Spring Break
Soccer: Huskies focused after rough finish
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Sports
The men's soccer team had one of the most successful seasons of any UConn sports team had in the fall of 2007. A 20-3-1 season was topped off with a Big East regular season title and a Big East tournament title. The Huskies were the No. 1 team in the nation for four weeks last year and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA College Cup championship. Everything seemed to be in place for a storybook ending.
But it all ended so quickly.
The Huskies were upset in the NCAA quarterfinals by Virginia Tech. It seemed impossible that such an accomplished season could end like that.
Following the loss in December 2007, the Huskies started their path to the 2008 season on the right foot. UConn's O'Brian White, a junior last season, earned the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in intercollegiate soccer.
"I felt very good," White said. "The hard work paid off, but I wish all my teammates were there with me. I could never have done it without them and I was sorry we didn't get to win the ultimate goal, the national championship."
After graduating some team members to Major League Soccer (MLS) and bringing in new recruits from across the country, the Huskies got back to practice in January, hungry for the chance to take the field.
But while the taste of defeat was bittersweet, there's a new motto ringing in the locker room; "win the next game." Players and coaches alike aren't worrying about making it to the Big East Championship or the NCAA championship; they're focusing solely on the next game on the schedule.
"We did come up empty [last year]," said head coach Ray Reid. "I give last year's team a lot of credit. They were resilient, and really they did nothing wrong. We might not have the same record we had [last year]; we may lose more games, but this team may go further. We have to take it one game at a time."
For the players, one of the most exciting aspects about getting the season underway is playing in front of the fans at Morrone Stadium.
"When you walk out and see the student body, you see grandparents, children, moms and dads taking pictures of you and you feel like a professional soccer player when you step out there," said junior midfielder Mike Pezza. "You want to go out there and impress everybody and just show them what you've got. It's a great honor to play in front of those fans."
In addition to attending fans, the players enjoy playing in front of the student-section dubbed, "The Goal Patrol."
"Besides playing with each other, I'm really excited about the fans," said sophomore goalkeeper Josh Ford. "Last year was really exciting. [The Goal Patrol] was behind us 110 percent and that was our 12th man out there on the field. I'm excited to hear what they have to say this year."
The Huskies return nine starters from last year, including three preseason players who were named to the preseason M.A.C. Hermann trophy watch list: senior forwards White, Akeem Preistley and junior midfielder Toni Stahl.
Being forced to sit all but three games his senior season due to an ACL injury, captain Karl Schilling will be a key part of the Huskies' defense this year.
"If [Schilling] rebounds from his ACL, it will be very big," Reid said. "He was playing excellent the first three games and he's been playing pretty good this spring. He allows us to put Oscar Castillo in the middle and Oscar's a great defender."
Returning as goalkeeper is Ford, who played every minute of his freshman year last season after redshirting the 2006 season. His 14 recorded shutouts is something that the entire team is looking to build on this year.
"You come in with the mindset to never give up a goal," Ford said. "The team defense, we take pride in keeping the zero. It's not just my zero or the defense's zero. It's everyone's from White's to my zero. Once we all get it going, the zeroes will come and we're ready for it."
For the new players on the team, Tony Cascio from Gilbert, Ariz. is creating a buzz among his new teammates.
"He's a very good player, playing with the first team now," Pezza said. "He's getting a lot of reps, beating a lot of the first players on the team and by the end of this year and the start of next year, he could be a starter for us. But there's a bunch of good players from the freshman class this year. The next two or three years, there'll be a great bunch of players here."
The team lost four seniors to graduation in 2007. Julius James and Ryan Cordeiro were drafted into the MLS with the ninth and 33rd overall picks, respectively. Cordeiro plays for DC United, while James plays for FC Toronto. Also graduating last year were Chukwudi Chijindu, who is trying out to play professional soccer in Greece, and Louis Jones.
"I feel we are a very good team," White said. "But we have to know that we can't take anything for granted. Losing Julius, Cordeiro, Chucky and Louis are very hard spots to fill. The seniors hopefully will step up, and with the freshmen coming in, we could have a very special team, but it won't be easy. Everyone is coming for us. We have to bring our "A" game every game, no matter who we play."
Marc.Gauthier@UConn.edu
But it all ended so quickly.
The Huskies were upset in the NCAA quarterfinals by Virginia Tech. It seemed impossible that such an accomplished season could end like that.
Following the loss in December 2007, the Huskies started their path to the 2008 season on the right foot. UConn's O'Brian White, a junior last season, earned the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in intercollegiate soccer.
"I felt very good," White said. "The hard work paid off, but I wish all my teammates were there with me. I could never have done it without them and I was sorry we didn't get to win the ultimate goal, the national championship."
After graduating some team members to Major League Soccer (MLS) and bringing in new recruits from across the country, the Huskies got back to practice in January, hungry for the chance to take the field.
But while the taste of defeat was bittersweet, there's a new motto ringing in the locker room; "win the next game." Players and coaches alike aren't worrying about making it to the Big East Championship or the NCAA championship; they're focusing solely on the next game on the schedule.
"We did come up empty [last year]," said head coach Ray Reid. "I give last year's team a lot of credit. They were resilient, and really they did nothing wrong. We might not have the same record we had [last year]; we may lose more games, but this team may go further. We have to take it one game at a time."
For the players, one of the most exciting aspects about getting the season underway is playing in front of the fans at Morrone Stadium.
"When you walk out and see the student body, you see grandparents, children, moms and dads taking pictures of you and you feel like a professional soccer player when you step out there," said junior midfielder Mike Pezza. "You want to go out there and impress everybody and just show them what you've got. It's a great honor to play in front of those fans."
In addition to attending fans, the players enjoy playing in front of the student-section dubbed, "The Goal Patrol."
"Besides playing with each other, I'm really excited about the fans," said sophomore goalkeeper Josh Ford. "Last year was really exciting. [The Goal Patrol] was behind us 110 percent and that was our 12th man out there on the field. I'm excited to hear what they have to say this year."
The Huskies return nine starters from last year, including three preseason players who were named to the preseason M.A.C. Hermann trophy watch list: senior forwards White, Akeem Preistley and junior midfielder Toni Stahl.
Being forced to sit all but three games his senior season due to an ACL injury, captain Karl Schilling will be a key part of the Huskies' defense this year.
"If [Schilling] rebounds from his ACL, it will be very big," Reid said. "He was playing excellent the first three games and he's been playing pretty good this spring. He allows us to put Oscar Castillo in the middle and Oscar's a great defender."
Returning as goalkeeper is Ford, who played every minute of his freshman year last season after redshirting the 2006 season. His 14 recorded shutouts is something that the entire team is looking to build on this year.
"You come in with the mindset to never give up a goal," Ford said. "The team defense, we take pride in keeping the zero. It's not just my zero or the defense's zero. It's everyone's from White's to my zero. Once we all get it going, the zeroes will come and we're ready for it."
For the new players on the team, Tony Cascio from Gilbert, Ariz. is creating a buzz among his new teammates.
"He's a very good player, playing with the first team now," Pezza said. "He's getting a lot of reps, beating a lot of the first players on the team and by the end of this year and the start of next year, he could be a starter for us. But there's a bunch of good players from the freshman class this year. The next two or three years, there'll be a great bunch of players here."
The team lost four seniors to graduation in 2007. Julius James and Ryan Cordeiro were drafted into the MLS with the ninth and 33rd overall picks, respectively. Cordeiro plays for DC United, while James plays for FC Toronto. Also graduating last year were Chukwudi Chijindu, who is trying out to play professional soccer in Greece, and Louis Jones.
"I feel we are a very good team," White said. "But we have to know that we can't take anything for granted. Losing Julius, Cordeiro, Chucky and Louis are very hard spots to fill. The seniors hopefully will step up, and with the freshmen coming in, we could have a very special team, but it won't be easy. Everyone is coming for us. We have to bring our "A" game every game, no matter who we play."
Marc.Gauthier@UConn.edu
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