the defenders around him slipped and fell.
Josh Ford sprinted from the mouth of the goal to deflect the shot, but before he could get in front of him, Nyarko flicked the ball with the outside of his foot. The Huskies could then only watch as the ball dribbled slowly toward the goal, clanking off the left post and into a wide open net.
One goal was all it took Saturday for No. 11 seed Virginia Tech in to end one of the greatest seasons in UConn soccer history and to halt a team that once seemed destined for the Final Four before they ever left Connecticut.
"It's really heartbreaking," said a downtrodden Julius James. "That's it for me. It ended in a loss in front of probably the biggest crowd that we've ever played in front of. We had a pretty good season. It could have gone on a little further … it just didn't work out."
Patrick Nyarko's goal in the 21st minute gave Virginia Tech (14-3-5) a 1-0 victory in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and propelled the team to Cary, N.C., for the College Cup semifinals. Nyarko's goal was the first in 357 minutes allowed by the No. 2 Huskies (20-3-1), who had never lost at home before Saturday.
"It's a cruel sport," said head coach Ray Reid. "Sometimes, at the end of the day, you don't really get what you deserve, and sometimes, we've got something good that we didn't deserve. It's just a hard way to go out."
With 18:21 to go in the second half, Markus Aigner took a goal kick and sent it over the cluster of players that had accumulated near the midline. The ball sailed to just outside UConn's box and Nyarko raced toward the ball while the defenders around him slipped and fell.
Josh Ford sprinted from the mouth of the goal to deflect the shot, but before he could get in front of him, Nyarko flicked the ball with the outside of his foot. The Huskies could then only watch as the ball dribbled slowly toward the goal, clanking off the left post and into a wide open net.
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jeff
posted 12/11/07 @ 8:09 PM EST
Wow, they choked, huh?
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