Spring Break
Providence comes to Storrs for quarterfinal matchup
Chris Brodeur
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Sports
The No. 8 men's soccer team begins its quest for an 8th Big East Tournament Championship Saturday night at Morrone Stadium when they take on Providence.
With a conference record of 8-2-1 (11-3-3 overall), UConn notched 25 points to secure the Big East Blue Division crown outright on the last day of the regular season. In besting Marquette 3-0 on Monday, the Huskies picked up their third regular season title in the last five seasons to clinch the Blue Division's No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
With the exception of a 2-1 overtime loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. on Oct. 31, UConn was dominant, finishing the month of October with a mark of 6-1-1 and a staggering 15-1 combined scoring margin in their victories.
As hot as his Huskies have been, coach Ray Reid knows better than to dwell on past performances once the postseason begins. UConn still has a lot of work to do to meet more of the goals they set in pre-season, and that starts with beating the No. 5-seeded Friars (9-6-3, 5-4-2 Big East Blue) - whom they dispatched by a 4-0 score at Morrone on Oct. 6.
"That game has nothing to do with this game," Reid said. "This is an elimination game, losers go home. They're going to be much more energized. You can't even look at that first game. We've gotta be very focused on coming out and competing for 90 minutes."
With 12 shutouts, a figure that leads all Big East keepers, junior goalie Josh Ford has been at the top of his game in 2009. While blanking the opposition is as much a testament to solid team defense as it is elite goalkeeping, Ford can make history the next time the Huskies keep an opponent off the scoreboard. His 38 career shutouts are tied for the most ever in program history and UConn will need him to continue to play at a program-best level to ensure a long November run.
"The elimination games are a little bit different, you've gotta be able to handle pressure," Reid said. "It's tremendous [to have a Josh Ford in goal]."
Senior midfielder Mike Pezza appears to be operating at nearly full-strength after leaving a Sept. 20 contest at Rutgers with a stretched ligament in his left foot. The New Jersey native has three goals since his Oct. 14 return including two in as many games. After leading the Huskies in assists in both his sophomore and junior campaigns, his playmaking ability is something Reid knows will go a long way in dictating UConn's destiny in the coming weeks.
"Pezza's playing very good for us," Reid said. "He makes us a better team."
The Huskies are playing at home thanks to their record and seeding, something that always bodes well for them given the way UConn fans flock to Morrone.
"We need a big crowd," Reid said. "I hope we have a big crowd here, football's away, we need them here."
With a win, UConn advances to the semifinals in Morgantown, W. Va, which will be played on Nov. 13. A Big East champion will be crowned on Nov. 15 at the same site.
With a conference record of 8-2-1 (11-3-3 overall), UConn notched 25 points to secure the Big East Blue Division crown outright on the last day of the regular season. In besting Marquette 3-0 on Monday, the Huskies picked up their third regular season title in the last five seasons to clinch the Blue Division's No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
With the exception of a 2-1 overtime loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. on Oct. 31, UConn was dominant, finishing the month of October with a mark of 6-1-1 and a staggering 15-1 combined scoring margin in their victories.
As hot as his Huskies have been, coach Ray Reid knows better than to dwell on past performances once the postseason begins. UConn still has a lot of work to do to meet more of the goals they set in pre-season, and that starts with beating the No. 5-seeded Friars (9-6-3, 5-4-2 Big East Blue) - whom they dispatched by a 4-0 score at Morrone on Oct. 6.
"That game has nothing to do with this game," Reid said. "This is an elimination game, losers go home. They're going to be much more energized. You can't even look at that first game. We've gotta be very focused on coming out and competing for 90 minutes."
With 12 shutouts, a figure that leads all Big East keepers, junior goalie Josh Ford has been at the top of his game in 2009. While blanking the opposition is as much a testament to solid team defense as it is elite goalkeeping, Ford can make history the next time the Huskies keep an opponent off the scoreboard. His 38 career shutouts are tied for the most ever in program history and UConn will need him to continue to play at a program-best level to ensure a long November run.
"The elimination games are a little bit different, you've gotta be able to handle pressure," Reid said. "It's tremendous [to have a Josh Ford in goal]."
Senior midfielder Mike Pezza appears to be operating at nearly full-strength after leaving a Sept. 20 contest at Rutgers with a stretched ligament in his left foot. The New Jersey native has three goals since his Oct. 14 return including two in as many games. After leading the Huskies in assists in both his sophomore and junior campaigns, his playmaking ability is something Reid knows will go a long way in dictating UConn's destiny in the coming weeks.
"Pezza's playing very good for us," Reid said. "He makes us a better team."
The Huskies are playing at home thanks to their record and seeding, something that always bodes well for them given the way UConn fans flock to Morrone.
"We need a big crowd," Reid said. "I hope we have a big crowd here, football's away, we need them here."
With a win, UConn advances to the semifinals in Morgantown, W. Va, which will be played on Nov. 13. A Big East champion will be crowned on Nov. 15 at the same site.
Be the first to comment on this story