Spring Break
Pezza makes Senior Night a memorable one
Midfielder tallies goal, assist for Huskies
Chris Brodeur
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Sports
Senior midfielder Mike Pezza was in a hurry to make his Senior Night a memorable one.
Minutes after he had finished posing on the field with his matted No. 10 jersey - flanked by his mother and father and coach Ray Reid - the New Jersey native was trotting toward the near sideline, pointing to the Morrone stands as his teammates mobbed him near the UConn bench.
At the 4:51-mark in the first half, Pezza drilled a bender past the dive of Marquette keeper Keenan Flynn on a free kick to put the Huskies in front 1-0 en route to their Big East Blue Division-clinching victory - the second such banner the four-year starter's been a part of since he arrived in Storrs.
Always lauded by Reid for his playmaking ability, the 5-foot-8 Pezza has had more success finding the net than his teammates have in recent weeks. Since returning from a stretched ligament in his left foot on Oct. 14, Pezza has scored three times - two coming in his last two contests. He led all Division I players with 19 assists back in 2007 and his 34 career helpers are good for sixth most in program history. He added one last night on Thomas Wharf's goal.
"Mike's a great injection," Reid said. "He scored a great goal and did a great job for us. It was a nice thing for [the seniors] tonight; I'm very happy for them."
Fin-landing in the points column
While his impact has been felt all season despite a lack of statistical evidence to suggest it, senior midfielder Toni Stahl finally found the assist column on the game's second score. Forward Alan Ponce ripped home the rebound when a Marquette defender blocked a Stahl offering in the 33rd minute, giving him his first point in 2009.
After making the pre-season Hermann Trophy watch list as one of the nation's favorites to earn Player of the Year honors, the Finland-born Stahl has showcased his elite technical skills in the middle all season long. When the ball rolled his way just beyond the 18-yard box with about 11 minutes remaining in the first, he thought he might have a chance to follow a fellow senior into the goal column.
Minutes after he had finished posing on the field with his matted No. 10 jersey - flanked by his mother and father and coach Ray Reid - the New Jersey native was trotting toward the near sideline, pointing to the Morrone stands as his teammates mobbed him near the UConn bench.
At the 4:51-mark in the first half, Pezza drilled a bender past the dive of Marquette keeper Keenan Flynn on a free kick to put the Huskies in front 1-0 en route to their Big East Blue Division-clinching victory - the second such banner the four-year starter's been a part of since he arrived in Storrs.
Always lauded by Reid for his playmaking ability, the 5-foot-8 Pezza has had more success finding the net than his teammates have in recent weeks. Since returning from a stretched ligament in his left foot on Oct. 14, Pezza has scored three times - two coming in his last two contests. He led all Division I players with 19 assists back in 2007 and his 34 career helpers are good for sixth most in program history. He added one last night on Thomas Wharf's goal.
"Mike's a great injection," Reid said. "He scored a great goal and did a great job for us. It was a nice thing for [the seniors] tonight; I'm very happy for them."
Fin-landing in the points column
While his impact has been felt all season despite a lack of statistical evidence to suggest it, senior midfielder Toni Stahl finally found the assist column on the game's second score. Forward Alan Ponce ripped home the rebound when a Marquette defender blocked a Stahl offering in the 33rd minute, giving him his first point in 2009.
After making the pre-season Hermann Trophy watch list as one of the nation's favorites to earn Player of the Year honors, the Finland-born Stahl has showcased his elite technical skills in the middle all season long. When the ball rolled his way just beyond the 18-yard box with about 11 minutes remaining in the first, he thought he might have a chance to follow a fellow senior into the goal column.
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